Foundational Training

[Demeris]

I tried to do a search for this because I know it's been discussed here numerous times, BUT we all know how fakakte the search function is.

SO I'd like to know how Foundational Training affected your posture, your aches and pains, but mostly what sort of impact it may have had on your regular workout routine.

Please share the good and the bad. TIA

[bzar]

i'm going to use that word - fakakte. love it.

following the principals from basic physical therapy, i started focusing on making my body into a "column" from the feet all the way to the position of my head. just reminding myself to center my head over my spine has eliminated so much neck and shoulder tension.

we look at our phones and pitch our heads forward - i started holding my phone at eye level and making sure my head is centered over my spine.

this simple reminder to myself, and you have to self-trigger, has really eliminated pain and tension.

my workouts have been pretty much the same - i can do high impact, plyos, tall box, lunges, etc, as before.

[Demeris]

Originally Posted by bzar

i'm going to use that word - fakakte. love it.

I stole it from a friend of mine. Sometimes it's the only word that fits.

Originally Posted by bzar

following the principals from basic physical therapy, i started focusing on making my body into a "column" from the feet all the way to the position of my head. just reminding myself to center my head over my spine has eliminated so much neck and shoulder tension.

These are things I've learned from T-Tapp and Supple Leopard.

I probably don't need the Foundation Training stuff, even though the DVDs look so good, but they're 60$!!!!. The streaming looks good, too, but I can't do streaming.

[kimf]

Re: Foundation Training, I subscribed to the streaming a while back and honestly I came to the realization that I liked the original 12 minute YouTube video the best out of all of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BOTvaRaDjI

I think the basic idea of the "founder" is a good move for low back strengthening but in my opinion in the later videos they tried to expand on the program with putting a spin on different moves that they tried to make unique (like a 6 or maybe 8 point plank ) and then gave them corny names. "Sphere of Tension" comes to mind, where all you are doing is putting your hands together. It just felt silly to me.

YMMV, but that was my experience. I would recommend looking at his YouTube offerings first and go from there. I'm sure there are lots of people that subscribe and get a lot out of it, I am just not one of them.

[Demeris]

Originally Posted by kimf

Re: Foundation Training, I subscribed to the streaming a while back and honestly I came to the realization that I liked the original 12 minute YouTube video the best out of all of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BOTvaRaDjI

I think the basic idea of the "founder" is a good move for low back strengthening but in my opinion in the later videos they tried to expand on the program with putting a spin on different moves that they tried to make unique (like a 6 or maybe 8 point plank ) and then gave them corny names. "Sphere of Tension" comes to mind, where all you are doing is putting your hands together. It just felt silly to me.

YMMV, but that was my experience. I would recommend looking at his YouTube offerings first and go from there. I'm sure there are lots of people that subscribe and get a lot out of it, I am just not one of them.

Thank you. Great advice.

I'm ashamed to admit that I never opened up any thread that was about Foundational Training. I was too happy with T-Tapp and Classical Stretch, but the DVDs came up on Amazon, and I thought, 'what new, shiny thing is this that I must have now?'

[FirmDancer]

Thanks everyone for these posts!

[Vintage VFer]

Originally Posted by kimf

Re: Foundation Training, I subscribed to the streaming a while back and honestly I came to the realization that I liked the original 12 minute YouTube video the best out of all of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BOTvaRaDjI...

I agree! I bought the DVDs and the book was bored out of my mind. The original is best.

[Terry]

I spent the money on the DVDs to learn what is free on YouTube. I spent the money on both books to finally realize Eric is telling us to keep good straight posture all day, stretch tall through the entire spine from the low back through the neck, and hinge at the hips to bend forward. I never did any of the FT workouts on a daily basis but instead just started focusing on being tall through the spine all day. I haven’t had pain return since.

Note: Actually doing the DVD workouts (or free YouTube) is hard with a dread factor. I want to ask Eric “Are you insane?” when he says, “I hope you enjoyed that.” I enjoy burpees. I enjoy fish-out-of-water breathing due to killer sprints. I enjoy 100 rep workouts. Nothing was more fun in my boot camp class than Death by Sprints or Death by Burpees and maybe even one lap around the outside of the building at top sprinting speed. I found nothing to enjoy about FT workouts.

[Demeris]

Originally Posted by Terry

I spent the money on the DVDs to learn what is free on YouTube. I spent the money on both books to finally realize Eric is telling us to keep good straight posture all day, stretch tall through the entire spine from the low back through the neck, and hinge at the hips to bend forward. I never did any of the FT workouts on a daily basis but instead just started focusing on being tall through the spine all day. I haven’t had pain return since.

.

Thank you for this. It seems that Foundation Training is basic to T-Tapp, to Pilates, and to almost anything that requires good form. And it's the first few chapters of Supple Leopard.

[FirmDancer]

Originally Posted by Terry

I spent the money on the DVDs to learn what is free on YouTube. I spent the money on both books to finally realize Eric is telling us to keep good straight posture all day, stretch tall through the entire spine from the low back through the neck, and hinge at the hips to bend forward. I never did any of the FT workouts on a daily basis but instead just started focusing on being tall through the spine all day. I haven’t had pain return since.

Note: Actually doing the DVD workouts (or free YouTube) is hard with a dread factor. I want to ask Eric “Are you insane?” when he says, “I hope you enjoyed that.” I enjoy burpees. I enjoy fish-out-of-water breathing due to killer sprints. I enjoy 100 rep workouts. Nothing was more fun in my boot camp class than Death by Sprints or Death by Burpees and maybe even one lap around the outside of the building at top sprinting speed. I found nothing to enjoy about FT workouts.

This saved me some money!