IGX

This is an interesting product because Hurst takes a different tack from some of the other CST/Sonnon followers. Aside from the vibration drills and the compensations, this doesn't look like a CST product at all - it's got a lot more in common with Jon Hinds' "Monkey Bar Gym" products. It doesn't even follow the done-to-death CST "4x7" protocol.

The idea here is to help the trainee build strength and skill using gymnastics based movements, concentrating on using parallette bars. Hurst apparently was a successful competitive gymnast for many years until he hurt his knee (but he hurt it doing martial arts, not gymnastics). In his intro to the program, he talks about how his coach from those years worked the living bejesus out of his teams, but the overuse problems and injuries on his teams were quite low (for the sport, anyway) because the coach was careful to keep the training programs and methodologies balanced and conservative. Supposedly, the P1 program is based on that same philosophy.

Hurst comes across as a fairly calm and together guy on video and in his written materials. He doesn't seem to have drunk as deeply of the Sonnon Kool-Aid as some of his "head coach" counterparts. That may be because he is based in Japan, and because of the added distance, he doesn't need as many layers on his tin-foil hat to keep out the craziness.

The course includes a video primer on how to build your own parallettes from PVC pipe or a "posher" set if you have some carpentry skills. I took the lazy way out and bought the recommeded "Rogue Fitness" bars, which seem fairly bulletproof and cost me less than $100 with shipping.

I've been working the "entry level" basic two part program for about a month (I'm in no hurry), and having some fun and getting some pretty good workouts out of it. Doing the moves involves some skill and concentration, but there's nothing as wonky as the Flow Fit/Tac Fit/Body Flow material - jump-throughs, plank holds, inverted pushups and novice level "L sit" holds etc., are about as fancy as it gets, at least in the beginning. It takes about 40 minutes (including rest periods) to complete 4 sets of 5-6 exercises, so that's about right for a time commitment for me.

There's a bonus "leg module" included. You can work this in twice a week or so, but right now I concentrate on 9 Little Heaven chi kung, standing yoga poses and Tom Furman's "10 exercises" ebook on the those days, so I am not paying much attention to it. It's adequate, nothing special.

So far, I like it a lot. It's not a 'game changer' or a "revolution", but its well designed and well thought out. I plan to make the P1 program my "main" upper body strength and conditioning program for the winter months, and then see about adding the Hurst's "Rings One" program in the spring when I can go outside and attach some rings to the deck.

Nice review. I haven't gotten P1 or R1 yet, but on my wishlist. I have some parallettes I made from the original TacFit so I may have to check it out. Thanks

Shit. I look at your blog, and mistakenly clicked on PLAY for the "Horse Outside" video.

This will be stuck in my head for about 3 weeks.

I think it is going to take something the likes of Sex Robot to crowd it out of there...

What are the options on number of days per week to train this?

In the beginning, two/three days a week. Session/Routine A alternates with Session/Routine B. The inbetween days you can do the Leg Module or extra rounds of the supplied Warmup/Cooldown/Compensation routines.