Editor’s note, February 2026: Since Ryan originally wrote this review, Gymnastic Bodies appears to have stopped producing new content and updates. Their blog and social channels have been inactive since approximately 2019, and their gym in Colorado has closed. We’ve also heard from our own clients and seen consistent reports online of billing issues and unresponsive customer support. We haven’t been able to verify the current operational status of the company directly, so we’d encourage anyone considering a purchase to do their own research before signing up for a subscription.
We’re keeping Ryan’s original comparison below because people still search for it, and the philosophical differences between our approaches remain relevant for anyone exploring bodyweight and movement training options.
Gymnastic Bodies Review vs GMB Fitness Comparison
People have been comparing GMB to Gymnastic Bodies for over a decade now. It makes sense. On the surface, both companies teach bodyweight movements online, both have roots in gymnastics, and both charge for structured programs. When you’re scoping out your options, you want to know the real differences.
In 2004, Christopher Sommer posted an article on Dragon Door and a similar piece on T-Nation that helped bring gymnastic-style training into the mainstream fitness conversation. His book, Building the Gymnastic Body, was the first popular guide showing regular people how gymnasts actually train. He deserves credit for that.
Bodyweight training itself is ancient, of course. Gymnastic conditioning for non-gymnasts has been taught in various forms for decades. Sommer didn’t invent it, but he packaged it well and reached a big audience through the Tim Ferriss connection and early forum culture.
I should say upfront: I haven’t used Gymnastic Bodies’ programs personally. I trained gymnastics competitively for years and learned many of the same movements through my own coaches. I’m obviously biased toward what we’ve built at GMB. But I’ve been answering questions about how we compare to GB since 2013, and people deserve a straight answer.
The Core Difference: Training Philosophy
Ryan teaching at a GMB workshop
When clients have used both GB and GMB programs, the distinction they consistently identify is philosophical.
Gymnastic Bodies teaches gymnastic form as the standard. Progressions follow strict criteria borrowed from competitive gymnastics coaching. You hold a position for a prescribed duration at a prescribed quality level before you’re allowed to advance. This is how gymnastics has been taught for generations, and it works for developing gymnasts. For adults training at home without a coach watching, it can mean spending months or years on early progressions if your mobility or work capacity doesn’t meet the benchmark.
GMB teaches movement capability as the goal. We use gymnastic and other movement patterns as tools, but the objective is building your physical autonomy, your ability to control your body in whatever context you need it. Our progressions are flexible. When we teach the handstand, the goal is a straight, controlled line, but we meet you where you are and adjust the path based on your body and your goals. Movement exploration is part of the method, not a deviation from it.
What This Means In Practice
GB’s approach works well for people who want structured, long-term gymnastic skill development and thrive with strict benchmarks. If your goal is a technically perfect straddle planche or a competition-grade L-sit, the systematic rigor makes sense.
GMB’s approach works well for people who want practical strength, mobility, and body control they can apply to whatever they do, from martial arts to weekend hiking to keeping up with their kids. Our programs are built for adults with real schedules who want to get stronger and move better without making gymnastics their full-time hobby.
We’ve never taught gymnastics. We teach movement skills that build a capable, resilient body. That’s a different project with a different endpoint.
Nobody Owns Bodyweight Training
There are a lot of good people teaching bodyweight movement right now, and the variety is a good thing for you. It means you get to find the approach that fits how you want to train and what you want your body to be able to do.
No one company invented this stuff, and no one company has a monopoly on it. What matters is finding an approach with sound coaching, responsive support, and a track record of real client results you can verify independently.
Build the Foundation for Everything Else
Elements is our starting point. Eight weeks of progressive movement training that builds your strength, mobility, and body control for whatever you want to do next.
Hi, I'm Ryan Hurst 👋
After a training accident ended his competitive gymnastics career, Ryan moved to Japan and competed in various martial arts until another injury made him reevaluate his priorities in life.
As Head Coach at GMB Fitness, his mission is to show everyone that you can define your own fitness as a sustainable and enjoyable part of your life. He loves handstands, dogs, and hiking.
