What is Funtional Training...?
I believe in functional training! ... Long before it was a buzz word, or a new fitness craze. As most of us understand by now life in the real world does not test us with obstacles with a one at a time approach. These days even job interviews are usually conducted by at least two people. Physically, we encounter the same kind of needs and challenges, for example when you buy a new hardware device you generally carry it not just out of the store, but it is then carried up the stairs or down a hallway etc. These demands require good posture, strength, endurance, balance, and an overall body effort to complete the task. Functional training, simply explained is a prescribed creative sequence of exercise that prepares the body for components that will realistically be encountered and performed in daily life. It is a much better approach to the frowned upon sedentary machine based training where you just sit at a stationary apparatus.
Benefits of Functional Training
Muscular balance
Joint stability
Development of a more relatable and practical workout experience
Decreases the frequency of injuries
A creates a more enjoyable workout experience
Strength is also one important criteria that I beleive is important as it relates to Funtional workouts and movement. When we think of strength we should think of how strong we are to our own relative body weight.
Think about the ant... is the ant strong for it own body weight? Yes! An ant can carry approx. 10 - 50 times it's own body weight (based on the species).
While genernally this it not the case for most humans, However at the same time bodyweight exercises are helpful, but should NOT be the only approach to gaining strength. Strength can also be developed through an established weight routine in order to build ant like strength! While I personally use and recommend free- weights (other alternatives include: dumbbells, kettle bells, weighted bags, medicine balls, and weighted disc). These tools are selected because of the creativity for exercise use, and the added bonus of strengthening your stabilizer muscles.
The key to functional training is to have a sport -specific approach, or life-style specific approach to your workout regiment. In other words train for what you need, your body to do now and in the future; not just for aesthetic reasons. Additionally, I use a creative approach that incorporates the movement that is more indicative of your personally real world challenges and demands. Meaning I examine you work-out needs... what do you do daily... do you sit most of the day, does climbing steps give you trouble, do have back pain? These are all sign of 1) How you need to be trained and, 2) What your focus should include initially and in the long term.
postive action = results
Benefits of Functional Training
Muscular balance
Joint stability
Development of a more relatable and practical workout experience
Decreases the frequency of injuries
A creates a more enjoyable workout experience
Strength is also one important criteria that I beleive is important as it relates to Funtional workouts and movement. When we think of strength we should think of how strong we are to our own relative body weight.
Think about the ant... is the ant strong for it own body weight? Yes! An ant can carry approx. 10 - 50 times it's own body weight (based on the species).
While genernally this it not the case for most humans, However at the same time bodyweight exercises are helpful, but should NOT be the only approach to gaining strength. Strength can also be developed through an established weight routine in order to build ant like strength! While I personally use and recommend free- weights (other alternatives include: dumbbells, kettle bells, weighted bags, medicine balls, and weighted disc). These tools are selected because of the creativity for exercise use, and the added bonus of strengthening your stabilizer muscles.
The key to functional training is to have a sport -specific approach, or life-style specific approach to your workout regiment. In other words train for what you need, your body to do now and in the future; not just for aesthetic reasons. Additionally, I use a creative approach that incorporates the movement that is more indicative of your personally real world challenges and demands. Meaning I examine you work-out needs... what do you do daily... do you sit most of the day, does climbing steps give you trouble, do have back pain? These are all sign of 1) How you need to be trained and, 2) What your focus should include initially and in the long term.
postive action = results