StrydomFitness How much functional training are you doing?
Functional training got its beginning in the physical rehabilitation field and was created by physical therapists to improve patient recovery after injury or disability.
Specific exercises were developed to help patient regain function and return to activities of daily living. Form this start, functional training has been embraced by fitness professionals and transformed into mainly weight- bearing exercises that simulate everyday movements and target core strength.
Why Functional training?
The purpose of functional training is to improve your ability to perform your everyday activities.
Think of it as training for the entire movement, not just a specific muscle. When you jump, you’re not just using your leg muscles. It’s a coordinated effort between your nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory and musculoskeletal systems that allows a fluid movement.
Functional exercises change as we pass through the stages of our life. Appropriate functional exercises for a teenager are very different from a 50 year old, or an 80 year old.
A teenager doesn’t need to focus on getting up from a chair, but that may be a challenge for an older person. Also, a person with a disability will require a different functional focus versus someone who is not challenged with a disability. At each life stage, the activities of daily living change and so should the functional exercises.
Different types of functional training:
High intensity functional training (HIFT)
The US military has incorporated a form of high intensity functional training in soldier training. The program was designed to promote better physical preparedness in a variety of situations through intensive cardio, endurance and strength training regime.
For high intensity functional training you can join my Movefit program where you will never do the same workout twice. You will receive your workouts on a weekly basis, it is easy to follow (not so easy to do!!) but the program is designed to improve your functional fitness!
Here is a sample of High intensity functional training:
Warm up: 5-8 minutes on bike or treadmill.
Round 1: 10 x reps
Round 2: 15 x reps
Round 3: 20 x reps
After each exercise do 50 x jump rope and 5 x burpees.
- Sit ups
- Tuck jumps
- Push ups
- Jump lunges
- Mountain climbers (each leg)
The first round will be 10 reps of each exercise from number 1- 5, and 50 x jump rope and 5 x burpees in between each exercise.
It will look like this:
10 x sit ups, 50 x jump rope, 5 x burpees
10 x tuck jumps, 50 x jump rope, 5 x burpees
10 x push ups, 50 x jump rope, 5 x burpees
10 x jump lunges, 50 x jump rope, 5 x burpees
10 x mountain climbers, 50 x jump rope, 5 x burpees.
Then round 2.
The second round 15 reps and 50 x jump rope and 5 x burpees in between.
The 3rd round 20 reps and 50 x jump rope and 5 burpees in between.
Finisher 1:
3 min AMRAP: (repeat for 3 minutes)
50 x steps
30 x mountain climbers (total)
10 x squat jumps
Finisher 2:
3 min AMRAP (repeat for 3 minutes)
100 x jump rope (fast)
15 x skater lunges (fast)
10 x sumo squat jumps
ABS:
25 x side crunches L
25 x side crunches R
15 x leg raises
Repeat 3 times
Low intensity functional training:
A lower intensity version of functional fitness has been increasingly used to help older individuals maintain their lifestyles and activities.
When including a low intensity functional training routine in your weekly schedule will show greater improvements in strength, endurance, agility, balance and flexibility and you will be able to maintain activities of daily living.
Here is a sample of a low intensity functional program:
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING:
Week 1 & 2:
Do the following program on day 3 for week 1 and 2.
Warm up on Bike for 5 minutes
Then:
40 seconds on and 20 seconds off x 3
40 seconds out of the saddle and RPM above 100.
Your Workout explained:
- Do 3 sets of each exercise.
- Use a weight that makes it challenging, but not impossible, to do about 10 reps of each move.
- Focus on maintaining good form above all else.
- Rest about 45 seconds between exercises and 90 – 120 seconds between sets.
WORKOUT:
1.
10 x Front squat to press with Dumbbell
Repeat x 3
2.
10 x Renegade rows (each arm)
Repeat x 3
3.
10 x Push ups
Repeat x 3
4.
10 x DB Chop (5 each side)
Repeat x 3
5.
10 x TRX rows
Repeat x 3
6.
10 x Ball slams
Repeat x 3
Week 3 and 4:
Do the following program on Day 3 in week 3 and 4.
Your Workout explained:
- Do 3 sets of each exercise.
- Use a weight that makes it challenging, but not impossible, to do about 10 reps of each move.
- Focus on maintaining good form above all else.
- Rest about 45 seconds between exercises and 90 – 120 seconds between sets.
Warm up:
5 minutes on the bike:
Then:
Set your timer for 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off.
Repeat x 8.
Sprint for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds for a total of 8 rounds.
PUSH YOURSELF
Your workout:
1.
10 x Kettle-bell swings
Repeat x 3
2.
Repeat x 3
3.
10 x Kettle-bell single arm clean and press ( you can use a Dumbbell too)
Repeat x 3
4.
10 x step up to overhead press (each side)
Repeat x 3
5.
10 x squat jumps
Repeat x 3
Make sure to include functional training into your weekly routine!
