ROD 041010
ROD
Saturday, 10Apr10
Run 200 meters then…
As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 20 Mins:
- 5 DB Thrusters
- 5 Burpees
- 5 Mt. Climbers
- 5 Pull-ups
End the ROD with another 200m run
Functional Exercise:
Its not isometric gym machines, step classes or a Bosu ball.
At Nxt Level, we know that constantly varied means that we change the warm-up, the skills to be practiced, and the workout, every single day. Of course, we also change the exercises, the reps, the sets, the load, anything we can think of. High-intensity is just your absolute best effort at that particular time. But what is functional movement exactly?
Functional means useful, useful to you and your body. For example, the lateral raise machine at your local “no fitness” gym. You sit in it and raise both arms simultaneously 90 degrees from your sides to shoulder height. WHEN are you EVER going to need to do that in the real world? We don’t fly by flapping our arms so how useful is that movement? NONE. Yah, I know “they” say that it develops the medial deltoid, but so does the snatch. The snatch pretty much develops almost ALL the major muscle groups in your body and does it safely (at loads applicable to your training)… can’t say that about the lateral raise machine. This brings us to the next point.
Functional means using universal motor recruitment patterns that are multi-joint and trigger a wave of muscular contraction from core (trunk) to extremity (arms and legs), to move the body or external object efficiently. Since these motor recruitment patterns are universal (your body was designed to do them), they are safe. Of course, don’t read that and think that you can suddenly back squat 200-300 lbs just because you’re a “big guy” or you “used to lift it back in the day”. Everything takes practice, training (not the same thing), and the ramping up of added weight.
Functional also means essential, essential for maintaining your ability to move freely. If you want your kids to excel at sports… they need functional training on top of their sport specific training at school. Chances are, their baseball coach is teaching them all they need to know about playing baseball and teaching them specific skills. But what about making them stronger, faster, more powerful as it relates to basic physical fitness?
If you want to keep your parents out of the nursing home and living independent of you… they need functional training to keep them strong enough to be able to walk, to sit and get up, to pick up things, to just be able to do things for themselves.
If you want to be able to have the energy and ability to play with your kids and do “fun, adventurous” outings with them… you need functional training to build the strength in your knees, back, and shoulders (the most common aches & pains of adults aged 30-50). It can be done. Don’t shortchange yourself. Enjoy life the way it was meant to be… full of energy and hope, excitement, and ability.