Do you remember the last time you sprained something or threw your back out?
It's more embarrassing than you would care to admit but it happened when you were doing some of the most simplest of tasks, like carrying groceries or playing with your kids.
"How could this happen to me?" you ask yourself. "I can bench 365 lbs. I'm not allowed to feel pain!"
Well, hate to break it to you, but it's most likely because you weren't training for functional fitness. It's ok, I wasn't before either. Like you, I was easily swayed by the workouts of bodybuilders that prioritized gaining huge muscles & training for aesthetics.
What I really should have been focusing on was how can I train better in life, not just in the gym.
This is what functional fitness is all about, and what we at SuppCo strongly emphasize & rally behind.
With functional fitness, the exercises push your muscles to work & prepare for common actions you do at home or even some of the sports you play. Now you can actually play that office basketball game without embarrassing yourself! (no promises)
When you see athletes train in those behind-the-scenes videos, have any of their workouts looked like the ones you see meatheads do at the gym?
No? That's because they work a multitude of muscles in the upper & lower body, at the same time. That's right. Full-body workouts. Every. Damn. Day.
I know, sounds exhausting. But which one sounds more feasible? Training full-body 3-4 times a week or working single body parts every day, with the occasional rest day, if you didn't forget to do a body part?
I get it, you're so used to training like a bodybuilder that when you finally stop trying to be a bodybuilder, you don't know where to start so you just do what you've been doing forever. That kind of training is not sustainable for the long run though, as you'll soon find out. You end up in aches & pains where you didn't even know you should have aches & pains.
Functional fitness works because it trains your muscles to work how they would in common everyday tasks. Instead of just moving your elbows for example, a functional fitness exercise might use the elbows as well as the hips, knees, chins, ankles, wrists, etc. By using a multitude of movements you decrease your injury rate & become more healthier.
"Alright Sean. I'm sold on functional fitness. But what are come functional exercises?"
Good question. There a lot of different exercises out there, but what you must remember is how the body moves and how it's built. Since we're always moving, make sure you include a lot of movements that force you to go to side-to-side, front-to-back, and of course ones that improve agility.
If you really want to tone your body, grab a pair of dumbbells (should be fairly light), find a flight of stairs and walk up & down.
How the heck does this help you in your life?
You're carrying groceries all the way up to your apartment. How would you actually like to conquer those stairs without your shoulders collapsing?
There are so many more exercises you can choose from, but for your convenience, I've made a sample workout for you based on the words & research of countless fitness professionals. Except the meatheads. Cause this ain't for them.
Flight Step Ups
For this exercise, first find a flight of stairs
1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with a weight you can manage
2. Place one leg on a step with the other bent. With the leg that's in front, push up
3. Alternate between legs while keeping your hands at your side
3 sets of 12-15
Lunges to Shoulder Press
To play this video, view this post from your live site.
For this exercise, place one leg in front and one leg in the back.
1. Grab a kettlebell that has a weight you can manage. Not too heavy, not too light
2. Bend the front knee while keeping the weight on your shoulder as you go down.
3. Push up with your back foot as you push that weight straight up from your shoulder.
4. Return to starting position. Repeat.
3 sets of 12/side
Turkish Get-Ups
To play this video, view this post from your live site.
First grab a weight that you can handle.
1. Lay down on the floor with one leg in a bent position and the other arm holding the weight in the air.
2.Using your core, bring yourself up
3. Swing the leg that's not bent behind you as you push yourself up
4. With the leg that was bent before, push yourself up even further
5. Keep that kettlebell up and past your head.
6. Once you're at the top, stand straight
7. Come back down, while repeating the same motions
3 sets of 12/side
Suitcase Deadlifts
To play this video, view this post from your live site.
Grab a weight in which you can handle
1. With one hand, grab the bar in the middle
2. Push your hips out and lower your body.
3. Now, push your hips forward as you engage your core
4. Come back down & repeat
3 sets of 15/side
Finisher: 3 sets of 1 min rounds of squat jumps. (Make those squats deep)
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