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Flexibility

Flexibility

Flexibility is an important component of every fitness program.

Flexibility Programs can be performed everyday. With Resistance Training, you should always take a day off between training muscle groups. And with Cardiovascular Exercise,  you should plan on one or two days of rest each week.

Adding a Flexibility or Stretching element to your fitness program will improve your results in many ways. That’s because there are many benefits to improving your Flexibility, including;

  1. Relaxation of Stress and Tension
  2. Muscular Relaxation
  3. Self-Discipline
  4. Body Fitness, Posture, and Symmetry
  5. Relief of Low Back Pain
  6. Relief of Muscular Cramps
  7. Relief of Muscular Soreness
  8. Injury Prevention
  9. Enjoyment and Pleasure
  10. Union of the Body, Mind and Spirit

There are several common Stretching Techniques that you can utilize to improve and achieve optimal Flexibility.

The first (and most obvious) is Self Stretching.  This is the easiest way to get started, and that’s because you are always available to stretch yourself. Plus you are always with you. So you can Self Stretch any place, at home, the gym, hotel room, etc.  There are  three general sub-categories of Self Stretching.

  1. Static Stretching
  2. Ballistic Stretching
  3. Dynamic Stretching

 

Static Stretch – With a Static Stretch you will move into the stretch and once you feel the stretch, hold that position. Typically the stretch is held for a relatively long period of time (20-60 seconds). To get the most out of Static Stretching you should exhale into the stretch and relax as much a possible. You’ll also notice that after 20-40 seconds the sensation of the stretch will decrease. When that happens you should move into the stretch a little bit more and hold that “new” position for an additional 20-30 seconds.

There are several benefits of Self, Static Stretching. It is convenient. You can do it anytime, and anywhere. It feels good and is very relaxing. And it is very safe.

The downside of Self, Static Stretching is that the improvements that you will experience during the workout are often times transitory. Meaning that you’ll notice an improvement in your range of motion during the workout, but those gains are quickly lost. It’s common to be right back where you started at the beginning of your next stretching workout. While you can improve your flexibility over time, the process with Self, Static Stretching is very slow and will require a lot of patience.

Ballistic Stretching– Ballistic Stretching is also a Self Stretching technique. Its different from Static Stretching in that you will bounce in and out of the stretch at the end of your range of motion.

There is one benefit to Ballistic Stretching. If you are about to perform an activity that requires quick, explosive movements, then ballistic stretching can be used as part of the warm up to prepare you body for that activity.

But there are several downsides to ballistic stretching. There is a risk of bouncing too far into a stretch. This could result in a muscle strain. Which can lead to pain and soreness. Also repeatedly over stretching and straining muscles can lead to damage and scar tissue. Scar tissue, unlike muscle tissue is not elastic (it doesn’t stretch), therefore over the long term you could experience a reduction in range of motion/flexibility. Also there is a nervous system protective mechanism that will cause your muscle to contract if they are rapidly over stretched. This contraction’s purpose is to prevent a muscle pull. By performing ballistic stretches you can trigger this response. If you do, a contracted muscle is more tense than a relaxed muscle, thus you limit your ability to stretch it.

If you plan on integrating Ballistic Stretching into your program, make sure that you are fully warmed up and stretched out. Then perform the ballistic stretches prior to your event (game/practice). Also your ballistic stretches should replicate the activity that you’re going to be performing.

Dynamic Stretching– The final type of Self Stretch is a Dynamic Stretch. With Dynamic Stretching you will move into and out of stretches. But unlike Ballistic Stretching you won’t bounce at the end of the stretch. Instead you’ll move slower and through your entire range of motion into and out of the stretch. These movement are more complex than typical stretches. Think along the line of a flow Yoga class, Tai Chi, or a dancer warming up. These type of movements have been merging into athletics so you might be familiar with some of them.

There are a ton of benefits to Dynamic Stretching. First of all it takes strength to move into and out of the stretches. As you develop an increased range of motion you’ll simultaneously be developing strength in that new found range of motion. That is the key to maintaining flexibility and seeing rapid improvements. It is safe. You can easily replicate the movement patterns of your upcoming activity. You’re body temperature will stay elevated. Being properly warmed up is vital to an effective Flexibility workout.

The only downside to Dynamic Flexibility is that the movements can be complex. It’s easy for people to perform them incorrectly. So you’ll need to take some time and learn how to do the stretches the correct way.

The Second Type of Stretch is an Assisted Stretch

Assisted Stretches utilize a partner to help you achieve a greater stretch. No matter how much you know about Flexibility, a stretching partner will always be able to generate a deeper stretches than attempting to stretch on your own. The obstacle is that you are dependent upon some one else. That person may not always be available.

The three general sub-categories of Assisted Stretching are;

  1. Passive
  2. Active Assist
  3. PNF

Passive Stretch– With a Partner Assisted, Passive Stretch the stretchee should relax as much as possible. The stretch partner will move the stretchee into all of the stretches. Once a full stretch is achieved the Partner will hold that position for a specific period of time. This time is similar to the Self Static Stretching (20-60 seconds).

The benefits of Passive Stretching is that it is very safe. You can experience a deeper stretch than you’re able to on your own. It can be done anywhere.

The only downside is that you are dependant on someone else to assist you who may not always be available. And progress can be quite slow, like the Self Static stretch. It may feel like you’re starting at the same level at the beginning of each workout.

Active Assist– Active Assist is similar to Passive except the Stretchee is engaged in the process. For an Active Assist stretch, the stretchee will move into the stretch (using the opposing muscle group) as far a possible. At that point the assistant will push the stretchee into a deeper stretch. This type of stretch takes advantage of a physiological response in the body called Reciprocal Inhibition. Reciprocal Inhibition can be somewhat difficult to understand. But just know this. In order for your body to move, muscles must contract. To perform a specific movement you have to contract specific muscles, also the muscles that perform the opposite of your desired movement must relax. Those relaxed muscles are neurologically inhibited.

That inhibition results in a deeper stretch. The Active Assist stretch begins to utilized some of the principles of the final type of stretch PNF.

The benefits of the Partner Active Assist Stretch is that you’ll experience deeper stretching and improved results compared to Static and Passive Stretching.

The downside is that you’re still dependant upon a partner.

PNF– PNF stands for Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation. Proprioception is subconscious awareness of your body in time and space. Try this. Extend your right arm out to your side then close your eyes. Slowly bend your elbow and bring your finger in toward your nose. Stop just before you touch your nose. Now open your eyes. Your finger got pretty close to your nose with out touching it, didn’t it? That is because you have proprioceptors (sensory nerves) in every joint in your body, including your elbow. You had a sense of the angle of your elbow and the position of your finger even though you couldn’t see them. That’s proprioception.

So in PNF Stretching the assistant takes advantage of our knowledge of how the nervous system and proprioceptors work. There are several techniques available within the realm of PNF Stretching.  Including;

  1. Repeated Contractions
  2. Rhythmic Initiation
  3. Slow Reversal
  4. Slow Reversal-Hold
  5. Rhythmic Stabilization
  6. Contract-Relax
  7. Hold-Relax
  8. Slow Reversal-Hold-Relax
  9. Agonistic Reversal

The benefit of PNF is that it is very effective at increasing Flexibility within a workout session. It also results in rapid flexibility improvements over time. It has been studied extensively and it is very effective. In addition to improvements in Flexibility it also helps improve strength and joint stability. In my opinion Dynamic Self Stretch and Partner Assisted PNF are the way to go.

Now for the downside of PNF. If you’re interested in improving your flexibility, but you’ve decided to go to school and pursue a career in something other than fitness you are probably unsure about how to implement PNF into your workouts. That’s because it’s complicated. You have to have an extensive background in exercise science and specific training in the administration of PNF stretching techniques. That is a huge downside. You can’t just grab your spouse or a friend and head out to the gym and do PNF stretching.

If you’re serious about your Flexibility and you want to incorporate PNF into your routine, then you should seek out a professional in your area for help. It will be worth it. Otherwise stick to the other techniques I’ve addressed in this post. But do add a Flexibility component to your routine. You’ll feel great and your body will thank you.

For more information about Flexibility Click Here

Taedaga Class

In2One Wellness Taedaga Video

Group exercise class in Scottsdale Arizona. This class embraces the fundamentals of Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi, Dance, and Yoga. It’s a great class to improve your fitness, wellness, flexibility and mental well being. Enjoy the Video!

Fat 2 Fit 56-Day Makeover

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How would you like to lose a ton of weight and transform your body in less than 2 months?



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The Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover is specifically designed to help you experience dramatic changes in your body. You’ll lose significant amounts of body fat. You’ll increase your lean muscle and reshape your body. You’ll boost your metabolism, and increase your energy. You’ll feel better than you have in years.

 

How does this work? It’s simple!

 

We combine a proven nutrition plan with cardiovascular, resistance training, and flexibility and guide you step-by-step to quick, impressive and permanent changes to your body!

 

In addition, we provide you with a ton of educational and lifestyle information. Plus, you get unlimited online support during the entire challenge on our Facebook page.

 

You have two options:

 

#1 – Sign up for our Live, In-Person, supervised program that takes place at The In2One Wellness Center, in Scottsdale AZ.  The Live, In-Person program includes up to 24 supervised workout sessions, so you must live in the local area to participate.

 

#2 – Sign up for our Do-It-Yourself Online program and get started today! The Do-It-Yourself is just like the Live In-Person program except it is for anyone who doesn’t live in the Phoenix or Scottsdale area. You’ll workout on your own and without supervision.



Select Online or In-Person Program




 

The Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover is designed with one purpose – to help you to lose the maximum amount of weight possible in less than 2 months.

 

Oh yeah, and you won’t be following any crazy, calorie restricted, starvation diet either!

Here’s what you’ll get

Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover



Select Online or In-Person Program







Your Simple Path to Success

 

The only thing you’re going to lose is weight!

GET STARTED TODAY!!!

 



Select Online or In-Person Program




Note: We’ve utilized the STAX Nutrition program for almost 5 years with clients and boot campers. In fact, we’ve presented monthly nutrition seminars that follow the STAX principles. I’ve also been a fitness professional for over 17 years, so the exercise and lifestyle advice comes from an expert.

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Weight Loss Coaching Program

Weight Loss Coaching Program

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How can we promise all of this?  Easy!

The Weight Loss Coaching Program works and isn’t like any other nutrition or diet plan. It isn’t like any other fitness or Personal Training program.  It is a complete, comprehensive program that will guide you to your goal and keep you there.

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When you sign up for our Weight Loss Coaching Program, you’ll experience:

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  • Daily Flexibility Program
  • Daily Corrective Exercise Program
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WEIGHT LOSS COACHING PROGRAM CONSULTATION

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Jun 1,2013 - Dec 31,2015    Time: 6:00 am - 6:00 am

Fill out the form below for more information about John Preston's Weight Loss Coaching Program. Once you fill out the form we'll contact you to schedule your complimentary consultation. By filling out the form you are by no means committing to anything. The purpose of the FREE consultation is for you to find out if this weight loss program is right for you.


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14423 N. 73rd St
Scottsdale , 85260


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* There is an additional cost for the Two Hour Food Preparation Lesson

Our Brand New Workout of the Month Program

Tired of the same boring workout routines, can’t seem to reach your goals, have you hit a plateau, or just never worked out before…?

If so, then Fitness Know Headquarters can help.

Fitness Know How Headquarters’ Workout of the Month Program will help you to get into amazing shape




When you follow a structured exercise program, you can expect incredible results. Our workouts are designed to shock your body with a brand new, fresh workout each and every month. When your body doesn’t know what to expect next, it’s forced to adapt. That means you’ll see change and that equals results.

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Each month you’ll receive a brand new workout. And, every workout is different. You’ll get exercises and workouts that focus on muscle endurance, balance, stability, core training, flexibility, muscle development, abdominal training, coordination and functional movements, and increased strength.

You’re going to look and feel AWESOME!

Each exercise for every workout comes with a photo example and a detailed description. Here’s an example of what you’ll get:


BOSU Squat

Start Position

Finish Position

This is a great exercise because the squat helps to strengthen all the major muscles of the lower body, and the BOSU is excellent for providing an unstable surface.

BOSU is short for “Both Sides Up”. This piece of equipment is designed to be used with either side up (or down, depending on how you want to look at it). The BOSU is essentially 1/2 of a stability ball with a solid, flat base.

For this exercise you want to place the BOSU upside down (the ball side down/and flat base up). You want to stand on the BOSU with your feet about shoulder width apart and your toes pointing straight forward.

Start Position – The easiest way to get on the BOSU is to place one foot on the base near the edge. If you look at the BOSU as a clock, place your foot in either the 3 or 9 o’clock position (depending on which foot you choose to place first). Slowly place all of your weight on that foot until the edge of the BOSU is touching the ground. Then carefully place your other foot on the opposite side of the BOSU. Slowly transfer your weight toward the foot you placed on the BOSU second, until you are standing with even weight on each foot.

NOTE: The BOSU can be extremely unstable until you learn how stand on it properly. The good news is the learning curve is steep, so you’ll figure it out quickly. If you have difficulty standing on the BOSU, don’t attempt to perform the squat. Instead the exercise for you is to simply stand on the BOSU until you establish balance, stability and confidence. Once you do then add the Squat.

As you lower yourself to the finish position there are several things you should focus on to perform a squat correctly. One your hips (butt) should begin the decent toward the ground by moving backwards. Imagine that there is a chair behind you. If you lower your hips straight down you will never find the chair with your butt. Second you should counter balance your hips moving backwards by leaning forward at the waist (if you don’t you’ll fall backwards). Third your knees should stay over your feet. It’s OK if they move forward a little but they should not move in front of your toes. And your chest should remain upright facing forward (not toward the ground).

You should inhale as you lower your body.

Finish Position – The goal at the finish position is to lower your body until your thighs are parallel with the ground.
As you stand up and return to the start position, you should exhale. Your knees, hips, and back should all return to the start position simultaneously.
Perform 2 sets of this exercise with a tempo of 1/1/1


In addition, you’ll also get a FREE workout workbook to track your progress during the month.

You don’t have to bust your budget to get fit!

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Affordable Personal Training:
We provide all the benefits of a personal trainer without the expensive price! While most personal trainers charge at least $50 for just one hour, our comprehensive, highly effective exercise programs are affordable enough for even novices to try out.

An exercise program is more successful if it includes variety and continually challenges the body to work hard. Fitness Know Headquarters’ Workout of the Month program utilizes this concept. Our online workouts include loads of variety and frequent changes to keep your mind from burning out and your body from adapting and hitting a plateau, which can cause you to stop losing weight and/or gaining muscle.

Get ready for not only a new body but a new life! Whether it’s losing weight, toning up, building muscle, increasing stamina, improving balance or flexibility, Fitness Know Headquarters’ Workout of the Month will help you reach your fitness goals through expert instruction. And, we’ll help you learn how to stay that way for life.

Let us be your personal, one-on-one fitness consultant. As we guide you on the fitness path, we’ll help you avoid common exercise mistakes that just waste your time, and we’ll teach you techniques that will get you the fitness results you’ve always wanted.

Only $3.99/Month

Workout of the month terms, cancellation and refund policy

S.U.P.E.R Fitness Training

Workout Of The Month

The S.U.P.E.R Fitness Training Program will help you to get into amazing shape!

You’ll get a FRESH new workout every 30 days designed to shock your body to get the results that you want!

 

When you follow a structured exercise program, you can expect incredible results.   When your body doesn’t know what to expect next, it’s forced to adapt.  That means you’ll see change and that equals results.

Each month you’ll receive a brand new workout.  And, every workout is different.

You’re going to look and feel AWESOME!

 

Each exercise for every workout comes with a photo example and a detailed description.

In addition, you’ll also get a FREE workout workbook to track your progress during the month.

You don’t have to bust your budget to get fit!

 

Get Started For Only $3.99/month!!







 
 

More Variety, Less Boredom and Burnout.  It’s the Right Exercise Program for You!

 

Affordable Personal Training:
We provide all the benefits of a personal trainer without the expensive price!  While most personal trainers charge at least $50 for just one hour, our comprehensive, highly effective exercise programs are affordable enough for even novices to try out.

 

An exercise program is more successful if it includes variety and continually challenges the body to work hard.  Fitness Know Headquarters’ S.U.P.E.R Fitness Training Program utilizes this concept.  Our online workouts include loads of variety and frequent changes to keep your mind from burning out and your body from adapting and hitting a plateau, which can cause you to stop losing weight and/or gaining muscle.

 

Get ready for not only a new body but a new life! Whether it’s losing weight, toning up, building muscle, increasing stamina, improving balance or flexibility, Fitness Know Headquarters’ Workout of the Month will help you reach your fitness goals through expert instruction.  And, we’ll help you learn how to stay that way for life.

 

Let us be your personal, one-on-one fitness consultant.  As we guide you on the fitness path, we’ll help you avoid common exercise mistakes that just waste your time, and we’ll teach you techniques that will get you the fitness results you’ve always wanted.

 

Only $3.99/month







 

S.U.P.E.R Fitness Training terms, cancellation and refund policy

Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover Challenge

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How would you like to lose a ton of weight and transform your body in less than 2 months?



Start Your Own Personal Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover Today!


Here are the Details


The Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover is specifically designed to help you experience dramatic changes in your body. You’ll lose significant amounts of body fat. You’ll increase your lean muscle and reshape your body. You’ll boost your metabolism, and increase your energy. You’ll feel better than you have in years.


How does this work? It’s simple!


We combine a proven nutrition plan with cardiovascular, resistance training, and flexibility and guide you step-by-step to quick, impressive and permanent changes to your body!


In addition, we provide you with a ton of educational and lifestyle information. Plus, you get unlimited online support during the entire challenge on our Facebook page.


You have two options:


#1 – Sign up for our Live, In-Person, supervised program that takes place at The In2One Wellness Center, in Scottsdale AZ. The Live, In-Person program includes up to 24 supervised workout sessions, so you must live in the local area to participate.


#2 – Sign up for our Do-It-Yourself Online program and get started today! The Do-It-Yourself is just like the Live In-Person program except it is for anyone who doesn’t live in the Phoenix or Scottsdale area. You’ll workout on your own and without supervision.


Option #1 (Live)


Register


Option #2 (Online)


Register


The Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover is designed with one purpose – to help you to lose the maximum amount of weight possible in less than 2 months.


Oh yeah, and you won’t be following any crazy, calorie restricted, starvation diet either!

 

Here’s what you’ll get
Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover


Register

The online program is only $147

 

Register

 

Your Simple Path to Success

 

To get started, you just need to Click Here for the Live In-Person Program or Here for the Online Program


The only thing you’re going to lose is weight!

 

GET STARTED TODAY!!!


Live In-Person Program

Register

Online Program

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Note: We’ve utilized the STAX Nutrition program for almost 5 years with clients and boot campers. In fact, we’ve presented monthly nutrition seminars that follow the STAX principles. I’ve also been a fitness professional for over 17 years, so the exercise and lifestyle advice comes from an expert.

Terms and Conditions

 

Figure Four Stretch

Figure Four Stretch
 

 

 

The Figure Four Stretch is an exercise you’ll learn in my seminar “Total Body Flexibility”. This exercise stretches the muscles of the posterior hip (glutes/butt).

To stretch your right side, lie flat on your back with both knees bent about 90 degrees. Place your right ankle on your left thigh, just above your knee cap. Grab the back of your left thigh (just above the knee) with your left hand, on the left side of your thigh. And grab the right side of the back of your thigh with your right hand (by reaching between your legs.

Pull your left knee toward your chest with both hands, exhale as you pull
Hold for 20-30 seconds
Pull more and exhale again
Hold for 20-30 more seconds
Repeat 2-3 times on each side
You can do this stretch every day

Click Here To Watch The Video

Fitness Tip #18 of #31 Proper Technique And Injury Prevention

In my humble (OK, expert) opinion I would rank proper exercise form as the second most important factor in having success with your fitness goals. What’s the most important you ask? I’ll never tell! Ok, just kidding. The most important component to being successful is consistency. If you follow all my advice to the letter and have perfect form on every rep of every set on every exercise, but you only do it once or twice each month, you won’t see any results. Hopefully this is so obvious to you that you’ll understand why I didn’t even include it as a tip.

Anyway back to proper technique. When you perform an exercise incorrectly you end up emphasizing muscles other than were originally intended to be emphasized. The end result of this is that you’ll either develop strength and flexibility imbalances or you will exacerbate the imbalances you already have. When you have flexibility and or muscle imbalances you typically will have some pain, stiffness or muscle discomfort (think low back pain). Plus you put yourself at greater risk of injury when you engage in physical activities prior to addressing these imbalances.

Here’s the beauty of exercise. When done correctly it will fix your strength and flexibility imbalances. This will decrease your pain and also decrease the likelihood of experiencing an injury.

Not only will doing exercises incorrectly lead to imbalances: it can also create faulty movement patterns. Once faulty movement patters are established it can take a ton of work to correct. In fact you can develop a faulty movement pattern in as little as 300 repetitions. But it can take over 5000 repetitions to correct a faulty movement pattern.

So it’s always easier to learn proper technique when you are first starting to exercise. Trust me you’ll be rewarded for the rest of your life.

So how do you ensure that you’re doing things correctly. First of all listen and watch very closely to the videos I’ve included in this program. That is a great start. Second find a trained professional in your area and work with them for a short period of time. Tell them your goal up front. You are there to learn as much as you can about proper technique as fast as you can, then you plan to work out on your own.

Depending on your income level, personal trainers can be expensive. But the investment is well worth it.

Oh yeah! Check back periodically with Fitness Know How Headquarters, I’ll always be adding new information.

I’ll check back with you tomorrow with another tip…

Functional Training

Funtional

Functional Training is hot right now!

You read about it in almost every magazine, But what does Functional Training mean? What makes an exercise or a training program functional?

If you interpret the term functional loosely then every exercise and/or training program should be functional. What I mean by that is, if the exercise that you’re engaged in or the workout routine that you’re following doesn’t serve some function, then you are wasting your time.

Something tells me that the term functional training wasn’t intended to encompass all exercise programs. But instead the term was probably developed to defined exercises that help to improve the way our bodies function. That I can buy.

But I also think the definition needs to go a little deeper and be even more specific. After an internet search I found this definition; Functional training is any type of exercise that has a direct relationship to the activities you perform in your daily life. Now we’re getting somewhere.

I found a whole bunch of different definitions on the web, but this one summed up the essence of each definition succinctly. One component of this definition really stands out to me, and that is “…activities that you perform in your daily life.” What’s important about that portion of the quote is the fact that it addresses the fact that one person may not be performing the same exact daily activities as the next person. There is built in flexibility, which is good. But that leaves me with two issues with this definition.

1. If functional training has to be adaptable to a wide array of daily activities, then one exercise that may benefit one person could harm another person. And if an exercise is detrimental to someone can it really be defined as functional?

2. If someone is sedentary and/or overweight and that person begins any exercise program and loses any amount of weight, I guarantee you that person will perform his/her daily activities better. So now were back to any and all exercise being functional again.

So let’s tighten the definition of Functional Training up a little more. Here is my definition of Functional Training.

 Functional Training is any exercise or exercise program designed to improve human movement with consideration for the way the body is designed to move.

Ok maybe that doesn’t sound as sexy as “improve the activities that you perform in daily life.” But let me explain. most of the daily activities that we engage in are repetitive and are the very reason we have flexibility and strength imbalances, i.e. pain and dysfunction. To restore proper function (see where the term Functional Training comes from) we need to address the way the body was designed to function and develop a plan based on that.

Before I tell you what makes an exercise Functional I think a brief history of how we got to this place and the reason for the popularity (current trend) of Functional Training in the Fitness Industry.

A huge portion of the fitness industry can be attributed to Personal Training. Personal Training has its roots in body building. In the late 70’s (perhaps even earlier) people who were looking to start an exercise program began to seek out guidance. They naturally turned to the people who seemed to know the most about exercise. The people they turned to were the most muscular people in the gym, i.e. body builders. Body builders shared what they knew with their clients; how to build muscle. An industry was born.

As years went by the personal training industry grew rapidly and it began to attract trainers from varied backgrounds. Trainers who entered the profession with a background other than body building needed to start separating themselves from body builders. As a non-body builder they couldn’t compete with what the body builders were offering (muscle hypertrophy/growth). Through this process it became clear that there was a market for clients who had fitness goals other than body building.

So trainers began to offer an alternative to body building and as it evolved it became known as Functional Training. But like every good thing it’s been taken too far. Functional Training became the anti-body building. If body building is machines, isolation exercises, and single plane movements. Then Functional Training is free weights, multi-joint and multi-plane movements. If body building is stabilized controlled movement, then functional training is unbalanced, unstable movements. The more unstable, unbalanced, difficult the movement pattern the more “functional” and exercise was considered (and still may be).

I’ve seen squatting on a stability ball used as an example of a functional exercise. Please tell me what daily activity does squatting on a unstable rubber ball mimic? To all the trainers out there that will tell me that the ability to squat in an unstable environment will increase strength and performance in a more stable environment, you’re offering anecdotal evidence at best. And yes, I can squat on a stability ball, but I’ve never had a client do it. It’s a circus trick not a functional exercise.

I’ve seen people develop exercises that are so unstable and unbalanced that the person attempting the exercise could only complete one or two reps before losing balance. That isn’t functional, strength and progress are developed through repetition. There also some who think to make an exercise functional there must be rotation. That would be a rotational exercise not a functional exercise (although functional exercises can have a rotational element).

Ok, no more ranting


Now it’s time to learn the truth about what makes an exercise truly functional.

I’m not going to list exercises that are either functional or non-functional. Because the functionality of an exercise is varied due to the needs of each person. But by returning to the definition of Functional Training that will lay the foundation for what constitutes a functional exercise.
Functional Training is any exercise or exercise program designed to improve human movement with consideration for way the body is designed to move.

Here are some basic principles of human movement.

1. We are designed to stand on our feet and move (walk/run/etc.) against the force of gravity
2. We don’t move in isolation. multiple muscles and joints are involved in all natural movement.
3. There is an element of balance
4. There is an element of proprioception (an awareness of our body’s position in time and space).
 This one needs a little explanation. Close your eyes and extend your right arm out to the side. Keep your eyes closed and bring your finger to your nose, but don’t touch it. Stop just before you touch your nose. Now open your eyes. See how close your finger is to your nose. You knew where your finger was relative to your nose without being able to see it. You had a natural awareness of your body position in time and space. That is proprioception.
5. There is an element of flexibility
6. There is an element of stability.
7. We know that our joints, flex, extend, glide, and rotate plus some more technical movements.

So a Functional Training exercise should address at least one of the above mentioned requirements. And a Functional Training program should address them all.

Unless you’re a body builder with a goal of muscle growth/hypertrophy, every exercise you perform should be functional. The good news is, most exercises are.

To learn more about selecting exercises that will help you to improve your health, fitness and life, check out my photo gallery.

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