Great news! Being fit is no longer defined by how you look. Bulging biceps are out while a healthy balanced body is in! The old is new again, personal training is finally getting back to it's roots; it's called functional training!
Trainers hovering over clients counting reps on giant machines are a thing of the past. In fact, we are seeing fewer and fewer groups of young men sporting overly developed chests in the free-weight room, thank goodness. This is because personal training is returning to the basics of fitness with functional training. Personal trainer studios are looking more and more like old-school gymnasiums or sport fields and less and less like typical "gyms" with lines of machines. More and more high caliber trainers are moving their clients away from heavy weights and training them using simple and functional equipment. The result is clients that are more agile, have fewer injuries, are more muscularly balanced and are better able to function in the world.
Being fit is no longer about bulging biceps but about being able to run the subway steps, jump over a creek, bend over and pick up a dropped quarter, toss around your toddler and keep up with your grandchildren efficiently and pain-free. Humans are hunter/gatherers. Our bodies are designed to move quickly, reach and bend, and travel for miles without fatiguing. The sad fact is our society's way of life has changed while our bodies physiology and anatomy remain the same. The result is muscle imbalances, chronic pain and weight gain. Basically, our bodies are breaking down because they are no longer doing what they were designed to do.
Being fit is no longer about bulging biceps but about being able to run the subway steps, jump over a creek, bend over and pick up a dropped quarter, toss around your toddler and keep up with your grandchildren efficiently and pain-free. Humans are hunter/gatherers. Our bodies are designed to move quickly, reach and bend, and travel for miles without fatiguing. The sad fact is our society's way of life has changed while our bodies physiology and anatomy remain the same. The result is muscle imbalances, chronic pain and weight gain. Basically, our bodies are breaking down because they are no longer doing what they were designed to do.
Luckily, personal trainers are coming to the rescue by implementing programs that take people back to their hunter/gatherer days and challenge our bodies in ways they were designed. The reward is a more balanced, healthy, and functional body and mind. So get off those clunky machines and train functionally. Incorporate the following exercises into your next workout. Start by doing each of these exercises for 30 sec. and working up to 1 minute. Run laps, jump rope, or run a flight of stairs between each set. Repeat 2-3 x.
Military Push-ups - Squat thrust down to a push-up position. Perform 1 push-up. Bring your left knee to nose, right knee to nose, perform another push-up and return to a standing position. Repeat.
Tire Jumps with Lay-up - Jump forward from your right foot to your left and back to right as if you were jumping through three staggered tires in front of you. Immediately jump off both feet into a lay-up. Jog backwards for 5 counts returning to start. Repeat sequence starting with the opposite leg.
Squat Jumps - Squat down and touch your shins or the floor. Immediately propel yourself up and jump with both feet as you reach up with your arms. Land quietly on your toes and repeat. Quicken your pace while maintaining your form.
Squat Jacks - Keep your hands behind your head and slowly squat down into a deep plie (otherwise known as a sumo squat). Jump your feet together as you would in a jumping jack and immediately jump back out to a deep plie. Continue to perform squat jacks. The key to this exercise is to take your time and get as low as possible in every sumo squat.
Mountain climbers - Begin in a push-up position on hands and toes. Bring the right knee into the chest resting foot on the floor. Jump up and switch feet in the air, bringing the left foot in and the right foot back. Continue alternating feet. For an extra oblique challenge, rotate hips and bring your right knee to your left elbow, jump your right foot back as you bring your left knee to right elbow. Continue to alternate knee to elbow.
Aim on incorporating functional training into 2-3 workouts/week. The next time you run after your child as they dart for the road, scramble up a treacherous hill while hiking, or carry all ten bags of groceries from the car to your kitchen with ease, you will know the hard work you've put into functional training has paid off!
Aim on incorporating functional training into 2-3 workouts/week. The next time you run after your child as they dart for the road, scramble up a treacherous hill while hiking, or carry all ten bags of groceries from the car to your kitchen with ease, you will know the hard work you've put into functional training has paid off!
