Bodyweight Training - And Real Functional Fitness

Bodyweight training- and real functional fitness

Most trainers and fitness gurus and so called hard guys only read about functional fitness they have no idea what functional fitness really is. Reading about functional fitness and working as a labor for a few months does not make them an expert.

You want an expert on functional fitness you find a laborer that trains and is extremely fit. Flipping tires, pushing wheel barrows, pulling a weighted sled for an hour 3 times a week is not labor intensive. This type of training is for the pencil pusher. The non laborer.

I have watched men hit a tire with a sledge hammer to build some core strength try breaking up some rock and then tossing it in the back of a truck.

I seen a video's of MMA training camps where they were pushing wheel barrows with weight plates and the wheel barrow had two wheels on the front, where's the strength building in that ?

A wheel barrow with one wheel is twice as hard and will work a ton of stabilizing muscles. Watch a laborer who fills a wheelbarrow full of stone weighing 300 to 600 lbs using a shovel in a one wheeled wheelbarrow. Think of the stabilizing muscles of the core and the grip strength it takes to move this wheelbarrow and he will do this all day long 8,10,12 hours a day.

I have seen videos of men pulling weighted sleds with 50 or 100 lbs on them, try using a pallet jack and pulling a 2,000 lb pallet around a warehouse or on a loading dock. Who's getting the better workout ? The man pulling the weighted sled or the man pulling around 2,000 lbs.

 

How about the man the loads and unloads a 48' tractor/trailer full of truck tires. Check out the man that has a job as a furniture mover, picking up all odd objects bending , twisting, reaching, climbing steps backwards holding on with their finger tips these are some of the jobs that the average man does to make a living.

Do you think a man has to have a high level of functional fitness to do this day in and day out? What the average laborer does in a day would cripple the fitness guru, if I needed back up in a situation that took heart and real strength it wouldn't be pencil pushing 3 time a week functional fitness trainer.

I have seen college football players,weight lifters, wrestlers, so called tough guys fail in the world of labor they were just not functionally fit and if they were they were for a short period of time and couldn't handle the work day in and day out.

This is where body-weight training will separate the men from the boys.The fact is that a lot of people will tell you that you won't get strong using body-weight only exercises and the fact is that using your own body-weight can and will get you to a different level of fitness that most people will never know. A level of functional fitness that will never let you down. You will go longer. You will stay stronger longer. You will become more explosive and faster. You will become more athletic.

Here's a workout that will build some functional fitness.

You need a 50 to 100lb sand bag or heavy bag and 10 yards.

With the bag on the ground bear crawl around the bag 10 times as fast as possible.
Shoulder the bag and run 10 yards put the bag down bear crawl around it 9 times
shoulder it with the other shoulder continue this until you reach 1 then go back up
to 10. 

Remember to switch shoulders each time.

Source John Grube B.C.S

7 Ideas to Take Your Fitness Training Outside

Are you getting bored with your current training routine? 

Are you sick of driving to the gym to work out when the weather is so nice? 

Are you stuck in a fitness rut and looking for some new ideas to renew progress? 

Let's face it. Driving 30 minutes to the gym to walk on the treadmill and lift weights does not make much sense when the weather is nice. Not to mention you have been cooped-up all winter long, you are bored out of your mind with your fitness routine, and you have not seen any progress in months.

Sit back and get comfortable. I am going to share with you some ideas that will get you outside, get you interested in training again, and will help you experience a level of progress that you have not seen in years. Interested? I hope that you said YES!

In my 10 years in the fitness game I have found that it keeps coming back to a couple key points. One: You need to try to strive to do more from training session to training session. Two: We all need regular variety in their training (for psychological and physiological reasons). Today I am going to talk about the second point and teach you how getting a little variety in your training can help get you back on track. Check out these outdoor training ideas to add a little variety to your routine:

1. Take your weight training outside to mix it up: During the summer months I really enjoy taking my strength training outside. I love taking my weights out into my backyard or to the local park. Training with a loved one or a group of dedicated friends is a great way to do it. Some of the training tools that work well for outdoor training are kettlebells (shown in the picture below -- looks like a big bowling ball with a handle), clubbells (a weighted bat), medicine balls (fun to throw around), sled dragging (great for athletes), weighted vest workouts, sandbag training (nothing fancy here, just sand in a bag), and good old dumbbells.

2. Try Some Interval Training to increase fat loss: Look, the "fat-burning" zone is a myth. Sure your body does use fat as an energy source after 30 minutes of continuous exercise at a certain intensity but the sports scientists have shown us that shorter efforts of higher intensity exercise can be even more effective at decreasing your body fat percentage (did you ever wonder why sprinters are so lean without having to run for 30 minutes straight???). A great way to incorporate interval training into your summer training can be as simple as warming up for 5-10 minutes and then alternating 30 seconds of more intense effort with 30 seconds of a more moderate effort. You could do this on your mountain bike, road bike, doing hill sprints, kayak sprints, jump roping, sprints on the track, or even doing a bodyweight callisthenic such as jumping jacks. Enjoy!

3. Perform mini-workouts throughout the day: A simple way to fit in some outdoor training is to pick any exercise and take short exercise breaks outside. You could walk out of your office and perform a set of squats, walking lunges, elevated push-ups, stair climbs where you skip steps, or even calf raises. Remember: It's your total energy expenditure at the end of the day that is important -- not doing it all at once.

4. Do some yard work: The yard is a mess so you might as well get a workout and be productive at the same time. Try stacking wood, raking leaves, building a rock wall, digging a hole (you decide what for), walk with a loaded wheelbarrow, carry things across the yard over your head, spread some mulch around your new plants that you just put in the hole you dug earlier.

5. Take in some scenery: Make the world your gym. Commercial health clubs have nothing on Mother Nature. Get yourself outside and go for a walk in the local park, go hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and go to the beach to run in the sand or jump in the waves. Getting outdoors can be a great way to adopt a fitness lifestyle and add some variety to your current training program.

6. Go for obstacle walks: A cool way to add some variety to your routine is to mix in some bodyweight calisthenics such as squats, push-ups, and jumping jacks into your summer walks to increase calorie expenditure and challenge your body. Walking on a treadmill is boring and predictable. Going for an obstacle walk through your local park can be a lot more enjoyable and the "chaos" of walking outside could be the right kind of variety you have been looking for.

7. Participate in a summer sports league: Playing sports is a great way to add some variety to your routine and have a blast doing it. There are hiking clubs, mountain biking clubs, road bike clubs, triathlon training clubs, softball leagues, martial arts tournaments, basketball leagues, and more. In fact, I am participating in a summer basketball league for the first time in years and I can't wait to start. It's a great chance to get outside, make new friends, and perform a fitness activity that enhances your life.

There you have it -- 7 ideas to take your fitness training outside and incorporate some variety into your program. One thing to consider is to hit the gym a couple days a week and perform your other workouts outside. Mother Nature has provided us with some great options so get outside this summer and take advantage and I am sure that you will see renewed progress (and you'll have a blast doing it!).

Train with purpose.

Unconventional Way to Fitness Training - Get the Best Clubbells

When one enters the gym, they see a number of fitness training equipment which is widely known to the world. Such fitness gear can be counted under traditional training and workout equipment, for instance a run of mill, treadmill, a stationary bicycle, weights, bench press, and arc trainer. However, an experienced strength trainer will be able to think outside the box and bring forth new innovative ideas with a new kit like one has never seen before. Some unconventional workout fitness training equipment UK is explained in detail below with their individual advantages.

Clubbells are designed similar to a baseball bats which are used in strength training and building requisite muscle mass in the body after subsequent training. What many are likely to miss out on is the fact that these can also be used in weight loss. Every day there are a number of new nifty methods being launched that make high claims of cutting down fat percentage in the body, thus helping your lose weight. However, when you are looking for the best ways to exercise in the ease and comfort of a house or your back yard and garden, a clubbell will make your dream more attainable.

This tool is simple to use and doesn't demand any technical know how. Because of its simplicity in design, these conventional yet innovative tools have survived centuries of development in the field of fitness training equipment. Its use and application hasn't altered or changed much over the years, moreover, experienced trainers have identified them among sought after tool for not only losing excess fat but building muscle mass and inner strength in the individual.

Here are some unique benefits of Clubbells training in comparison to other gears that are widely popular in the market today.

The best and most unique function served by this gear is of its versatility. While you train with different weights, there are only a defined number of ways that you can lift them. Thus, this leaves lesser room to improve ones flexibility as the movements are constricted and redefined. However with Clubbells one needn't be worried about this aspect, as it allows versatility and effectiveness in the quality of your workouts.

Another benefit of training with this brilliant workout tool is losing weight and that too in a short time period. Many ignore the use because it may not have the capacity to exhaust a trainee that easily. However, what people fail to realize is that based on its strength building features, a person ends up reducing weight much faster without feeling too exhausted or wearied.

Fitness gear like speed sled is counted among many other underestimated and underutilized equipment in the gym as well.

Source Andrew Louis| Go