Functional Strength Training - Try Something New

You may have heard me talk about functional (or practical) strength. Functional strength is used a lot by athletes who want to get rather strong in a particular aspect of their sport. For example I do Judo so I need a good strong grip. To do this I climb a rope, do a lot of Deadlifts and chin ups. These exercises not only strengthen my hands but also strengthen my back, biceps and abs.

In this report I'm going to talk about what functional strength is, what exercises are functional how you can learn more about it.

What is functional strength?
Functional strength is strength that you can use in everyday activities. For example what good is a rugby player who can bench press 200kg but cannot fend off a tackle? Functional strength training is being able to use that 200kg bench press and converting it into being able to fend off a tackle.

Another example of functional strength is a mother holding a baby in her arms for hours on end. You cannot convert this type of movement into a bench press or leg press movement, it is purely functional.

Gymnasts are a perfect example of functional strength. They can hold themselves on the rings and display awesome feats of strength but get them in the gym and they are nowhere near as strong as they look. This is purely because they are using their strength and co-ordination in a way that is practical for their sport and their needs.

What exercises are functional?
There are two types of exercises: Isolation and Compound movements. Isolation exercises work one or maybe two muscles at a time for eg: bicep curls, Pec Flyes, tricep kickbacks etc.

Compound movements are techniques that work between 2 and 6 muscles these are the bench presses, shoulder presses, squats, deadlifts etc.

I classify functional exercises as exercises that work the whole body. Exercises such as deadlifts, deep squats, standing SA shoulder press, carrying sandbags, sledgehammer work, keg lifts, pushing cars, rope climbing, tyre pulling, medicine ball throws, power cleans, power snatch, towel chin-ups etc. All of these exercises work and involve the whole body resulting in a full body conditioning and muscle co-ordination.

So if you want to do something different with your training instead of a boring bodybuilding program full of isolation exercises try doing a full body workout using practical exercises. Exercises and challenges such as:
- Hold onto a 25kg weight plate for 30 minutes without putting it down
- Try pushing a car round a car park for 20 minutes
- Carry a 20kg-boxing bag round the block.
- Attach a rope to a car tyre and pull it along hand over hand or bear crawl with it
- Piggyback a friend up a mountain
- Do 60 reps of body weight power cleans with 10 sec break in between each rep
- Row on a rowing machine superset with box jumps
- Do 30 reps of BW on squats superset with 1000m rowing
- Use kettle bells

Training for functional strength is great fun because you are doing something different besides a bench press and bicep curl. You are using your entire body to lift, pull and push all sorts of things, which requires massive amounts of muscle involvement and co-ordination.
If you participate in any physical activity like being a gardener, mowing lawns, playing rugby, Judo, wrestling etc you will feel the difference in not only strength but conditioning to.

I highly recommend functional strength training to anyone for the simple fact that it's fun, different, targets and uses the whole body - something that everyone needs.

Author: Matt D'Aquino
http://www.workoutsforjudo.com/

Matt D'Aquino is the founder of Beyond Grappling fitness and conditioning. He is a 2008 Beijing Judo Olympian as well as nationally ranked freestyle wrestler and National Champion in Brazilian Jujitsu. Matt has a passion for teaching all forms of grappling and is on the journey to qualify for his 2nd Olympic Games.

To learn more about Matt and his fitness and conditioning training visit http://www.workoutsforjudo.com/

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How to Build Lean Muscle - Think Health First

When you look through the pages of any popular bodybuilding magazine you will see ads for products that promise to give you a jolt before you workout.

Products that promise to give you a pump-and products that you take post workout.

While this is all well and good, the one thing that does not get enough play is this-health.

Yes, you read that correctly, health.

Or more to the point, the health of your immune system.

Why?

Simple.

If you are constantly on the verge of a cold or flu, how hard do you think you will be able to train?

Plus, I know a lot of people, when the start to feel sick, the last thing they want to do is pound down a protein drink or some grilled chicken breasts. No chance!

They want junk food-and they want it now.

COVER THE BASICS FIRST

As mentioned above, there are tons of products around, but before you spend some cash, ask yourself this question-do I have my basic nutrition needs covered first?

Like a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement.

Along with a shopping cart full of nutritious vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower and onions-just to name a few.

It would not hurt to have a nice big salad everyday too.

If you are thinking, what does all of this have to do with building lean muscle-or any kind of muscle-for that matter?

Simple.

The better you eat, the better you will feel and the better you feel the harder you can train.

Which means you can gain more muscle.

As an added benefit, by eating foods rich in antioxidants and other healthy substances chances are you immune system will be running in high gear-which can potentially mean less sick days.

Less sick days mean training days-good stuff.

A POINT

Please do not take this article to mean that I am against all traditional bodybuilding supplements-because I am not.

I just think sometimes we get so caught up in the new stuff that we forget about the basics-and the basics have worked for years and will continue to work.

CONCLUSION

Yes, vitamin and mineral supplements along with healthy antioxidant loaded foods are not flashy, but when you combine them with good quality protein, quality carbs, and healthy fats you will have a nutrition profile that will not only help you build muscle, but feel great too-nice!

GO FOR IT!

Who else wants to learn how to build a big chest using two almost completely forgotten exercises? Click here to grab your FREE report. You will also receive weekly tips, advice and product reviews that will help you make greater gains in the gym than ever before. Visit http://www.howtobuildupmuscle.net/

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Real 8 Minute Abs, Without The BS

An 8 minute ab workout that shows results? Seriously?

Yes, actually. If you have an effective workout and diet plan, just a short workout will do it.

Sound to good to be true? Yes, a little. Of course, if you just spend that little amount of time at the gym then you'll need to be rigidly adhering to your program. If you're just spending 8 minutes doing your abdominal workout, you can't be lazy.

So, here's your workout guide for 8 to 10 minute abs, with a workout and diet plan. Try it - I think you'll be pleased with the results.

8 Minute Ab Workout

Here's the most important part: make your workout intense. Since you're only working out for 8 minutes, you have to make sure that those few minutes are unlike anything else you've done.

So, what kind of lifts should you do? Hard ones.

Sorry, no bicep curls. Just squats, deadlifts, bench presses, weighted chin-ups, and some clean and presses.

Don't like big, multi-joint lifts? Then I guess the 8 minute ab workouts aren't for you.

Now, the 8 minutes refers to the actual time you spend lifting. Not including your rests between sets, or between exercises, or your drive to the gym. So it's not as disconcertingly easy as you might have been led to believe... but it works.

Oh, and ab exercises? If you still have time after big lifts, throw a few crunches on at the end. What?! That's it?!

Yes. Easy, and deceptively simple.

Now, as for your diet...

The 8 Minute Ab Workout Diet

The diet is the most important parts of your abs workout. And it's not actually part of the workout, but it is the part that gets you results.

I don't' care how monstrous your abdominal muscles get, using the 8 minute ab workout or any other workout. If you're carrying too much fat around, nobody will be able to see your abs - it's as simple as that.

Simply stated, you must diet down to lose fat. When your body fat percentage is low enough, you'll be able to see your abs - it's as beautiful and frustrating and as uncomplicated as that.

Now, the details of how to diet down to lose the fat while retaining muscle are a bit tricky. And very personal - you must find a system that works for you, yourself. But diet is the crux of making your abs stand out.

The 8 minute ab workout and diet aren't easy. Hell, choosing and sticking to any diet and workout routine is hard.

However, this one is guaranteed to get you results. And it only takes a minimum of your precious time. If you value your time and actually want to make progress, then commit to taking this up and really giving it a good try.

And if you want to lean more about how to get ripped with a minimum of effort and energy, check out the links below. They give you the exact details for how to diet to lose fat, and the best ways to put on the muscle that you want.

If you want to get more info about how to get ripped, check out the How To Get Abs E-Book. Or read more info at my site, Complete Strength Training. I'm an American College of Sports Medicine certified Personal Trainer and I've been lifting heavy things, trying different diets, and practicing Japanese martial arts for quite a while. There's a lot of info about all different kinds of strength and weight training, and how to get ripped. Check it out! - Copyright: You may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, active links, and this copyright notice remain intact.

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