When you walk into a gym, what’s the first thing you see? Mirrors. While they are used by some people watch their form, most people just enjoy looking at themselves look good, which is exactly the reason that most people go to the gym in the first place. Many people never even consider the ability to increase performance and functional strength when they work out, all they care about is improving the way they look.
Functional fitness has been taking a beating lately in the fitness world, but that’s because so many people have misconstrued its meaning. Functional fitness is a subjective term and to me, functional fitness isn’t juggling medicine balls while balancing on one leg. Functional fitness is the ability to perform better in your chosen sport or martial art and in day to day life. The ability to run faster, jump higher, be stronger, and endure more.
Looking better is another bi-product of functional training. The key to getting started is setting simple goals and trying to break them. It could be as simple as doing the maximum amount of push-ups you can do (even if that maximum is one or less than one), and trying to do more the next time around.
Training for functionality can be started simply with the following list:
1. Do sprints on hills and interval training instead of standard gym cardio machines
2. Instead of isolating your muscles while exercising, do full-body exercises like pull-ups and squats
3. Try new full-body training techniques, like kettlebell exercises
By training with specific performance goals in mind, accomplishing them will be that much sweeter. In addition, you’ll look better and you’ll really be strong.
Most government entities, like the FBI and CIA, have performance test for their field personnel. For example, there is an assessment called the Secret Service Snatch Test. This involves taking a 53lb kettlebell and performing 200 Snatch reps with it in or under 10 minutes.
Kettlebell snatches require that a person swing a kettlebell from back between their legs to above their heads in one motion. For the test, the kettlebell can never be let go or put down. If you’ve done more than one at a time before, you know the amount of strength throughout your entire body this simple exercise requires. Being able to pass the test is an enormous accomplishment.
The point of this story is to illustrate that performance training is a far more efficient way of training. You get stronger and look the part. It’s win-win. Just remember the next time you go to workout, start with performance and the rest will follow.
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