Functional weight training

Intro to functional weight training-

Moving the body through functional patterns with a external weight is a fanatic form to help strengthen, heal and reeducate the body to properly move through space. You may initially find more success using weights as oppose to body weight training like yoga, pilates or martial. When someone is new to any of the above disciplines they may not know how to integrate muscularly. Bodyweight training can be an excellent and quite possibly the best form of training, but again for some it may take years to really understand how to engage to fully support the knees, hips or spine while practicing bodyweight training. This is why this may be great starting point.

3 Best lift for producing optimal functional patterns of the body.

Deadlifts- deadlifts are incredible as they transfer the weight through the feet into legs and hips, in addition strengthening your hamstrings spine. One of the biggest reasons I like deadlifts over squats is not all people have a full range of the knee. The deadlift only requires a partial flexion of the knee. This an amazing place to start for those challenged with going up and down stairs. Deadlifts are essential to regaining the ability to jump again, when practiced properly.

Start by having your feet shoulders distance have a set of kettlebells or dumbells outside the feet. With weight outside the feet slightly bend knees, hinge from the hips keep spine erect, then root the feet, engage in core like you are lifting a much greater weight. Now lift the weight using your legs and back. You may need to elevate the weight onto a higher point if the person is very tall or restricted in motion of the knee to reach weight. Slowly work the eccentric lowering, then power the weight back up to standing. You will strengthen quads and mostly hamstrings, spinal extensors through deadlifts.

Start with a quarter of body weight. Once you have good form and no discrepancies in the body use half of your body weight.. 5x5 sets/reps.

Bulgarian Split

IS a single leg split stance squat. Another fantastic way to coordinate while developing a greater sense how to move more intelligently through time and space. With you holding 15-30lbs close to chest arms bent step left leg onto a elevated surface. The elevate surface is 1-2 feet high to start. Keep front leg at 90% angle and lower, back knee does not touch the floor. Slowly work the lowering (4 seconds down) then use a up tempo in lift back up (1-2 seconds). With the split stance you will have to use more core strength for balance, this one of the main reasons I like the Bulgarian splits. In addition, being off-balance one-legged squats can prepare the connective tissues for greater loading or more complex movements. Again, 5x5 sets/reps.

Turkish Getup

Is a longstanding practice by wrestlers in warming up and conditioning the body in lifting while being off balance. Another split stance squat. Starting lying on the floor on your back hold a yoga block or dense book directly over or right shoulder aim at the ceiling. Bend your right leg have your left arm out to the left. Roll to your left side then come up onto elbow. Then come to left hand and sit up pressing the weight to the ceiling, always looking to the weight. Then press through right foot and back foot to stand up with weight in overhead press. Hold at the top for a few seconds. Then step left foot back into a short lunge. Slowly lower to left knee, post left hand into floor then as you step strong through right foot lift left through to lift into a table top lift. Then slowly lower pelvis back down, then control the way to left elbow, then slowly lowering to you back lower weight.

Repeat all the steps in reverse for left side.

Once you get the hang of the pattern you use a 15-20lbs to start. 5x5 reps/sets

Benefits strengthen the core, shoulder, aligning the body through proprioception.

To conclude, these can be some excellent ways help you understand how to integrate, coordinate and heal before attempting higher volumes of training. If your knees ache from running, jumping or moving a certain way, try these lifts to help functionally repattern your physiology.