Created by Fit_Guy (contact me)
Train your mind and body for function; after all, you deserve it!
Todd Langer, MSc (hons), Fitness Specialist, Rolfer, and a bun... (more...)
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Active-Life-Style
The term Functional fitness has been coined to capture the latest and greatest trend in gyms these days, but for very good reason. It's not just another marketing catchphrase and is about preparing real-people to handle real-life situations.
DISCLAIMER
Read the instructions on the package (e.g. your body!)
The information on this lens is meant to be thought provoking; however, don't worry it's NOT overly intellectualized hogwash. The Complete Guide to Functional Fitness takes a biological, psychological, sociological, and, at times, irreverent look at Functional Fitness.The following Complete Guide to Functional Fitness is intended for informational purposes only. The Fit Guy (and his team of imaginary lawyers ;) recommends obtaining professional guidance before attempting any course of rehabilitation and that you seek the care of a physician before initiating any new functional fitness program.
THE FFAT
Functional Fitness Admissions Test
ARGH! I forgot my number 2 pencil; sorry, I think that was a SAT flashback. :(1. Are you alive?
1b If not, do you at least have a body?
2. Are you capable of critical thought?
2b. If not, just believe everything I write!
Good news - if you're on Squidoo and this lens in particular; you passed (we grade on a sliding scale ;) Anyhow, the 10 primers will get you ready for the more in depth Functional Fitness modules later in the lens.
ONE MORE QUESTION
Benchmark
Let's get a baseline; so, we'll have something to compare it to later on. No cheating!
YOUR BODY IS AN INTRICATE SYSTEM
It'll work fine IF you don't get in the way
Primer #1The term functional fitness describes a process, not an end result, and it's 100% relative to your specific needs. The functional exercises guide you towards your goals and are rendered meaningless without context or in other words they need to be part of a strategic framework to really make a difference (e.g. the BIG picture).
USE CRITICAL THOUGHT
Question everything, assume nothing
Primer #2Use common sense and critical thought as your guide and never lose site of the BIG picture. Be an informed consumer about the products you buy and problem solve through all the functional fitness marketing propaganda. In fact, please take notice of the lack of hype on this lens and take full advantage of the helpful information; after all, it's FREE!
THINK HEALTHY
You don't have to be Stuart Smalley to think happy thoughts
Primer #3Maintain an optimistic attitude. Your mind and body complement each other in a variety of ways and you don't necessarily need to meditate to reduce stress, but simply be positive. Remember, stress can be good (running away from axe murderer) or bad (road rage), but it always affects your immune system; so, pick and choose your battles wisely.
EAT HEALTHY
Also, rememeber fat free DOESN'T mean eat twice as much!
Primer #4You are what you eat. Consume wholesome foods, preferably organic or not very processed (e.g. trans fats), take the needed supplements your diet is lacking (e.g. essential fatty acids), get your fiber, and drink plenty water (drink 1/2 your body weight of water in ounces, daily). Listen, you don't have to starve yourself like a runway model or spend your entire paycheck at Whole Foods, just try to stay away from too much fast food!
SLEEP HEALTHY
I haven't figured out where sexsomnia fits into this equation
Primer #5Get some sleep. Count sheep, use earplugs, a facemask, take Tylenol PM (or the generic version, if you prefer), listen to Enya, pray to the God of circadian rhythms, and as a last resort watch a presidential debate; make a good night sleep a priority, not an after thought. This is crucial for rejuvenating your body. Your body needs between 6-9 hours a night for restorative reasons.
MIND, BODY, & SOUL
It's the 2000's; everything is spiritual
Primer #6"I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex, and rich food. He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself."
Johnny Carson (1925-2005)
Always strive for balance and remember, everything in moderation and that includes moderation!
REAL PROGRESS; REAL TIME
Rome wasn't built in a day (I love cliches! ;)
Primer #7A great illustration of gradual functional fitness adaptation and/or periodization can be seen in the story of Greek legend Milo; a six-time Olympic wrestling gold medalist in the late 6th century. As story goes he would train in the off years by carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until the Olympics took place and by the time of the actual event he was carrying a four year old cow! Don't be in a functional fitness rush!
THE LIMITS OF FUNCTIONAL FITNESS
Different strokes for different folks
Primer #8It's very easy to confuse functional fitness for YOUR lifestyle with sport specific preparation. Yes, being in great physical condition is indirectly beneficial to most sporting endeavors, but each sport will have intricate skills that need to be trained or in other words you still need to integrate your physical ability; plus, rely on whatever natural talent you're blessed with by genetics (e.g. don't take PED's)
FUNCTIONAL FITNESS ISN'T NEW
It just has shiny new packaging
Primer #9The truth is functional fitness has been around forever; really, how do you think cavemen hunted and/or gathered food. It's not hyperbole to say their life depended on it! Also, before the industrial nation took hold we were a land of farmers; so, don't you think 12 hour days performing all sort of total body movement patterns was functional fitness? Again, it's not hyperbole to say their lives depended on it. What's happened is a change in lifestyle and as we progress into the fundamentals of functional fitness you'll get a better understanding of the BIG PICTURE and also be introduced to great accessory: The P.A.S.T. Core Training System (my first shameless plug).
HAVE FUN!
Put the FUN into functional
Primer #10Our mission is to make functional fitness training more convenient, effective, and enjoyable; so, do what is fun. If you aren't enjoying yourself there's little chance of sticking with a program. The very definition of functional fitness is using your entire body at once and this leaves practically endless possibilities. My recommendation is to watch the Vertical Core Workout with Shannon Fable and you'll be stoked to get started (hint: it's a few modules away!).
RULE OF THUMB
Perfect practice makes perfect
Bonus Primer!The Stages of Performance and Learning needed to participate in Functional Fitness:
Cognitive: high level of awareness, in the Cognitive Stage you learn the goals and outcomes of the skill; improve perception of skill.
Associative: refine particular movement, sometimes breaking it into smaller segments to be performed with high repetitions; in the Associative stage, you learn to perform and refine the motor skill. You replace conscious decisions about response selection with unconscious translations from stimulus to response. Timing the movement becomes vital in this stage. You actually execute the response more quickly and improve precision of skill.
Autonomous: low degree of attention is required for the correct performance of he motor task; in the Autonomous stage, the motor skill becomes automatic with repeated practice of skill.
IT'S YOUR LUCKY DAY
If you don't have a calf available (see Milo's story above)
Super Bonus - we are in a generous mood! I borrow ideas and concepts from other functional fitness "experts" all the time; however, I'd attribute the following to Vern Gambetta.
Simple to Complex: Start simple, progressing to more complex exercises only after mastering the basic movements of each exercise.
Known to Unknown: The training environment should begin with controlled, low-neuromuscular-demand exercises and then proceed to less-controlled, more proprioceptively challenging environments.
Low Force to High Force: Train lower-force, more controlled movements until you can master those movements, then proceed to higher-force, ballistic movements.
Static to Dynamic: Start with exercises in a stationary stance, then as those movements are mastered, add more dynamic movements.
Lying to Sitting to Kneeling to Standing (Two legs) to Standing (One Leg): This essentially takes into account all the previous steps in the progression. Lying and sitting are very controlled and proprioceptively less challenging than going to standing and then standing on one leg.
WARNING: SHAMELESS PLUG AHEAD
Everyone sells something; might as well be a product that works
Unpaid AdvertisementBefore we go any further I'd be remiss if leaving out the P.A.S.T. Core Training System (CTS). The CTS was conceptualized, designed, engineered, prototyped, manufactured, patented, and brought to the worldwide market by ours truly (e.g. the handsome dude in the top left). It's been quite the journey overcoming chronic and intermittingly disabling pain and turning it into something tangible for other to use; however, the experience has been worth its weight in gold. In short, the CTS really works and it provides a tremendous platform for you to leap into the world of functional fitness.
THE FUNCTIONAL FITNESS PATH
Listen to the wisdom of your body and you won't get lost
It's still all too common for "fitness experts" to show how smart they are by breaking down the human body into a series of single joint actions, but this form of isolation fails to take into account that real-world muscle action is task dependent or in other words unless you know more than Mother Nature it's best to train movements, not muscles!WHY? Well, the reason is that your body is pre-programmed with "basic patterns" of motor control with a relative timing sequence, or rate at which body segments move relative to one another, which allows them to be easily modified in countless ways to react to gravity, ground reaction forces and momentum or in other words the very definition of functional fitness.
TEASER ALERT: The Vertical Core Workout challenges the body to work collectively as a whole, firing up the muscles in a sequential pattern.
FUNCTIONAL FITNESS IN WONDERLAND
Follow the white rabbit
The concept is simple on its face; really, just train your muscles to create (accelerate), slow down (decelerate) and stabilize (hold steady) force. The gold standard is to use compound (multi joint) movements in various directions and at a multitude of different speeds; hence, the sum is greater than all the moving parts. Here's the rabbit hole...err...catch: acquiring this knowledge without a true appreciation for the finer details is somewhat misleading.TEASER ALERT: The Corrective Exercise Program allows you to emphasize one segment of your kinetic chain while integrating it into a total body movement pattern, but that's still jumping ahead of ourselves.
THE VERY BEGINNING
Are you adapted (non-functional) or adaptable (functional)?
The magnificence of the human body is one of Mother Nature's greatest achievements, but it's quite often taken for granted. Our ancestors evolved, over millions of years, to standing upright in gravity and continuously adapted to an ever changing landscape. In recent times a high-tech revolution has changed our lifestyles, but not the way our body's are designed for movement. As such the vast potential of the human body has succumbed to repetitive strain injuries (RSI) and cumulative trauma disorders (CTD) that gradually impede upon quality of life. It's really simple: move it or lose it! WHAT IS VERTICAL ALIGNMENT?
It's so easy; even a caveman could do it
You need a reference point or way to gauge your current status and improvements you're sure to make. The most logical place to start is in "anatomical position" where your body is upright and organized in a series of vertical blocks, one segment naturally aligned on top of another; allowing all your muscles to work in concert to dynamically stabilize your body. Any deviation from your natural standing alignment will create muscle imbalances; leading to impaired biomechanics and related injuries; also, indirectly effecting the nervous, circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems. WHAT IS COORDINATION?
Your 6th sense IS NOT a paranormal curse
The basic definition of coordination is when your neuromuscular system functions as an integrated unit to bring about purposeful movement like standing, walking, bending over, etc. This process is continually monitored by the 6th sense of proprioception or the perception of position, posture and movement of the body in relation to your environment. Increasing your proprioceptive awareness will decrease the amount of time needed by your body's feedback system by sending more accurate commands to muscles, thus increasing the efficiency of your anticipatory feedforward system in predicting the consequences of future movements or in other words you improve your coordination! Read that twice. WHAT IS FLEXIBILITY?
And how does it affect your functional fitness training?
Your balance, posture, and core performance is predicated on the right muscle activating at the right time; so, it's not surprising that flexibility training is important. After all, if a joint isn't able to move through a full range of motion (ROM) it's at a biomechanical disadvantage due to the length-tension principle or in other words a muscle needs to be able to fully contract for optimal strength. If a muscle imbalance (lack of flexibility) precludes proper ROM at a joint it will force other muscles to compensate for its inefficiency; essentially, setting you up for an RSI. In most cases, it's a lack of mobility in the ankles and hips and/or stability in the knees and core/low back that need to be addressed in your functional fitness routine. WHAT IS BALANCE?
Ever wonder why you don't topple over like a robot?
To put it simply balance keeps you from falling down and encompasses a continuum ranging from a subtle postural sway while you stand "still" all the way to spur of the moment "agile" reactions (e.g. reactive neuromuscular training). To a large degree, and relative to the demands of the movement, maintaining balance entails repeatedly losing and regaining control of your center of gravity. You achieve good balance by instinctively collecting information from the environment to determine where your body is in space and how its position is changing by using eyesight, inner ear equilibrium, and proprioception or your positional sense of body segments and then making the appropriate self-corrections to reorganize your body. WHAT IS POSTURE?
If this was an easy question there wouldn't be so many successful scams
The easiest way to define posture is to describe what it's not; one statically and/or rigidly held position. Good posture - when you are standing - is straight vertical alignment of your body from the top of your head, through your core, to the bottom of your feet. Your upright alignment allows gravity to evenly flow through your body and move through specific bony landmarks; thereby, decreasing unnecessary muscle tension and stress on your body. However, by any definition your posture is adaptable, ever-changing and context specific; so, it's more about enhancing good postural habits during a wide variety of movements. WHAT IS CORE STRENGTH?
Dude, where'd I park my core?
Your core can be loosely defined as your lumbo-pelvic-hip complex (e.g. the area around your trunk and pelvis) and it works as an integrated unit to dynamically stabilize your body during all movement. The core muscles act as both a flexible conduit (e.g. golf swing) and rigid transfer case (e.g. lifting heavy object off the ground) to provide shock absorption and transmit force between the legs and arms; so, while your needs might differ depending on the context building a strong core is the foundation of any "functional fitness" program. A progression of movements that feed through the core and challenge it's role as a transfer case or flexible conduit will train function; preferably as you work from horizontal (supine/prone) to vertical (standing) is ideal.p.s. Remember, your core DOES NOT generate power, but it comes from your feet-legs-hips and terminates through your upper torso-arms-hands.
ANOTHER REASON TO AVOID WORKING TOO MUCH
And you thought salary was your biggest problem?
It's unlikely that you notice the harmful impact of your posture when sitting in a car, hunched over a work desk, and/or during other repetitive daily activities. The affect of your postural habits is a tug of war between tight and lengthened muscles; essentially, a no-win situation as the altered resting length of a muscle will hinder its ability to contract (e.g. rate of force development) and lead to movement impairments and an assortment of other "indirect" ailments. Over a period of time your proprioception becomes increasingly unreliable or in other words your learned patterns of movements have overridden automatic postural responses. To be clear: you instinctively prepare a "postural set" of muscles prior to moving and to control postural sway; however, muscle imbalances decrease your proprioception and thus, inhibit your ability to do so in a timely manner. To be clear: this is not good. BIG PICTURE
And the survey says....
Ok, so now you know the basic components of being functional fit, but the real challenge resides in creating a game plan and following it. A game plan is a BIG PICTURE concept and the exercises you choose to do are meant to help you reach a specific goal. TO BE CLEAR: the cool exercises you see in the glamorous magazines are pointless if they are meant to standalone and must be part of your overall strategy. However, you'll never hear me complain about seeing photos of Scarlett Johansson workout. THE BILL BELICHICK GAME PLAN
The overview (strategy) - keep your cheating comments to yourself!
This plan might not land you Gisele or the male equivalent, but it's going to lead you down the functional fitness path. Many of us aren't starting out in "perfect" condition and certain areas are lagging behind. Not a problem. You can always emphasize one segment of your kinetic chain (e.g. ankle) while integrating it into a movement pattern, but it's ALWAYS part of the total body process and respects your body's ability to "self-organize" in a natural manner.You don't need to making a conscious effort to use the right muscle at the right time, but rather allow for a coordinated rhythm of body parts that lets each muscle activate from its biomechanical advantage and be able to handle moments of extreme postures, and external forces, without sustaining injury or in other words a functionally fit body!
THE CORE TRAINING SYSTEM
Your step-by-step approach to functional fitness (technique/exercises)
DISCLAIMERThe following product works, but only if you use it (gasp). It's also NOT a quick fix, but a tool that will help you along the functional fitness path.
GO FROM HORIZONTAL TO VERTICAL
If you've made it this far you undoubtedly understand the importance of good balance and posture; plus, the difficulty in determine what EXACTLY you need to do. Luckily, the P.A.S.T. Core Training System ($120; balance2posture.com) works with the wisdom of Mother Nature and uses compound (multi joint) movements to train balance, posture, and core strength in an integrated fashion transferable to an active lifestyle or in other words it's the very definition of functional fitness!
BALANCE BOARDS
The P.A.S.T. Balance Boards provide a natural "feel" while reducing your normal standing base of support; engaging your core muscles as you try to balance on the center of the boards. It's really as simple as getting on the balance boards, trying to stay aligned over center, and progressively increasing the challenge with over a hundred functional exercises to continuously improve your balance, core strength, and postural stability without ever getting bored!
PUSHUP HANDLES (AKA functional Yoga blocks)
Another unique aspect is that the balance boards can be turned over and become a base where our P.A.S.T. Pushup Handles can be inserted. The ergonomically designed pushup handles reduce the strain on the wrists, rotate, and wobble; making them a great accessory for your yoga and Pilates routine!
LEARNING HOW TO USE IT
The FREE Vertical Core Workout featuring Shannon Fable, ACE 2006 Group Exercise Instructor of the Year
The FREE Corrective Exercise Program featuring Todd Langer, the creator of the P.A.S.T. CTS
5 UNIQUE QUALITIES
5 has always been my lucky number
DID YOU KNOW?
- The P.A.S.T. Patented Core Training System is lightweight, durable, and ultra convenient; so, you can get a functional workout anywhere, anytime!
- The P.A.S.T. Balance Boards (pair) utilize proprietary technology to increase functional balance and core muscle activation with EVERY MOVEMENT!
- The P.A.S.T. Exercise Cords attach to the balance boards and take your core workout from horizontal to vertical like no other piece of equipment, it works!
- The P.A.S.T. Pushup Handles are well-crafted so the ergonomic design comforts the palm of your hands/wrists to make for a better pushup and terrific yoga blocks and/or pilates mat accessory!
- The P.A.S.T. Balance Boards, Pushup Handles, and Exercise Cords allow you to control the action and aren't designed to keep you "wobbling" off center or provide an unnatural "air filled" motion; they are 100% about increasing your Active-Life-Style!
ONE LAST RANT
Hide the children and pets!
WHEN WILL PEOPLE REALIZE; MOTHER NATURE KNOWS MORE THAN WE DO?It's amazing that people measure the lumbar curve with inclinometers, low abdominal activation with blood pressure cuff, first rib angle with special calipers, joint range of motion with goniometers and overlook the simple fact we're all structurally different for a reason; it's called being human! Furthermore, a static muscle imbalance has never been proven to directly alter the efficiency in how you move and the only way to gauge a person is to (gasp) see them move! There is merit is knowing a joints range of motion (ROM) in isolation ONLY if it's within a larger scope of improving total body movement patterns or else it's like knowing your car needs gas when the engine is about to fail! Just because something is new, trendy, and/or different doesn't make it more functional, but simply another tool to consider (and likely rule out). For instance, a Swiss ball is a great tool, and can be part of a routine, but it's not as effective as performing exercises on your own two feet!
TWO THUMBS UP!
They like us...they really like us!
The P.A.S.T. Core Training System has been featured in the Sept. issue of SHAPE Magazine (see actual write-up below).We saw it first (Page 162)
A $120 HOME GYM
Stand on a balance board and your muscles have to work harder to keep you from toppling over. But the gadgets are heavy, too slippery for carpets, and not practical for moves with bands. That's why the P.A.S.T. (it stands for Posture, Agility, Strength, and Total body integration) Core Training System ($120; balance2posture.com) is a welcome addition to our equipment arsenal. The set comes with boards, adapters for carpet and hard floors, handles so you can use the device for pushups, and bands that stay looped underneath. Download free workout videos from the website and this system becomes a mini home gym. Plus, because it weighs just 5 pounds, it's portable enough for travel too!
AMERICAN FITNESS MAGAZINE
Professional Edge
Functional Innovations has released the P.A.S.T. Core Training System, engineered to improve both balance and posture. Designed by Todd Langer, CEO of Functional Innovations and a leading health and fitness specialist, the P.A.S.T. CTS is comprised of two separate dynamic balance boards, each with a unique fixed center of axis, that stimulate natural postural reflexes, which in turn transfer to real-life improvement in how you look and feel. The P.A.S.T. CTS is endorsed by the American Academy of Musculoskeletal Medicine and is availabe for $119.95 at www.balance2posture.com and select retail outlsets. 
Tone your midesection and more with one tool!MORE PRAISE
Not that I'm bragging or anything
The prestigious ISPO "Brand New" is part of the BIGGEST health and fitness expo in the world. There were hundreds of applicants and the P.A.S.T. CTS placed in the finals. American Academy of Musculoskeletal Medicine
Thank you, thank you very much
"As technology increases in the age of the computer, we must make every effort to insure that the structure of the human body does not deteriorate in the process and the P.A.S.T. is an innovative step in the right direction."--Dr. Tom Ravin M.D. President of the AAMM
THE INEFFICIENCY OF EXERCISE MACHINES
A bonus module paid for by the kind folks at Squidoo
Your postural habits affect the roughly 20,000 breaths and 10,000 steps you take on a daily basis; subsequently, leading to longstanding muscle imbalances, connective tissue adhesions, and pain in "random" areas of your body. As such any notion of functional fitness training MUST include more than the standard variety of gym exercises and also encompass an increase in functional balance, core strength, and postural awareness!1. Simply put if an exercise machine requires a seated, or lying, position and doesn't allow for movement in the three cardinal planes (3D)
2. Standard exercise machines prevent training the feet, ankles, knees, and hips to absorb the necessary loading, and proprioceptive challenges encountered in active daily living
3. Specific and restrictive patterns of movement won't transfer to a different set of actions using the same musculature or in other words it's not functional
4. The avoidance of exercising a muscle group in a wide variety of movements isn't an astute safety precaution or proper way to enhance total body functionality and should only be done as the exception to the rule
5. Lastly, emphasizing this isolationist strategy actually weakens certain muscles relative to the avoided exercise pattern and throws off the rate at which body segments move in relation to one another and these rhythms need to be trained, not avoided.
FUNCTIONAL FITNESS BLOG
An Irreverent Look at Balance 2 Posture & Everything in Between!
My uncensored thoughts...be forewarned! ;)
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byI LOVE FEEDBACK!
Especially when it's positive!
Thanks for taking the time to visit the Complete Guide to Functional Functional Fitness lens! Please keep checking back as I'll add new info all the time; also, a 5-star rating is always appreciated! ;)
P.S. Please, feel free to drop me a note with any requests for clarification or whatever else....
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jzorro
Loved your lens! Thanks for the information! Posted May 16, 2008 |
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tzaction
Very interesting content! IT sure looks like you have invested some time in creating this lens. This is a great start for someone interested in functional fitness training. Posted May 15, 2008 |
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Jefferson
5 Star Lens! Posted May 12, 2008 |
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successfuldietplan
Great information on fitness. I have been putting off going back to the gym and thinking about working out at home. This information will come in handy. Thanks, great lens. Posted May 09, 2008 |
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SleepAids
Awesometastic lens! You have provided a great deal of helpful information. Glad to have stopped by! Keep up the great work. Posted May 08, 2008 |
