The word “functional training” get thrown around a lot these days. I believe most peoples intentions are coming from a positive place. One that is designed to empower new trainees and inspire them to believe that what they are doing will help achieve their goals.
Take the rise of Crossfit for example. There is no denying the huge success of crossfit in recent years and it’s largely due to two main factors. It has a wide variety of movements and is easily accessible. Due to this trainees find it fun and exciting rather than seemingly repetitive. Trainees can do it from their home with minimal equipment which is a bonus to the time poor.
Crossfit is commonly referred to as the functional fitness benchmark and for many reasons, so it should. Crossfit has done a great job of incorporating various forms of strength training, challenges and a variety of movements into it’s structure for both training and competition. A quick google search or simply asking any member of your local crossfit box and you will quickly be told crossfit is “Constantly varied movements done for high intensity workouts”. Sounds similar to another form of training that I know of.
Enter the strongman
Strongman training for much of history has been rather inaccessible to the masses. It’s commonly seen as a “heavyweights sport” meaning if your aren’t 6”6 and 150 kg giant then forget about it! Nowadays this couldn’t be further from the truth as the accessibility to strongman training and coaching has never been so easy. Around the country we have numerous specialised gyms that have high quality coaches on hand, most of whom are currently top level competitors in strongman. Coaches who can help you achieve your health, fitness and strength goals through the use of strongman training and implements.
Prospective members often ask about strongman training and whether or not they can do it. My first response is simple. Strongman is for everyone. EVERYONE. No doesn’t matter what shape, size, age or experience level there is something we can do that will greatly benefit your training goals. Using the implements in strongman is fun, effective and provides unique results. Carrying heavy objects, pressing all kinds of things overhead, pulling cars and trucks along with everything in between.
You don’t have to be a competitive crossfitter or strongman to learn from these disciplines and incorporate their principles into your training. Really most general gym goers want to be stronger, look better and have enough fitness to do the activities in life they enjoy. Whether it be chasing the kids around or playing sports on the weekends being stronger and fitter will help.
Functional Training For You
Incorporating strongman training into your program should be simple and easy. Firstly determine what you want to achieve what you want to achieve from the training. Secondly decide which movements will give the most bang for your buck. Thirdly structure them into the program appropriately. Lets look at Client A;
Client A wants to improve their grip strength would like a stronger back to help with their martial arts. The long sessions of jiu jitsu get tiring so some extra conditioning would help too. The client does jiu jitsu twice a week on top of going to the gym 2-3 days . Their gym sessions are total body based so we will add 1 strongman movement into each of the two and if they get a third in then it’s a bonus. Based on the goals we will add farmers walks and tire flips to the program.
Farmers walks will be focused on doing multiple sets of a longer distance at moderate weight to build grips and back strength. The tire flips will be done on intervals to help conditioning and build the back further. Simple and effective to compliment the existing program and the goals of the client. This is what functional training is all about and strongman has many great tools to add to your toolbox.
