Does Anybody Do Functional Training and How Often?

Bigbear

Bigbear

The Kodiak
Trusted Member
The older I get the more functional training I want to do. With boxing and mma im already used to adding in plyometrics but my main weight lifting goal is bodybuilding. I know I cant serve .ore then one master but they can accent each other I believe. When im on cycle I just go heavy into growth phase with pure hypertrophy and steady state low impact cardio. Off cycle I ramp up the hiit cardio and add plyometrics at the beginning of my workouts. This takes time away so I usually have to cut back on some of the lifts I do. Im tired of injuries my shoulder AC is so bad that id never dare to try bench pressing my max or even any power lifting in general. Im fine with it i just use dumbelI presses instead. I hurt my back doing barbell back squats a year or more ago and since then I havent squated I just stick to hack squats, leg press barbell hip thrusts leg curls, extentions and hip abduction and adduction. My elbow is also so bad with tendonitis that 3/4 way through my last cycle I had to cut out face pulls and hammer curls. Bpc157 has been used a couple times but the injuries just creep back. So the point of this thread is I want to add in loaded stretches which would help strengthen tendons and ligaments for lots of main compounds like squats and benchpresses. The only thing is after plyometrics and main lifts how much time would I have left. One option I guess would be cut out the plyo or second option would be cut back hypertrophy and maybe take out most isolation stuff and stick with the big 4 ish compounds and do loaded stretches after. If any of you guys do functional stuff where do you fit it in?
 
Depends what you call functional training, but I often do Farmer's Walk with no straps until my hands can't take it any more and I put the weight down. I do it in the longest section of the gym. I do all kinds of exercises no one else does (or haven't see do). I put a barbell with a lot of weight on it, set it at shoulder height and hold between my thumb and pointer finger and press it over head. Make sure if you do this, you start light and your core and back is straight. Throw this in and if ever needed, you can grab a person under the arms or by their shirt (if you train grip) and lift them straight in the air and throw them. Not a traditional MMA move by any stretch, but most people think twice about leaving the area when you do this. When I say load up the bar, I do it with 200 lbs for reps. I have not been able to get any higher. I spoke about this before and you can simply practice with your better half pending she isn't very heavy.
My warm up prior to working out is often basic functional strength exercises - may be squats with no weight into a jump to warm up the legs then back down to the pad and walk my self with my hands until my butt is sticking straight up - works on flexibility, overall core/back/arm/shoulder strength back and forth until I am fatigued. I do more stretching after and more mobility exercises before. There are endless - every standing on one foot and holding a weight to make yourself off balance, works all the core muscles/spine stabilizing muscles, I do a shoulder warm up before I start no matter what I train because without healthy shoulders you are useless.
Take 10 lbs DB's - sit down, DB's hanging straight down, lift them up to shoulder height to the sides, bring them together in front of chest and then arms straight and reach for the sky. You can add in a press if you like at this point - I often don't. Doesn't sound like much but you are engaging core/back for keeping your body straight, low weight and lots of reps to warm up all the shoulder movements.
Not sure if this is what you are getting at, but the older I get, the more I spend in the room upstairs adding in mobility and functional exercises before I hit the weights.
Do not do the front shoulder press as part of a warm up. I do this on my forearm/hand day.
There are a ton more I incorporate - I find the women who go to the gym have a lot to teach then the average lifter. They spend more time doing mobility exercises / functional strength exercises before they go downstairs and start lifting. I make it a point to become a friend and ask questions - many do some exercises I can't do yet like holding your weight up with your hands on a half ball piece of machine so it is unstable and they put their legs out on top of one of the large balls and bring their legs in and out. With the outfits they wear, you can see a lot of stabilizing muscles getting worked, core/the little muscles in your back helping to keep your spine in alignment. I tried once and just laughed at myself as did one of the ladies who showed me how she progressed to it. I just fell to the side lol.
I will get there eventually. It isn't meant to put on mass, but it will help you put on mass by preventing injuries.
Hope you are well and this is what you were getting at.
 
Im all over the place when it comes to training but its always with some goal in mind for that phase of my life.
When I hear "functional" i take it as extrapolating to real life stuff or general fitness. Run here, lift that climb this, pull this, carry that..

Some.peiple.may balk, but crossfit is pretty good for this. Also, rucking is fantastic and tests a person depending on how hard you go with it. Sandbag work also awesome. Running or jogging for cardio if joints are able.

And like Goldenrod said, farmer carries. I finish almost every workout with them.

It's a timely post as im spending my time training for mountain search and rescue, so pretty functional.stuff
 
KootenayRider said:
Im all over the place when it comes to training but its always with some goal in mind for that phase of my life.
When I hear "functional" i take it as extrapolating to real life stuff or general fitness. Run here, lift that climb this, pull this, carry that..

Some.peiple.may balk, but crossfit is pretty good for this. Also, rucking is fantastic and tests a person depending on how hard you go with it. Sandbag work also awesome. Running or jogging for cardio if joints are able.

And like Goldenrod said, farmer carries. I finish almost every workout with them.

It's a timely post as im spending my time training for mountain search and rescue, so pretty functional.stuff
Click to expand...
When I hear cross fit I think injuries and a rehab specialist's dream. I know there are beginner programs for cross fit. I wish I had it in me to do something and not push it (that was not saying you do - not a shot), but I know my personality and the shit some of these guys and gals dp, I don't consider functional, I consider it nuts. As cool as it is to see some of the guys in cross fit hold metal bars that keep your hands a few inches off the groud (the little movable grips), add weight to their body with a dip type belt/chain, and then stand up side down and do shoulder presses - yes it is impressive and interesting to watch, but I think recipe for disaster but I am still impressed. Respectfully, they are in no better condition than the guys who push it on the shoulder press machine and also train their core just like they train their chest.
I am talking about the guys who are training to compete - the stuff they do is nuts but I guess functional in some way if you are joining the cirque du soleil.

I consider a straight press (bench of any kind), any kind of squat (no weight - reps/heavy - low reps), trap bar - sort of a deadlift squat very functional even if with low weight, or your typical deadlift, squat, even RDL's are all functional as who doesn't pick shit up and need back strength, squat down to pick things up, push things away, and some of the most functional training which I don't do enough enough of it is core (including low/middle back) static holds or moving exercises. I consider had strength exercises which I don't see one other person do - about as functional as you can get. Who doesn't need strong hands in a physical job with great endurance which ties in to your forearms. There is a case to say if you do deadlifts, curls, bent rows, etc. you are training hands but most people use straps. Don't care if it waisted time you could put into more mobility, more strength oriented large muscle groups - I will forever train hands/forearms like I train any body-part.
Just another comment - right or wrong.
I watched the vid and have watched vids of guys doing exercises for mobility in their shoulders and all I can think of is receipe for disaster and your going tare something.
When I think of functional I think of being able to pick up uneven weight and move it. In the real world bars and DB's are not perfectly weighted on each side hence first step is strength in your hands to hold it and then lift, press, carry, etc. Also within reason - flexibility will prevent injuries or lessen the length they linger. This may be a very 'minor' perspective of functional, but it is mine.
 
I’m interested in sandbag and steel mace training but my back (two herniated discs) barely tolerates deadlifts, squats, and farmer walks without flare ups anymore.

I already need to spend an hour a day rehabbing and/ or warming up just to lift heavy. Not sure it’s smart to add more stress at this point. Gotta pick my battles.

Injuries suck.
 
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