Build - Functional strength gets thrown around a lot. It has become a buzzword to attract people away from a more traditional bodybuilding style of training. But, all strength is “functional”. Whether you get it from a lifting on machines, or lifting free weights, kettlebells etc…It does not make that much of a difference. What you do with it is where the separation starts to become more apparent. If you lift to get almost naked and judged on stage, pure muscle size, shape and leanness is the biggest determinant of functionality. If you lift to be strong and go perform outside, then you will be more functional in performance and recovery, for let’s say mountain biking. If you want to maintain or increase your lean muscle mass to live a healthy and dare I say a functional life into your later years…Then doing whatever it is you can sustain and progressively overload over years is the best way to do it. To me, functionality is driven by the desire to move and perform in the future, better then I do now. That means doing a huge variety of training methods to always continue to drive adaptations that do not get addressed in the average lifestyle. Lift through all movement planes and in as big of range of motion as possible. Progressively overload, over time. Jump, run, rotate, crawl, play in deep ranges of motion and try, and explore new and fun ways to make even the most stubborn and willfully inflexible Netflix identified avatars, enjoy getting out of their heads, and into there bodies instead.
Charge - Functional strength is a catch phrase. It shows how cool you are, and let’s everyone know how sophisticated your gym or training style is. It immediately separates you from being just a meathead, to someone who does kettlebells swings in the morning between sips of coffee...Yoga under the shade of big live Oak, and never leaves the house unless the socks accent the shoes, which in turn make a splendid complement to whatever other items adorn the sacred mannequin of inner peace. Function is the result of work completed, not dressed up and disguised as trendy. How well something works, in the present, in the future. The past is a guide to what needs to changed to function better. Being able to push really, really hard is a function of the mental ability to hang it out, the bodies ability to adapt to the demands of intensity and needs to be pushed to make changes. High intensity is not easy, most of us always leave some lingering in reserve, just in case…It is one area that is not typically used by the general population. So train it. Embrace the unknowing, and find the limits that hold you back.
Grind - If Charge is short but really, really uncomfortable. Then Grind is a little longer, and slightly less uncomfortable. This is threshold. Meaning that you are flirting with the line that divides complete collapse and industrious sustainability. We want to grind away at the mental instability that worms its way in, and whispers for just taking it a little easier, “go get a drink and have a nice quick lie down. You worked really hard so far, you are doing so good, you earned it.” Lies, lies, lies. If we held ourselves to the same accountability we want to hold others, then there is no room for snacks and water breaks in a sub 20min workout. In fact, if you can dehydrate yourself to the point of needing medical intervention in a 20min period, I would say you win, and congratulations on a stellar performance.
Sustain - Manageable for duration. Repeatable in repetition. Functional in approach. Aerobic. Not easy, just always repeatable. To make aerobic training functional, loads must be in ranges that do not cause muscular or technical failure. Stronger and more fit individuals can use heavier weights while maintaining faster velocities. That is the goal, more weight, more reps faster, over longer periods of time. Distance covered faster with less effort. Life is lived with oxygen, and our ability to be more and more efficient with this resource is an actual sign of functional training done correctly.
Cool Downs - Functional stuff.
Coach
At Targhee Athletics, we believe in empowering individuals to achieve their best—whether you're stepping into a gym for the first time or you're a seasoned athlete looking to push your limits.
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