What Is Functional Strength Training?

Most would agree that there is nothing functional about sustaining an injury due to improper training.

In many respects, functional strength training should be thought of in terms of a continued movement. As humans, we perform a wide range of movement activities, such as walking, jogging, running, sprinting, jumping, lifting, pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, turning, standing, starting, stopping, climbing and lunging.

Simply stated, the primary goal of functional training is to transfer the improvements in strength achieved in one movement to enhancing the performance of another movement by affecting the entire neuromuscular system.

In functional training, it is as critical to train the specific movement as it is to train the muscles involved in the actual movement. The brain, which controls muscular movement, thinks in terms of whole motions, not individual muscles.

Exercises that isolate joints and muscles are training muscles, not movements, which results in less functional improvement. For example, squats will have a greater "transfer effect" on improving an individual's ability to rise from a sofa than knee extensions.

The exercises with the highest transfer effect are those that are essentially similar to the actual movement or activity. It is important to note, however, that individuals cannot become expert at a particular movement or activity by training only with similar movements. For optimal results, repeated practice of the precise movement is required.

Exercises performed on most traditional machines tend to be on the low-end of the functional-training continuum because they isolate muscles in a stabilized, controlled environment. While it may be true that traditional, machine-based exercises are not the best way to transfer performance from the weight room to the real world, it does not mean that such exercises should not be a part of a training program.

For example, "non-functional," single-joint exercise can play a critical role in helping to strengthen a "weak link" that a person may have to restore proper muscle balance. Furthermore, doing such an exercise can allow an individual to more safely and effectively participate in functional-training activities while also reducing the risk of injury.

In the final analysis, it must be remembered that functional training is not an all-or-nothing conclusion. Functional strength training should serve as a supplement to traditional strength training, not as a replacement.

Properly applied, functional strength training may provide exercise variety and additional training benefits that more directly transfer improvements to real-life activities.

Fad Diets Do Not Work

First things first. The easiest way to maintain a healthy weight, of course, is to proactively strive to avoid weight gain and with that to eat a healthy diet and engage in regular physical activity.
For any diet to work, calories consumed need to be less than calories expended. Remember, it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound of fat. That is, if you want to lose about a pound per week, you need to eat less and exercise more so that your net calorie intake is about 500 calories less per day than it is right now.

The best diets will advocate at least nine servings daily of a variety of fruits and vegetables – low-calorie foods that provide most of the body’s needed vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that ward off infection and disease. Fiber-containing whole grains and calcium-rich low-fat dairy products should also be encouraged. If the diet relies primarily on a supplement to assure sufficient vitamins and minerals, it probably is not the healthiest choice. 

Nutrition is only one component in making a long-term lifestyle change. Exercise not only speeds weight loss by increasing caloric deficit, but it also is essential in keeping the weight off.

To sell books and win over dieters who have “tried everything,” diet plans tend to make unbelievable claims that oftentimes are substantiated by dieters’ personal testimony. From promises to lose 8 to 13 pounds in the first two weeks of a diet to promotion of magic supplements, diets market themselves as so easy and effective that their irresistible – at first. But what comes off fast, comes on fast. You’re most likely to be successful in losing weight and keeping it off (the hardest part) if you aim for slow and steady with sustainable lifestyle changes. 

The most negligent diet is one that prescribes the same plan to all people regardless of their health status and other individual factors. If you have a history and significant medial illness, such as (but not limited to) diabetes or heart disease, you should talk with your physician before starting a diet or exercise regimen.

While you may be able to scrape together enough money to begin an expensive weight loss program, you may not be able to sustain the cost for an extended period of time. Plan ahead and assess your readiness to change and commit to a program before making huge lifestyle adjustments and financial sacrifices 

Social support is key to successful weight loss. If a diet requires you to eat a different food than the rest of the family, chances are good that you won’t be successful on the diet. If your family is not supportive and committed to helping you make the healthy change, you are probably going to struggle.

Long-term adherence to a program, which means a lifestyle change, is the most important factor for lifelong weight-loss success. The specific diet really doesn’t matter. A few years ago, researchers conducted a one year trial to assess the adherence rate and effectiveness of Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers and the Zone diets. They found that all of the diets modestly reduced body weight and cardiovascular risk factors and for each of the diets, people who adhered to the diet had greater weight loss and risk factor reductions. Of course, most of the study participants struggled with adherence, which overall was poor for all of the diets. This just drives home the point once again: permanent lifestyle change, not a quick fix time-bound diet, is essential for successful weight loss and subsequent improved health.

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ViPR Free Weights Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w43ezAJoLoA&feature=plcp&context=C4cbe1a6VDvjVQa1PpcFPinPGaS8ct04LhmdC_cZXk0KRo8cesYsw%3D

According to a recent study, when it comes to reducing the risk of death, physical fitness plays a bigger role than weight.

Am I Too Old to Exercise?

If you’ve ever thought you aren’t standing as straight and tall as you once did, find walking up a flight of stairs to be a strain at times, or you groan when reaching for the arms of a chair as you slowly get up from sitting, you aren’t alone.
There are about 78 million baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964, with nearly 11 million of them working out in gyms throughout America.
Keep this in mind: “We don’t stop exercising because we get old, we get old because we stop exercising.”
Older adults hurt themselves more through INactivity than through activity. Strength, flexibility, balance and endurance wither from INactivity. Exercise will increase your healthy life-years and enable you to fully engage in life, adding years to your life and life to your years.
With definitive research demonstrating that activity helps forestall cognitive decline (dementia) and being fit keeps people healthier longer, it’s no wonder that more boomers are signing up for personal trainers, group exercise classes, boot camps, and walking groups.
Maintaining at least moderate activity is a key component in a positive health regimen that will combat or prevent these ailments: weight-related diseases, heart disease, anatomical and structural impairments, hypertension, osteoporosis, cholesterol, Alzheimer’s disease, sexual performance, loss of muscle mass, and decreased sociability.
To prevent normal biological changes caused by aging, seek kinder, gentler workouts; slower and longer warm-ups and cool-downs; and exercise routines that emphasize diminished risk of injury while promoting posture, strength, endurance, flexibility, agility and balance.
Specifically, here are five types of exercise that promote mental alertness and compress disability into as late as life as possible. No, these don’t include cosmetic surgery, expensive skin care regimens or hormone replacement — they don’t have the staggering amount of research that exercise does.

1. Cardio: Moderately intense aerobic activity for a minimum of 30 minutes five times per week or, if you can engage in more vigorous aerobic exercise, do that three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes. Walking, swimming, using a treadmill or elliptical, and biking are examples of cardio exercise.
2. Strength training: We lose 30% of our muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 70 years. Normally, adults who are sedentary beyond age 50 can expect muscle loss of up to 0.4 pounds a year. At least twice each week, engage in exercises designed to maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance, including resistance training with machines or free weights.
3. Flexibility training: Here’s where stretching and range of motion exercises become important to connective tissue, so regular stretching at least twice each week for at least 10 minutes each time is recommended.
4. Balance training: Musculoskeletal injuries are the number one reason people seek medical help, with falls among the leading causes of death for the 65+ population. Backward and sideways walking, heel walking and toe walking are all fun ways to increase balance. Consider using a workout ball or balance pad and have a professional trainer demonstrating proper form and exercise options.
5. Core training: These exercises strengthen your abs and other muscles that stabilize the spine, pelvis, and run the entire length of the torso. These muscles make it possible to stand, shift body weight and protect the back and hips. Exercises include abdominal bracing, contracting the abdominal muscles, plank exercises, hip lifts, and having fun with medicine balls, dumbbells, kettlebells, Bosu Balls, balance and wobble boards.

Stomach Flattener Exercise

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Fitness Training

A complete, safe and effective fitness program should include: aerobics, resistance and strength training, flexibility and balance training.

Have you wondered which method of strength training is better? Is it free weights or strength-training equipment? The truth is that each has its advantages and disadvantages.

The choice depends on your level of experience, your exercise goals and, to some extent, your personal preference. An understanding of these factors will help you decide if free weights or machines, or a combination of both, will help you reach your goals.

Strength and resistance training is a critical component of any healthy exercise, fitness and workout plan. Not only can it help you build and tone muscle, but it can boost your metabolism and is an important part of any weight loss or weight management program.

Free weights incorporate the stabilizing muscles that enable you to perform the movements you choose to make and may be more effective in producing overall muscular strength and power gains.

Machines are generally safer and easier to use, an advantage for beginners learning a specific movement.

It's never too late to become active! In addition to enhancing your quality of life and ability to pursue your interests, physical activity for adults age 50+ plays an important role in preventing health problems and managing those common disorders that might already be present such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and elevated cholesterol. Significant health benefits can be seen by including just a moderate amount of exercise into your lifestyle.

V Sit Partner Rotations with Medicine Ball - Abs - Get Fit Exercise Library - American Council on Exercise

http://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/263/v-sit-partner-rotations-with-medicine-ball/?utm_source=Health%2BeTips&utm_medium=email&utm_term=February%2B2012&utm_campaign=Consumer%2BOutreach&CMP=EMC-HET_0212#.T1lPfSXZOcg.blogger

Treadmill Walking Tips

There are several important elements to an effective treadmill exercise. A few things to keep in mind are:

Always warm up. It is essential to stretch your muscles and warm them up slowly by walking at a speed of no more than 1.5 to 2 mph for a minute or two. Switching from the heels to the toes for thirty seconds each, then stretching out your stride for another minute will help stretch all muscles properly. If you’ve increased your level of fitness after a time, you can increase the speed of your warm-up to as fast as 4 mph, which is basically power-walking or a light jog.

Increase your workout slowly. You should stay at one level for four weeks before moving on to the next level of difficulty. Any faster and you risk over-tasking your muscles or sustaining an injury. This is one of the most important tips for treadmill workouts to keep in mind. Burn-out is frequently the result of trying to rush to    results.

Always cool down. Hopping off the treadmill after running and sitting down is an invitation for muscle cramps or worse. You need to slow down the pace and allow your muscles and heart rate to return to normal while you are moving.

Walking is the key to good cardio treadmill workouts. For the first four weeks, you should try for twenty minutes of walking at a pace of about 2-4 mph, depending on your comfort level. Adding ten minutes for the stretching, warm-up and cool-down, you’ll spend a half-hour each time. For the few weeks of treadmill exercise, add ten minutes to your walking time. Do this until you are spending a total of sixty minutes on the treadmill at a time.

Studies have shown that varying your heart rate and the intensity of your workout actually increases your metabolism more than exercising at the same rate for a prolonged length of time. What that means for you is that you should vary how fast you are walking or running when you are on the treadmill.