Let's talk about Functional Fitness

Functional fitness, aka the back to basics approach, as I like to think about it. It’s the future; hear me now believe me later. Think of your body as a building for a second, before the decorations and the details you need a solid foundation that is stable and strong.  

Compound movements (exercises that use multiple body parts all at once like a squat) and natural movements patterns should be your bread and butter when it comes to the gym. We all lift things from the floor, stand up, run and walk up hills in our day to day life (especially us Sheffield folk on that last one). Having a good solid squat, dead-lift and pressing movement is the secret to achieving your goals. Whether you’re a guy or a girl, no matter what your trying to achieve, any PT worth their soul will have these movements in their plans.

Over complications (excessive band usage), over reliance on accessory work (bicep curls in the mirror) are great and everything but in essence it is slowing down your progress. Squats will help your legs, pull ups will develop your arms, its as simple as that! To use another cheap metaphor, doing some kind of lunge variation with bands round your ankles is like trying to paint a huge painting and using the smallest brush possible. Don’t get me wrong, you are activating the muscle, you are changing things up which is great but things like this should not be your focus, think of it as detail work.

I’ll use my workout style as an example, if I’m looking to work my upper body I’ll start with 2 compound pressing movements, one horizontal and one vertical (bench press and overhead press). Already with these two movements I have activated a lot of muscles, the chest, shoulders, triceps, core, back and spine. Two exercises and a whole lot of activation on those muscles! This part is for the guys out there. If your starting with chest fly’s and lateral raises your essentially just fine tuning (unless your some variety of body builder, then ignore me, but if your all natural then maybe you should take note), Rome wasn’t built in a day but there’s no need to take an eternity about it, because that’s what your doing, delaying your progress! And with the compounds, you see a lot of big dudes making a lot of noise throwing around huge weights. Don’t be put off, strength is subjective, some people might warm up on what you can do when your firing at 110%, it simply doesn’t matter if your getting your work done and getting the results you deserve!

I’m not saying you should stop mixing things up and challenging your body, but what I’m saying is go back to basics! Stop over complicating things, get your compound movements and cardio done, then throw in some band work that’ll really focus on your glutes, I promise you if you stick to the back to basics approach for a month or two, the results will surprise you, just give it a go will you.

Those girls on insta with an otherworldly physique and the guys with shoulders and abs like a statue are doing the basics I promise. No matter what they’re preaching (nine times out of ten they are paid to say half the stuff they claim is ‘groundbreaking’ or they have copied it from someone else who is selling something), I bet you a whole lot they’re getting their basics/essentials in. And the ones that aren’t, may be enhanced in one way or another, which is by no means a bad thing they are running a business remember! I just want to help the normal folks out there looking to build some confidence or to get fit!

Variety is the spice of life, make sure your not boring yourself in the gym, but please think long term. With compound movements and more functional fitness, you are helping yourself in the long term, you’ll thank me when you can still smash a game of tennis in your sixties! A strong, mobile, flexible body is a body ready for the real world and ready for father time. Don’t try and reinvent the wheel every week, they already did that. People have been pushing weights, squatting them and picking them up for a very long time now, there is a reason why they do this.

Thanks for reading this little rant of mine, if you have learnt anything or have some questions please do not hesitate to get in touch. I literally love it when people get in touch because I have no friends and I personally love helping people in any way possible, the same goes for the rest of the B On 1 team! Now, give this a share, fill up that sexy orange glass bottle you got from our store and go out there and smash your goals! We love you and we are proud of each and every member of the B On 1 family!