Functional strength training is a form of exercise that focuses on developing strength in patterns that are used in everyday life. This type of training involves free weights, gymnastic moves, and aerobic training.

The SkiErg is a great piece of equipment found in most gyms that is specifically useful for training the aerobic system. The SkiErg also appears in numerous functional fitness workout routines. But, clients commonly experience difficulties in using the SkiErg.

Writing effective and creative exercise programs is a craft. You develop this craft by sculpting your skillset and technique through hours of practice. To refine it even further, you experiment with variation in your prescriptions. Getting caught in a rut of writing the same programs can be easy to fall in to but can halt your positive growth. The key to keeping your craft fresh and inspired is to introduce new variations to the way you write programs.

Energy system training is a massive subject in the fitness and athletic development industry. While many coaches understand the basics of what energy systems training is, they have trouble with the application of this knowledge in the construction of a fitness program. Here are the basics of creating workouts for the aerobic energy system.

Bodyweight training is a type of exercise in which the only resistance used is the weight of the person performing it. Bodyweight exercises are done in six movement patterns: bending, squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, and core.

The goal of this article is to provide you with some basic tips to improve efficiency within training programs for busy clients. Ideally, every human being should move every day, but in today’s world that is easier said than done. These basic principles are a great starting point for clients who may have a hard time establishing a base of consistency, when it comes to hitting the gym. This can be applied to any type of client looking to improve their overall health and fitness. 

James starts this conversation by addressing the opinion that some of the events at the CrossFit Games are not always the most entertaining, specifically the Triple Three (For time: 3,000 meter row, 300 double-unders, 3 mile run). “While tests like the snatch may seem entertaining on television it does not come from the movement itself, it comes from the commentary,” says James. “The tests that actually are effective are boring . . .” When it comes to the high-level fitness testing James wants us to remember that “you have to keep in mind that the tests we see at the Games might not be the best tests [of fitness] as they are based on logistics and entertainment.”

In this episode, James refers to functional fitness as mixed modal. By its definition, functional fitness is a mixture of different fitness modalities aptly referred to as mixed modal. It is also the name of James’ latest course that focuses specifically on the sport of competitive functional fitness. If you are an athlete or a coach of an athlete this is the course for you. Learn more here. 

Whether you’re a fitness coach or enthusiast you know a good workout when you see one. These workouts stand apart from the rest, providing results in a sustainable, pain-free experience. But these magical workouts, while commonplace in OPEX Gyms, are typically tough to come by.

At the beginning of the year you had a detailed plan to progress your client towards their goals in the gym. Then COVID-19 spread, and before you knew it the gym was closed and your client’s ability to train was limited. You were forced to adapt and now find yourself coaching your client through home workouts. While this may have forced you to abandon your original program, it does not mean all hope for progress is lost.

Right now is a time of uncertainty. COVID-19 is spreading and some nations are entering or returning from a state of quarantine. For fitness coaches, it can be unnerving as most countries are urging citizens to stay indoors and asking for community spaces like gyms to be shut.