Functional Strength Training

For a long time I have been discussing the value of using a more integrated and functional approach to strengthening the core, versus the traditional and more popular method of isolating the abdominal muscles with a multitude of floor exercises.

My argument has always been that the activation of the abdominal muscles is more consistent with their “true function” when using integrated movements and are more effective at improving movement efficiency and joint stability.

The argument against my point is that these exercises may not truly strengthen the muscles of the core to their full potential, leaving you exposed to weakness and injury. You cannot feel your abs burn during a squat or a deadlift as you can during a plank so the plank must be better, is often the logic most people explain.

To test my bias and put this argument to rest I decided to share with you some important research and studies that have investigated this debate before, and give you my thoughts of how I use this information to guide me with exercise prescription.

What Improves Core Strength The Best? - Functional Integrated Movement or Isolation Abdominal Exercise? - No Regrets Personal Training Core stability is about being able to react with perfect reflexes to maintain joint alignment ready for efficient and smooth movement.

The quads are one of the most commonly known areas of the body located on the front of the thigh and as their name suggests they are broken into four separate muscles.

1. Re**us femoris occupies the middle of the thigh, covering most of the other three quadriceps muscles. This muscle crosses two joints meaning it can act as a hip flexor and also a knee extensor. This information is very important to remember when assessing hip motion later.
2. Vastus lateralis is on the outer side of the thigh.
3. Vastus medialis is on the inner part of the thigh and is often referred to as the VMO and is commonly linked to stability problems with the knee which we discuss shortly.
4. Vastus intermedius lies between vastus lateralis and vastus medialis on the front of the femur (i.e. on the top or front of the thigh), but deep underneath the re**us femoris.

There are many ways to strengthen these muscles and one of the best is the squat.

From front squats to back squats, single leg squats to box jumps, the variations are endless. But the timing of the joints involved is very similar to all. The ankle, knee, hip, and also the spine all move in harmony with each other and importantly in the correct alignment in order to handle loads, force and braking or provide propulsion and movement.

If the alignment is faulty there will be an "energy leak" that will compromise the timing and strength of the movement. This leads to poor performance and eventually injury as the body attempts to adapt to the poor alignment and correct it using a "plan B" strategy, otherwise known as compensation.

Best Functional Exercises To Strengthen The QUADRICEPS Muscles This is the 3rd video in a series of videos where I look at various...

One of the most under-rated foods for our health is nuts. They tend to be associated as a food to be wary of due to their high fat content but they really are a great source of healthy fat, vitamins, antioxidants, and fibre.

And, just to clear up the long held belief that they will make you fat, eating healthy fat will actually help you lose weight. Usually, if you’re struggling with excess weight, it’s because you’re eating too much sugar and processed foods.

In fact, a high-fat, moderate protein, and low-carb diet is one of the most effective ways to shed stubborn weight, as it helps shift your body from burning sugar to burning fat as its primary fuel. This is what the Keto diet is based upon and why it works so well for so many people who struggle with various health problems. A big part of this diet is the consumption of various nuts.

However, like all foods you need to know which ones are best for you and to avoid over-eating for you can have too much of a good thing. In this article, we will take a detailed look at everything you need to know about nuts.

Health Benefits Of Eating Nuts You Might Not Know - No Regrets Personal Training Dutch researchers found that people who ate just 10 grams of nuts each day had a 23 percent lower risk of death from any cause.

Tight hips and tight thoracic spines tend to go hand in hand these days and they can dramatically ruin your ability to squat, and basically move! Tight hip flexors contribute to creating many back pain and knee pain problems and tight thoracic spine is linked to neck pain and shoulder pain.

Relying on stretching does not always work to improve the body's ability to move which is where mobility exercises can do wonders.

Very Simple Hip & Thoracic Spine Mobility Drill Tight hips and tight thoracic spines tend to go hand in hand these ...

Researchers have found that there is a 70% correlation between forward head posture and a jaw that is pushed back.

This can lead to the development of TMJD as this position pinches the pad behind the disc, reduces TMJ blood supply, stretches out the ligaments, and strains the lateral pterygoid muscle that leads to spasms.

One of the most common causes of this problem is sitting poorly, so making sure you address your sitting position is vital. It is easy to fall into the trap of slouching and as it becomes a permanent habit it begins the slow process of destroying our joints. Many people are familiar with the damage to their spine from sitting but not many pay attention to the damage it does to their jaw and neck.

However, the forward head posture is not limited to sitting, as this can be due to several things we do during the day such as:
•Our posture during walking
•Our posture standing
•Our sleeping position
•Occupations
•Hobbies (eg musical instruments)
•Postures used in various sports
•Poor gym exercises (eg ab exercises)
•Poor exercise technique

Anything that places us in a forward leaning position with our head looking down for hours on end is enough to create this posture.

Read this article to see more about the TMJ

https://noregretspt.com.au/what-causes-tmj-disorder-jaw-pain-what-can-you-do-to-treat-this-painful-condition/

While it is always best to workout in a gym that has plenty of space and the best equipment for some people it is not an option due to finances, location, or perhaps they prefer to workout in their own home.

For many it is not viable to go out and buy a set of dumbbells and barbells with racks and benches for they may not have the funds or even a place to keep it. Their only option is to find ways to work out with their own body-weight or using various tools to challenge their body.

If you are like me you will find many body-weight exercises too easy and easily become bored with them. You just crave the resistance you get with load and this is where the massive advantage of the resistance band is found.

In this article, I will discuss the several benefits of resistance bands and show you videos of several advanced ways to use the bands in your workout.

How to Use Resistance Band Exercises to Increase Strength & Functional Movement - No Regrets Personal Training The versatility of this equipment is amazing and can be an invaluable tool for maintaining quality workouts to build strength and fitness

I am not a big fan of isolated abdominal exercises, however, I often use the lower abdominal test as part of our assessment! It seems like a complete contradiction that I often rate isolated abdominal training very poorly, yet I still use an exercise like the lower abdominal leg test.

There are several reasons for this which I explain in this video but the most interesting fact with this exercise is that 90% of all clients I test in our assessment fail! And it is the reasons they fail that find this exercise very useful.

5 Lower Abdominal Exercise Variations To Improve Pelvic Stability If you have read any of my previous articles about core training yo...

This is a quick video showing you how to use a single leg deadlift regression for people who struggle with low back pain doing glute exercises. This can also be useful for those who struggle with balance and controlling the stability of the feet and hip.

In the video I use a piece of equipment called a Crosscore, but you could easily use a TRX or any similar type of suspension strap. Resistance bands and even a cable machine are other alternatives.

Usually I provide a lot of progressions and ways to further challenge the body once you have the basic version mastered. But what if you cannot do the basic version? If you go back to floor exercises you may not be able to progress back to the standing version.

Sometimes having an exercise that makes the transition easier is what it is needed and that is where I use exercises like the one shown in this video. This is particularly true for those with SIJ pain or extension related back pain where single leg movements and anything that loads the glutes can be a real problem.

Finding a way to stabilize the movement is critical.

Use This Single Leg Deadlift Regression To Reduce Spinal Compression This is a quick video showing you how to use a single leg deadlift ...

Let’s say you have a well designed workout, you are doing the right type of stretching and mobility work, but you don’t seem to be recovering quickly enough from training.

There may be nothing wrong with your training or your technique but there may be something wrong with your recovery.

Always remember this,

You get stronger when you are resting after training, not during the training itself. Work alone is not enough to produce the best results, you need time to adapt to the training stress.

In this case you have to look at the other factors important to training success, and it really boils down to 3 things.

1.Sleep
2.Stress
3.Nutrition

More training will not produce great results if you do not have these 3 factors under control.

The body WILL NOT be able to repair the damaged tissues fast enough if it is not given enough time or the right tools to do the job. If you are suffering from an injury this becomes even more important, for there is significant damage that must be attended to.

Recovery and reducing inflammation you must value highly if you want to get on top of your pain quickly.

Best Foods And Methods To Speed Up Recovery And Reduce Muscle Soreness - No Regrets Personal Training Training can be greatly compromised and ineffective if there is not enough recovery or inadequate nutrition to fuel the regrowth.

The lat pulldown exercise is a great way to build some strength with the overhead pulling action that uses the powerful latissimus dorsi in the back. This is a great alternative for people who cannot do a chin-up like beginners or those returning from shoulder injury.

It is much easier to modify the load and be able to control the movement more effectively. Having said that there is still some technique flaws often made with this exercise that I try to point out in this video.

The two biggest mistakes we see made with the Lat Pulldown is pulling the bar too low and letting the elbows point behind you, and secondly trying to squeeze the scapula together.

Both of these technique faults will encourage downward rotation of the scapula and anterior humeral glide which ultimately leads to shoulder impingement and rotator cuff tears.

Lat Pulldown Technique Tips & 2 Mistakes to Avoid The lat pulldown exercise is a great way to build some strength wit...