Just curious to see if people are more focused on how their body looks or what it can do. I train purely for functional strength and endurance and have managed to get pretty big and lean as a side effect.
i workout 90% for looks 10% health benefit.
Mike, it’s funny you posted this. As I was just thinking the same thing and was going to make a post about it!
I have been training for functional strength since March. I feel much better (my previous injuries rarely bother me now), I’m getting stronger and looking better too. I weight train to have more carryover for other activities (mt biking, in-line skating, swimming, volleyball, sprinting, etc). I’m glad I’ve made the switch from bodybuilding to functional strength training! It would be interesting to know how others train for functional strength and how they set up their training and nutrition programs. Maybe we could all share some techniques.
Great idea Nate Dogg! Here is a sample of my workout week. I train M-F
Monday: Handstand Pushups 10x2 using 4-1-2 tempo and one minute breaks.
Kettlebell snatches 3x20-25 as fast as possible with good form
Kettlbell pass between legs to work obliques. 3x15
Hindu Squats with Black Portable Power Jumper(Hardest level) 1x50
Tuesday: Back Bridge (3 minutes with Black portable power Jumper to add resistance)
Handstand pushups: 10x2 4-1-2 with 30 second breaks
Kettlebell clean and push press 3x10
Hindu Squats with PPl 1x50
Powerwheel roll outs standing 3x7 and Pushups with power pushup2 (4 blue cords=180lbs of resistance)
Wednesday: Back bridge with ppl 4 minutes
Handstand Pushups 10x3 with one minute breaks 4-1-2 tempo.
Kettlebell snatches 3x10
Kettlbell side bends 2x15
Hindu Squats with PPl 1x15
Chin Ups with thick bar (Pavel’s ladder approach)
Thursday:
BAck bridge 5 minutes with PPL
handstand Pushups 2x5 4-1-2 tempo
side presses 3x5 with kettlbell
Hind Squats 1x100 with yellow PPL
Janda Sit ups 3x10
Hindu Pushups with Black PPL 1x50
Friday
Back Bridge
Handstand pushups 2x6
Kettlbell cleans 3x5
Chin ups (ladder approach)
Powerwheel roll ins with feet strapped in
I’d like to get the most of both without sacrificing the other too much (i.e. - I’d like to have functional strength with a nice appearance AND overall health to go with it). Obviously, some people train and eat for strength and look like shit, while others train and eat for bodybuilding only and aren’t particularly strong (at least as their appearance would lead you to believe). John Berandi is the most recent example of someone who has achieved both (as his photos and training journal indicate).
Basically, I’d like to be strong, but I’d like all the hard work and effort training and dieting to also yield a good physique.
I’m right with Kevo, probably an 80/20 split.
"MB Eric: Short 'n sweet...except when he's long 'n hard. Since 1985."
-Eric
I train mainly for maximal strength and power. I used to be more into the physical apperance side of things, now I’ve shifted in the other direction.
I started just training for looks but even then my functional performance increased in everything as well. I’m fortunate enough in that I’ve had the opportunity to train for just about all the main sports using weights…first it was bodybuilding, then olympic lifting, then powerlifting, then just training for athletic and speed improvement, and now sort’ve a hybrid bodybuilding-functional strength program much like John Berardi’s. It’s amazing what one can learn from other types of athletes in the iron game. I know powerlifters and olympic weightlifters usually don’t care a lot for each other and both of these groups dislike bodybuilders but each group of athletes can learn a lot from the others.
80% Good looks 20% health
Purely for looks. I don’t understand people who train for functional strength in the gym. It makes no sense, unless you do squats, deads, and power cleans, and that’s it. Honestly, when was the last time you bench pressed something in real life? If you want to push something, you use your legs and back. If you want to have functional strength, do dinosaur training by pushing cars and lifting rocks. I fail to believe doing bicep curls for less than 6 reps translates into some real-world benefit. I honestly don’t want to offend anybody, but I do want you to understand the difference between “gym strength” and “functional strength.”
Mike Im really curious as to whether Pavels latter routine works. I have been thinking about trying it lately. Any suggestions??
I go for looks, but I’m doing it the hard way. Since I got back into it, I haven’t done mor ethan 5 reps. It’s just so much more fun to be strong.
Looks. It’s nice to have strength along with the bod, but I’ve faced the fact that (a) I’m not a fighter(in the physical sense) and (b) genetically I’m just not set up to be massively strong. So I try for Grecian proportion and form. The health benefits are important to me too, but that’s more diet/supplementation than training.
Hey Mike,
I’ve noticed that you pretty much use every piece of equipment pushed by Furey or Pavel.
Would you mind giving your thoughts on them one by one? Are they worth it, what benefits did you get, pros and cons basically.
I’m interested in a lot of them.
And, why do you train for functional strength? Sports?
I train to be functional because im a cheerleader but i also want to be large. i feel they go hand in hand.
I train for appearance, health, and sport carryover (for the past 15 years it was tennis, now rock climbing). I’d give it a 40/40/20 split respectively.
Its funny how your mindset changes, I started out not caring how strong I was as long as I could get ripped again, I was basically sick of being a fatty. But now that Im getting leaner I find strength to be creeping up in performance. But ultimately if Im ripped I dont care if I bench 225 for reps or 550.
I would give the edge to appearance first with strength and general health following closely. I strive for balance I suppose. I used to crank out the reps and focus on improving strength more, but the mirror was not my friend. I decided that I would rather look lean, athletic and strong than be a bit stronger and flabbier. For me, my diet requires more discipline and consistency than my workouts as it is an all day every day issue. So I derive more personal satisfaction to see it all come together, than just increasing strength. As an aside, I just went to a water park with my son yesterday for the first time in a long while. Train wrecks everywhere! There weren’t but a handful of fit bodies at that place. Even amongst the youth. It motivated me to continue my working away at it. I don’t want to come close to resembling the majority of humanity that was strolling, lumbering, struggling around that water park.
Training for functional strength, for me, is much more motivating than training for a particular look. Having a physically demanding job & enjoying pickup b-ball & tennis on occasion, my performance is more important.
Like jj, I am curious if you would give us the pros & cons of both the Furey & Pavel routines, Mike. Thanks.
I train for looks and hopefully,as I keep on training,my strength continues to increase.