Functional Training for Speed and Agility

Article by Mark Wine CSCS ; NASM PT, CES, PES

Functional Training for Speed and Agility – Health – Fitness

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Speed is one of the most highly sought after goals of an athletic performance training regimen. However, speed is one of the hardest traits to acquire, unless it comes natural. Before undergoing speed and agility training it is important to have an understanding of certain characteristics that go hand in hand with speed and agility. Training and activating the stretch shortening cycle is the hidden gym when training for Speed & Agility performance.

The stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) is highly active when utilizing plyometric exercises. “Plyometric exercise is a quick powerful movement using a prestretch, or countermovement, that involves the SSC. The purpose of plyometrics are to increase power of subsequent movements by using both the natural elastic components of muscle and tendon and the stretch reflex” [2 – pg.414]. The SSC utilizes tendons and ligaments in a spring like action, therefore limiting the amount of ground reaction force (GRF). The GRF is the amount of time your limbs stay on the ground during sprints and/or running. Faster athletes have more power in their lower body musculature and therefore have less GRF during sprints.

How do you train the SSC? Training for the SSC requires specific plyometric training (i.e. box jumps, hurdles, jumping, etc…). However, not all plyometrics training are created equal. Utilize mini hurdles or a plyometric that utilizes bouncing (springing) as a technique to the exercise are more efficient. For example, try this workout combination:1. Perform Back Squats for 3 sets of 8 repetitions with a moderate to heavy load (weight)

– Superset (perform right after) the back squats with a bouncing (SSC) plyometric, such as 2-1 jumps, mini hurdle jump over, or repetitive box jumps utilizing limited GRF.

Performing back squats will breakdown leg musculature, which will result in strength and power gains. Leg musculature will in turn be capable of generating more power for greater speed and agility. Following this complex exercise with a SSC plyometric will further generate power adaptations. Due to the nature of the countermovement plyometric, if performed properly, you will activate tendons and ligaments as springs and not exhaust leg musculature like a full squat jump. The combination of strength and power lifting with a SSC plyometric will create an environment similar to that of real time competition requiring repeated bouts of high reaction forces that are similar to sprinting and sports.

Bilateral (two leg) hurdle jumps, or bilateral repetitive box jumps, are shown to utilize higher forces than other traditional jumping exercises (including regular box jumps). Sprinting and Agility require high forces when contacting the ground, SSC plyometrics require comparable forces. Therefore, it is theorized that creating a training environment with similar forces is highly sought after. “Bilateral jumps over hurdles are an excellent exercise to stimulate contact time and reaction forces because the values are similar or even superior than traditional resistance exercises such as squats, hang cleans, and loaded jumps” [3].

Bilateral jumps activating the SSC are preferable due to the shorter contact time and higher forces of the jump. However, do not neglect to utilize unilateral or alternating jumps. Running requires alternating unilateral jumps, utilizing the SSC, over and over again. Therefore, the athlete with the greatest amount of power and ability to spring from step to step will be faster, quicker, and more agile. When incorporating unilateral and/or alternating unilateral jumps into a plyometric regimen, it might be advantageous to seek plyometrics that allow less contact time. Examples include mini hurdles, mini cones and repetitive low box jumps.

It is important to note that bilateral jumps do not perfectly replicate real time competition contact times; neither do unilateral jumps. However, utilizing both bilateral and alternating unilateral repetitive jumps, which activate the SSC, creates an environment similar to that of sprinting / competition in terms of ground contact time and rate of force development (RFD).

Listed are some of the most effective plyometric exercises that activate the SSC:

– Repetitive Box Jumps (bilateral and unilateral) – spring up and down keeping a dorsi flexed position in your feet and a slight knee bend; the less time you spend on the ground the betterwww.functionalmusclefitness.com

– 2-1 Box Jumps – just like repetitive box jumps, keep your feet in a dorsi flexed position and a slight knee bend to allow for greater spring (less contact time)

– Mini Hurdle Jump Over – utilize both unilateral and bilateral; when performing unilateral, it might be advantageous to use the smallest hurdle, maybe even short cones.

– Unilateral Side-to-Side Short Box Jump Over – this plyometric is highly advanced, therefore, novice athletes who have not been engaged in athletic performance training should start with bilateral jumps. Once they have shown the ability to perform bilateral repetitive box jumps then they can perform bilateral side-to-side short box jump over.

(Check out http://www.functionalmusclefitness.com “exercise of the week” to see these exercises in action, plus more)

Sources1. Training Specificity of Hurdle vs. Countermovement Jump Trainingby, Dario F. Cappa and David G. BehmJournal of Strength and Conditioning Research©2011 National Strength and Conditioning AssociationVolume 25, Number 10, October 20112. The Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (3rd edition).By, National Strength and Conditioning AssociationEditors: Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle©2008, 2000, 19943. Optimal loading for maximal power output during lower-body resistance exercisesCormie, P, McCaulley, GO, Triplett, NT, and Mcbride, JM.Medical Science Sports Exercise 39: 340-349, 2007

About the Author

Strength Coach Mark Wine is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the best trainers in the country for his work with NFL Players, high school and middle school athletes, as well as Olympic hopefuls. With his new athletic performance training center Functional Muscle Fitness he hopes to redefine sports performance / gym training.

For custom workouts, exercise videos and more check out http://functionalmusclefitness.com/

or check us out on Facebook http://facebook.com/Functionalmusclefitness/

Functional Muscle Fitness LLC1091 Shary CircleConcord, Ca 94518(925) 689-3631 ‎

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Mark Wine CSCS ; NASM PT, CES, PES

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More Speed And Strength Workouts Articles

What Is Functional Training and the Benefits of Training Functionally

Article by TC Personal Training

What Is Functional Training and the Benefits of Training Functionally – Health – Fitness

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What is Functional Training?

The origins of functional training lie in rehabilitation and sports conditioning.

In contrast to traditional strength training that uses resistance machines to train an isolated group of muscles with a single specific motion, functional training trains the body as a cohesive unit allowing unrestricted movement and using two or more muscles at the same time

p>It builds strength, balance and coordination for general fitness and to help with day to day activities, as well as specific sports requirements.

Functional training is based upon exercises which use the person’s own weight as resistance or uses bands, stability balls, free weights and other equipment which will challenge a person’s core strength and balance and involve multiple muscle groups and corresponding stabilisers.

Benefits of Functional Training.

By working muscle groups simultaneously functional training can help to achieve health and fitness goals faster than single joint exercises.

It can significantly improve balance, core muscles strength and joint stability.

By helping link your entire body together so it performs optimally as a cohesive unit, it can lessen risk of injury especially in sport.

A research study into the relative benefits of functional training versus fixed resistance machine training showed those undertaking functional training had a 58% greater increase in strength than those using fixed resistance machines and improvements in balance were 196% better (2009 Spennewyn)

By doing exercises that mimic a natural movement it can help build strength for everyday activities and repeated movements such as reaching up and bringing down heavy objects.

For athletes it can build strength to improve performance of a specific movement such as a golf swing, throwing a ball or jumping.

Cardio activity can be easily integrated into functional training.

Strength can be gained without putting on bulk or losing flexibility.

Neither multiple machines or space is needed to train multiple muscle groups.

Functional training might include such exercises as:

âEUR¢lunges

âEUR¢planks

âEUR¢press ups

âEUR¢circuit training

âEUR¢mixed martial arts (MMA)

âEUR¢working out with cables or kettle bells or on gym balls

âEUR¢dynamic or stationary movements that are specific to a particular sport.

Here is an example of a functional and not so functional exercise.

Lets look at 2 pulling movements, say a lat pulldown on the lat machine and a tug of war type movement, pulling a cable with resistance.

Now the lat pulldown will use muscles from the arms and torso to pull the bar down towards the chest, however the legs are anchored to prevent you from lifting out of the seat. The load is being lifted by the entire arms and torso in unison.

Seems like a pretty functional movement, however because the legs are braced, standing postural integrity is not compromised, in other words the stabilising muscles of the lower body are not activated.

Now lets look at a much more functional exercise, the tug of war type movement, a standing cable row.

With the cable pulley wheel about chest height and away from you grab the D handle with one hand and pull it down while slightly rotating, like a rowing motion towards your side.

Now because the legs are not braced your going to need to summon a considerable amount of lower body muscle to stabilise your position and keep you from taking off.

This sort of movement could be used in football to drag another player over the side line or a UFC fighter pulling his opponent to the ground, all functional.

The problem is your only as strong as your weakest link and in the latter’s case the lower body is the weak link. However the pulldown eliminates this, which basically means you can lift a much heavier load. This is why bodybuilders are big and the functional training brigade are…well…. not!

Its the same with doing a bench press. Because the back is braced against the bench you can push a hell a of a lot of weight away from your body in this position.Pushing something (standing cable press)or someone away from you, again something a footballer or fighter would experience in competition, because there is nothing to brace the back here less power can be produced in the pushing movement plane, simply because you can not get the necessary leverage, so its the weak links that needs to be strengthened not the prime mover. Something only the later exercise can do.

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www.tcpersonaltraining.co.uk

Personal Training, Personal Trainer, Fitness Instuctor, Manchester, Cheshire, Cheadle Hulme, Wilmslow, Bramhall, Didsbury, Altrincham, Hale, Stockport, Fitness, Exercise, Fat, Loss, Weight Loss, Workout, Kettlebell, Functional, Tabata, HIIT, Plyometric, Metabolic Training.

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Functional Circuit Training

A lot of our philosophy is movement based. Meaning we want to clean up movement problems and make sure that people are healthy and injury free (especially athletes). While I don’t really know what “functional training” is-mostly because it has been misinterpreted, extrapolated, and tweaked until it comes out completely different-the idea of movement based circuits is a progression in our system.

Basic cardio and intervals have their place, and I’ve talked at length about interval training in a number of posts. But what functional circuits get at is adding volume in the form of multi-planar movement while still getting the cardiovascular effects.

That being said, I tend to err on the side of too little volume rather than too much with regards to training. Based on Hans Selye’s epic work The Stress of Life, you can see that too much volume (a la overtraining) results in NO IMPROVEMENT (or no adaptation) where as under training just SLOWS PROGRESS.

Exercise isn’t a dose response effect like drugs.

If you take a sleeping pill and you need 10mg to get the effect, nothing will happen if you take 5mg. In exercise, you will still make some slowed progress even if it is “shy” of optimal.

On the flip side, if you take 20mg of said sleeping drug you will pass out before you swallow. In exercise, you will quit making progress because you’ve presented too much of a challenge for the body to adequately recover. While it’s true the body can handle a substantial amount of stress (I have faith in human resolve), there are other stressors in life-work, kids, money, wife/husband, etc-that essentially “fill up” your stress cup.

Everybody has a limited cup size, and everything mentioned as stressors are faucets pouring into that cup. Adding too much inappropriate workout stress to the equation is going to destroy the ability of your recovery.

While I’ve completely gone off on a tangent, let’s focus on the principle of functional circuits. Since they are movement based we are going to be using bodyweight and light/moderately heavy equipment for them. This allows us to add volume without adding nearly as much stress as a typical resistance training workout. But don’t confuse less stress as easy, because the ultimate goal here is to tax the cardiovascular system by using the entire muscular system in a variety of movements done back-to-back with little to no rest.

Although stress is seemingly intangible, it is absolutely something that can be felt and experienced. Everything tightens up, recovery is sub-par and strength will decline. The functional circuits are an attempt at a more metabolic component than inducing heavy muscle tension. The approach too is density training-an important component for body composition training.

Mimi, Nico, & Rico doing circuit training on 6July09. Circuit consisted of 3 rounds of (each 1 minute long, w/ 30 second rest): -dumbell shoulder press (on ply-ball) -box jumps -kettlebell swings -C2 rower -pull ups, continuous (jumping pull ups, if needed) -russian twists w/ 45 lbs bar (over head)

Functional Training: Should Women’s Exercise Programs Include It?

Article by Flavia Del Monte

Everyone has regular activities and make repetitive movements in our daily lives. These movements can be fun activities like tennis, or a basic daily chore like squatting to pick up a book off the floor. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could improve these movements and increase your performance?What Is Functional Training?

Functional Training is training that helps the body perform regular daily activities. Physiotherapists originally developed this type of exercise for the purpose of rehab, and soon athletes discovered it could greatly improve their performance. But the rest of us can benefit from functional training too.

Performance: More Than Just Muscles

To understand what functional training is, we first need to understand what affects performance. Some factors that determine our performance are permanent, like genetics. And no matter what you do, or how hard you train, you’ll never be able to improve them. That doesn’t mean training is useless, however. It just means you need to set realistic goals and concentrate on improving the factors you can change.

Factors that determine performance include:

Power — If you want to increase power, you need to build strength, increase your neuromuscular efficiency, and flexibility.

Agility — Improving agility can really give your performance a boost, but the exercises you do to build your agility must be specific to your goal. So, if you want to jump higher, practice jumping from the floor, not using fancy equipment, which causes you to use slightly different muscles and movements.

Cardio — Performance relies heavily on your cardio and respiratory systems. But when you build these systems, do so by mimicking the activities you wish to improve. So, if you want to be a better tennis player, use slow and moderate cardio, with short stints of high intensity cardio.

Sport Skill — Just because something is “similar”, it doesn’t mean it’s the same or will have the same effect. So, to improve a specific movement, you need to repeat it in exactly the same way you would normally perform it. This improves the right neuromuscular pathways, instead of just the muscles and tissue.

To improve your performance, you need to work on all four factors. And to do that, you’ll need functional training. It replicates the movements made during the activity you’re training for and improves the relationship between the nervous system and the muscles. In other words, functional training improves the entire movement and the specific neuromuscular paths involved, not just the muscles and joints like traditional exercises.

If you were to use functional training to make it easier to carry bags of groceries, for example, you would never exercise while sitting or lying down. Why? You would never carry a bag of groceries while sitting or lying down; both would be done while walking or standing.

This type of training has a few other benefits as well. Functional exercises use your spinal, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle joint stabilizers and neutralizers, as well as a strong and stable core. This promotes good posture and increases the efficiency of the movement, while lowering your risk of injury.

Pretty good reasons for women’s exercise programs to include functional training, right?

Functional Training and Total Body Balance

The movements performed in functional training are the exact same movements and positions your body uses during normal daily activities. We also know that exercises that use the most muscles and joints, like lunges or standing dumbbell presses, will make us look the best. Put the two together and we can make some serious progress in a relatively short amount of time.

Squats are a great example of a functional exercise. They use a number of muscles at once, so we’ll get maximum results. However, we perform squats in our every day life, particularly when bending over to pick something up, so they’ll help you improve your daily performance, too.

Functional movements improve your balance, stability, and coordination, while helping you perform better. The trick to functional exercise is to teach all of the muscles to work together effectively, rather than isolating them and forcing them to work on their own.

Static Training VS Functional Training

When deciding whether women’s exercise programs should include functional training, you need to understand the difference between it and static training. As mentioned before, functional training greatly improves balance, stability, and coordination, which are all important for looking and performing at our best. Static, or machine training, is quite different.

Static training places your body under constant and variable tension and resistance, while tracking proper joint function. So, for example, when you perform a dumbbell bicep curl on a Swiss ball, the biceps have no tension in the top or bottom position, but are under maximum resistance when the dumbbell is perpendicular to the floor.

When you use a machine to perform bicep curls, your biceps endure tension throughout the movement. This tension varies throughout the exercise, depending on the muscle’s strength curve. This might sound better at first, but the best women’s exercise programs shouldn’t be limited to one type of movement or exercise.

Getting the Best of Both Worlds

Some experts argue that functional training is the way to the perfect body. Others say the secret is isolated exercise and static training. In reality, both of sides of this argument are right.

You see, true functional training means avoiding machines, split routines, single-joint exercise, and bodybuilding. Those who believe you should only use functional training feel other exercises have no real purpose, aside from aesthetic ones. Functional exercises, on the other hand, increase strength, muscle mass, sport performance, and work capacity, while improving the function and integrity of your joints.

These same “purists” argue that functional exercises are natural, while isolated exercises are not. This statement is true in some respects, but it isn’t always the case. First, the only real natural training is practice — anything else done to manipulate the body and improve performance is artificial. But don’t let this scare you.

Just because exercise is technically artificial doesn’t mean it’s useless. It just means you’re improving your body on purpose. And this will greatly improve your performance, not to mention your body shape.

If you really want to look great, improve your performance, and have the most effective workout possible, you need to use a variety of the most effective exercises and movements. So, instead of looking at a movement as good or bad, choose exercises and equipment that will address your body’s unique needs and give you the results you’re looking for.