When you have been in gyms as long as I have (and it has been a long time now...) you notice a lot of new trends that come and go, Tae-bo, step aerobics, hot yoga, Pilates, spinning, crossfit etc. Kettle bells seem to re-emerge after a 20-year hiatus. And most of these trends are dead in the water now, mainly because they simply didn't produce results but injuries. They make for great sales pitches though.

Now there is "functional training". What does that even mean? Nobody seems to really know but it's supposed to re-create proper structural alignment. That doesn't seem like a bad idea until we take a look how this ideal is being chased. Stability balls, TRX bands, kettlebells, standing on one leg, wobble boards...STOP!

I have worked with top athletes, at Olympic level, and nobody was following any sort of esoteric workout program, but only the basics only. What's tried and true has stood the test of time: squats, dead lifts, presses, rows and some light aerobic work. Simply do them very well, very often, and eat very clean for 10 years in a row.

Superficial fitness trends don't work and will only injure the average trainee. In addition, the regular gym goer has no interest in improving his/her single-leg bench jump. He/she wants to look and feel better. That's it.
An intelligent training program, build around the basic exercises and a decent nutritional program will achieve exactly that in less time and without a blown out rotator cuff.
So squat, dead lift, pull and push, grill some animals, steam some veggies and get in shape!
Maik

 


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