How much has your exercise routine changed in the last 10, 15 years? Are you still doing the things that your high school phys ed teacher or coach had you doing? News flash: things have changed. Just as technology is constantly evolving – just think, your cell phone strictly was for calls 15 years ago - so too is the science of exercise. Yet far too many people are doing the same routines they did decades ago. And then they’re the ones who complain that they’re not seeing results and that they’re bored. Or worse, they’re injured.
I often tell people: 10 years ago not only did I not do a lot of the exercises that I do now, I probably would’ve laughed at most of them, thinking they were not challenging, useless or just plain ol’ sissy stuff.
Back then, like a lot of guys, all I wanted to do was load up the bar, go heavy and make my muscles bigger. My routine has evolved - just as the science of exercise has - and as a result I’m probably more fit at 45 than I was at 25.
Can I lift as much weight as I did 10, 20 years ago? No. But tell me why I need to squat 500 pounds or bench 350. Now, you’re just as likely to see me tossing or slamming a 10 lb. medicine ball, twisting with a resistance band or doing push-ups on a Stability Ball as you are to find me bench pressing.
For me it’s no longer about absolute strength (i.e. maximum lift) and building the mirror muscles, big pecs, biceps and triceps, etc. In the last 15 years or so, the trend in exercise is more toward “functional training,” which is all about multi-joint, multi-planar movement, with an emphasis on core training. My routine doesn’t include a lot of isolated movements like biceps curl or triceps pushdowns. Those exercises will build strength and muscle and they definitely do have a place in a routine. They’re just not the focus of my regimen.
Now, if your primary goal is to have bigger arms, by all means, curls and pushdowns should be included. But for me, they only complement the bulk of my program, which is going to be more full-body, integrated movement. You won’t find me – or my clients - on too many machines. Why? Most of them aren’t functional. They don’t translate to everyday activity. For instance, the leg extension machine remains one of the most popular in the gym. Sure, it will isolate your quadriceps and give you a nice burn. Again, it has its place. But tell me, when in life you are going to be asked to do anything to close to being seated and extending your leg against resistance.
Think about it, you’ll never do anything with your legs while your hips stay in a fixed position, totally uninvolved. It’s not an INTEGRATED movement, therefore it’s not functional. Squats, on the other hand, are totally functional. Your quads, hamstrings, hips and glutes, your trunk, even your lower legs, all are working in unison. And as long as you plan on getting up and down from your chair, couch or toilet, you’re going to be squatting the rest of your life. Squats are functional.
So, in general, get off the machines and get on your feet. That’s another component of functional training: feet on the ground. Why? It’s how we live. And you’re going to involve more of your stabilizer muscles through your trunk and hips. Occasionally, I do seated lat pulldowns, but more often I do them standing at the cable crossover machine. Sink the hips but stay upright through the torso and not only are you working your lats, your core remains engaged as you fight the pull back toward the weight stack.
Staying on our feet, incorporate some lunges, not just to the front (sagittal plane), but also to the side (frontal plane) and diagonally (transverse plane). We don’t function in life in linear fashion, do we? No, we’re constantly moving in different directions. In order to maintain that ability, that mobility, you have to train in that fashion. Get the hips and those shoulders opened up. Lengthen the abdominal muscles, the hamstrings instead of doing exercises that shorten them. Add some unilateral exercises to your routine and do one-legged bodyweight squats sitting down on a bench or a chair. Ditto with deadlifts holding a dumbbell.
The key to being fit are two things: consistency and variety. Your body adapts to the same routine and it – and your mind – will become stale with the monotony. You’ve got to mix it up and shock the muscles. But before we worry about variety, let’s get some consistency. Who’s with me?
Make a plan, set some goals and write them down. If you have a hard time keeping yourself accountable, tell your spouse, a sibling, or a good friend to hold you to it. Say it: I’m going to work out at least three times this week. I’m going to work out at least three times this week. I’m going to lose five pounds in the next two weeks. You can do it!
I’ll be posting information and tips that can help you achieve your goals. Stay tuned!
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