Why Functional Fitness Training?

By Paula Fletcher, Owner

Embody Fitness Personal Training

. http://www.embodyfitness.biz/

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Why Functional Fitness Training?

In a previous article, Embody Fitness CEO (Paula Fletcher) described Functional Fitness Training (FFT) as a fitness regime that trains the body to better perform the physical activities of daily life by focusing on flexibility, balance, resistance training, and cardio endurance.

This article discusses how the slow, steady adjustment of fitness variables (such as amount of weight, number of repetitions and sets, speed, and duration) can safely increase the resistance training aspect of FFT.

Too often, when working on muscular strength or endurance, people tend to increase two fitness variables at the same time or make too large an increase in one fitness variable. Both of these approaches, while initially attractive to those looking for “the quick fix”, may result in “overtraining” and hence less than optimal long-term progress. A better approach is to make a small change to one fitness variable at a time.

While there are many fitness variables that can be manipulated, changing the number of repetitions is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to improve your resistance training. A generally accepted method of doing this is to select a weight that you can initially lift 12 times with proper form and gradually increase to 15 repetitions according to the following schedule.

At the end of week four, add five to ten pounds of weight (for barbell exercises) or two to five pounds of weight (for dumbbell exercises) and revert to the schedule for Training Week One, as shown above.

To challenge your muscles even more and to keep your routine fresh, this is also a good time to change some (or all) of your exercises.

Once you've exhausted your repertoire of exercises, you can further shake up your routine by adjusting a different fitness variable, such as increasing the number of sets or reducing the rest time between sets.

The options for changing your workout routine are limited only by your creativity; just remember to change only one fitness variable at a time and to change it gradually.