Developing your system!

One requirement I have for all of my trainers is passion for what we do. And this means forming very definite ideas about the way we train clients.

Sometimes refered to as "functional training", my primary goal for strength training and conditioning with a client is to train movement versus a specific bodypart split. For example, instead of working "biceps and back" on Tuesday, we may train upper body pulling motions (which primarily involve the biceps and triceps)

The idea behind this method is that we are addressing the movment patterns a client encounters in daily life (thus the "functional") in training versus isolating muscles with machines.

This type of training is performed primarily with bodyweight and free weight exercises which work multiple muscles at once (think push ups versus chest flys, pull ups versus lat pull downs, deadlifts versus leg extensions, squats versus leg press, etc)

In short, these movements offer better "bang for the buck" in terms of muscles worked and carry over to real life. If we can help our clients move better with the weight of their own body, we increase their opportunity to enjoy exercise and move without pain.

This information is especially vital when creating fitness programs for your clients. Some other keys to consider include:

1. Workout split- Because most clients only train 2-3 times per week, the majority of our clients are on full body workouts versus bodypart splits. A full body strength workout typically involves a pushing and pulling movement for the upper body and a leg exercise of some type.

Here is an example:

Push- Push up
Pull- One arm row
Legs- Reverse lunge

2. Bodyweight before external resistance- Refering to my last article, we want to ensure the client can move well with a bodyweight lunge, squat, push up, etc before prescribing movements which involve lifting heavy weight.

The advantage of bodyweight exercises over machine based training is that the push up (for example) also trains the nervous system. Because it is not supported like a chest press, we have the opportunity to teach and influence a movement pattern which will carry over directly in to more advanced exercises like bench pressing.

If we simply throw someone on a chest press and then move to the bench press, they may possess the strength in the muscles of the chest, but they may lack the coordinate and control to stabilize the bar without the articial support of a machine.

In general, we will begin most new or de-conditioned clients with one or several bodyweight only phases until exercise patterns are perfected. Here is an example:

Month 1:
Push- Push up on bench
Pull- Inverted or TRX row- Knees bent
Legs- Bodyweight squat to bench

Month 2:
Push- Push up on floor
Pull- Inverted or TRX row- Legs straight
Legs- Goblet squat to low box (client holds med ball or small dumbbell for support)

Month 3:
Push- Floor dumbbell press
Pull- One arm row
Legs- DB front squat to parallell

3. Balancing out your session- While I have touched a great deal upon strength training above, the key to a balanced program is that we train multiple qualities each session.

While I touch upon this further in "Anatomy of a Thirty Minute Session", our typical thirty minute work out consists of:

Warm up (Mobility + Activation work)- 10 minutes
Strength Training (Just like it sounds)- 10 minutes
Conditioning (Intervals or timed circuits)- 5-7 minutes
Stabilizer work (core and corrective exercise) 5 minutes

By breaking each portion of the session up in to time periods, we can ensure a very focused session. The key is to utilize equipment and movements which can be grouped together and stick to your stop watch.

Wrap up:

Now that we have touched on the basic framework of the system, here is some supportive material for our weekly reading:

1. The Joint by Joint approach to Training (this concept changed everything I believe in as a trainer. Read and re-read several times)
- Look over the joint by joint concept and consider what it means for training various parts of the body. Hint: certain parts should be trained not to move while other parts should be trained to remain stable.
- One important statement in this article is that whenever we find back, neck, shoulder or knee pain, we should assess the areas above and below to see if they are moving normally. How might this affect any pain or discomfort you are currently experiencing?
- Consider which joints are mobile and how this affects the way we stretch and strength train

2. Program Design for Dummies (Great article which breaks down the basic framework of strength training programs)-
Consider the current type of workout program. Is this a movement based or body part split?
What are the basic differences in training with machines versus free weights?
Consider the differences between bodypart training versus movement based training. Instead of working “biceps and back”, we categorize movements in to categories of movement such as pulling motions and pushing motions. How many

3. Anatomy of a thirty minute training session Part 1-3 (Aside from because I wrote it, this article explains our model in depth and gives you a basic idea of how to implement your program)-
- Put together a basic, five minute warm up for a client
- Utilizing the info in each article, put together a basic strength program for a client