Geelong's Gym

Hopefully you’ve been following the fantastic workouts Tom Ovens, one of our Personal Trainers here at Geelong’s Gym, has been putting together for you over the past couple of weeks.  Today’s workout is an introduction to functional training and is perfect for mixing up your workout routine.

Functional training basically just means to work more than one part of the body in the same exercise. It will hit every muscle group while also getting your heart rate up for a bit of cardio workout at the same time!

This week we have decided to show you a few functional training exercises that you can complete in the gym or anywhere you have a couple of free weights! This workout is designed for anyone looking to mix up their training and who has had some experience with some free weights.  Check out the video at the bottom to see exactly how each exercise is done.

Complete this program as a circuit (one exercise after the other with as little rest as possible). Do 12-15 reps on each exercise and go around 2-3 times!

Dumbbell squat with front raise

Start by finding a weight that you can handle. Stand with your feet a bit wider than shoulder width apart, holding the dumbbell in one hand. Put your other hand out to balance and squat straight down until you have around a 90 degree bend in your knees or until the weight touches the ground. From there push straight up with your legs while at the same time doing a front shoulder raise until the weight is above your head and you are standing upright. As you fatigue use your legs to help your arm push the weight up by springing up as fast as you can.

Barbell squat and press

This exercise is done in the same way as the barbell front squat that we went through last week. Starting with the bar sitting up in front of your shoulders, push your hips back to get your weight over your heels, then squat down and back up. As you come up keep the bar moving all the time and press it up above your head to complete a shoulder press. Lower it back down and then move straight away into your next squat. This is a great exercise to incorporate into your regular workouts or to include in part of a functional training workout like this one!

Barbell lift and burpee

This is a tough exercise designed to get your muscles burning and your heart pumping! Find a barbell that is about the weight you would do for a squat.  Start by keeping a neutral spine and coming all the way down to the bar with your legs (do not round your back). Lift the bar up,  drive your hips forward and pull your shoulders back. Lower the bar back down in the same way that you came up then put your hands on the ground in front of the bar and kick your legs out behind you to complete a burpee.

Yes, you did read that right.  If you train the right way, you can burn double the calories in only half the time.  Here’s the key: 20-60 second intervals at 85-95% of your maximum heart rate, followed by 30 seconds rest.  Before I say any more, have a look at this video of two of Geelong’s Gym’s Personal Trainers, Adam Ryan and Nathan Moore, putting this into practice…

First off, please don’t be intimidated by what you’ve just watched.  These guys are incredibly fit and prone to extreme exercise.  But here’s the good news – you can do what they’ve done…

Adam and Nathan are doing High Intensity Interval Based Training, which is based on your heart rate and is suitable for all levels of fitness.  Training in a high heart rate zone of 85% and beyond can only be maintained for a short period of time (high calorie burning zone).  When the heart rate hits the red zone, 95% plus, your body is then forced to rest and allow the heart rate to come down to be capable of repeating the exercise.  During this rest period the energy expenditure is still great, therefore burning a high amount of calories continuously while you rest.

And as an added bonus, it’s really great for time-conscious people who want to get fit and healthy but don’t have a lot of spare time on their hands.  By doing this kind of training you can achieve the results of a one hour workout in just half an hour!

Surely not, I can hear you thinking.  Here’s the key.  This is functional training, which means a variety of different muscle groups are used in each exercise, which results in a higher heart rate thereby increasing your energy expenditure (i.e. burns calories FASTER).  Plus, no session is the same as the last one, so your body doesn’t get a chance to plateau but instead remains at a peak level of training.

So if you want to see real results FAST this is the kind of training you need to be doing.