Adding compound exercises to your functional strength training exercises jump starts your body’s metabolism and helps it to better integrate all its systems for vastly improved performance. You will be amazed at how well your body responds. Daily activities like climbing, walking, running or lifting will become almost effortless. In addition to making your every day life easier, you will be improving your appearance and giving a powerful boost to your self esteem! Bodyweight exercises that employ the compound technique are all you need to reach your weight loss and toning goals.
What is functional strength and how does it apply to improved performance? Functional strength encompasses more than just improvements in athletic performance. It is part of all your daily activities. Functional strength refers to how easily you can go through your daily routine. Even simple tasks such as moving furniture, doing the dishes, lifting your children or carrying groceries up the stairs and into your home are a part of this concept.
Functional strength training involves performing to make your muscles stronger so that your increases strength can benefit you not only in your exercises but also in your day to day activities. Functional training exercises strengthen the connections between your nerves and muscles for smoother performance, increased grace and better range of motion. You will be using the power of your mind, as well as your muscles to complete these moves.
As you notice improvements in specific exercises, you will begin to make connections between the movements that make up the routines, and how they relate to your daily life. You will notice changes in your speed, flexibility, muscular coordination and endurance both in and out of the gym.
By giving some thought to the tasks you have to do on a daily basis, you will be able to see which exercises to concentrate on. Use compound movements in your routines to get a well rounded workout for all your major muscle groups. For example, lifting a heavy object involves more than just your biceps, so tone and strengthen your legs, arms and back for a more complete workout that really helps you to lift. Most movements that a person performs in a day are considered compound movements, as they have several elements to them.
Bodyweight exercises can help you to strengthen and tone all your major muscle groups and that will translate into better performance throughout the day. Using your body as the resistance, essentially you become your own exercise equipment, helps you to achieve steady improvements.
But you can still incorporate free weights into your routines if you want to. The use of free weights can increase the effectiveness of your functional strength exercises. Combine deadlifts, which utilize your whole body to lift a heavy weight up off the ground, for even faster results! The clean and press is a movement in which you begin by lifting a weight from the ground and end by pressing it over your head. This kind of lifting uses much more of your body than a simple lift. Kettelbells, which resemble a cannon ball with a handle, are also a useful addition to your workout routine. Start your workout slowly, building gradually as your body becomes stronger and better coordinated. It is also important to allow your body adequate resting time between exertions.
Increase your repetitions as your strength improves to keep the muscle building momentum going. Pay attention to your environment, and the tasks you do on a daily basis to construct a routine that will be applicable to your life. Mix these movements up with those than involve compound movements like clean and press, or deadlift to keep from becoming bored with your routine. You will be surprised how your overall health will improve and your life will become easier. Add functional strength training exercises to your routine now!
