Does any one have a good functional training routine?

[xo-karate]

I've chanhed my gym workouts to more functional type. Googled a lot and I think I've planned a nice routine. I think that changing workouts often is one element in functional training. Does any one have good routines to share?

[AngelAriz]

I alternate

Plan A- runs, log squats, sledge hammer and tire, burpees, and rounds of boxing gear work.

Plan B- longer runs, pull ups, dips, leg raises, live weapon drills.

[Evil Dave]

Goals! What are your goals? A good plan can not be created without a goal.

[AngelAriz]

Goals! What are your goals? A good plan can not be created without a goal.

Functional muscle is usually the goal when looking for functional exercises.

For instance my work out is one used by many fighters however i use it for obstacle course runs and fighting strength.

[AngelAriz]

Goals! What are your goals? A good plan can not be created without a goal.

Functional muscle is usually the goal when looking for functional exercises.

For instance my work out is one used by many fighters however i use it for obstacle course runs and fighting strength.

[Wastelander]

I'm not sure why so many people seem to think exercises can only be "functional" if they don't involve a barbell . In any case, I assume you want to develop functional strength for karate, in particular. I don't do the same routine all the time, because that would be boring, but here are some of the things I do.

5x5 squats: I started with just the bar and added 5lbs each workout. Be sure that you hit parallel on each squat and maintain good form. This builds strength and explosiveness in the legs and stability in the core, both of which you need to power your strikes.

5x5 bench press: I started with just the bar and added 5lbs each workout. Make sure you get a full range of motion by touching the bar to your chest, but don't bounce it off of yourself, and don't grip the bar too wide. Works chest strength and arm extension for pushing and punching.

5x5 barbell rows: I started at 100lbs and added 5lbs each workout. Make sure you keep your back flat and don't shrug the bar up. This builds strength for pulling, which applies to your hikite and kuzushi.

3x5 deadlifts: I started at 135lbs and added 5lbs-10lbs each workout. Don't do straight-leg deadlifts, and make sure you keep your back straight. This builds strength for just about everything fighting related--gripping, pulling, lifting, and stabilizing your core.

T-bar presses: Load weight on one end of a barbell, set the other end on the floor or a t-bar bracket, stand in your stance holding the end of the bar in front of your shoulder and punch to press the bar away from you. I started with a 35lb plate and added 2.5lbs-5lbs each workout. Very functional exercise for adding resistance to your punches throughout your entire biomechanical chain.

Kettlebell swings: Two-handed, one-handed, or switching, it doesn't really matter. Develops hip drive and shoulder stability.

Kettlebell woodchoppers: I call these "farmer tosses"--imagine picking up a bale of hay off the ground next to you and tossing it up into the bed of a truck. Obviously, I'm a country boy so this makes perfect sense to me . Works hip drive, shoulder stability, and core rotation.

Rope battling: Excellent conditioning exercises, and works the shoulders, legs, and core.

Rope grapplers: Get an underhand grip on the ends of the rope and swing them over your head to slam them onto the ground next to you, then repeat to the other side. Excellent conditioning for rotational power and shoulder strength.

Heavy bag drags: Tie yourself to a heavy bag, get in your fighting stance, and press across the floor in your stance--punches optional. Builds explosiveness and endurance in the legs.

Jumping lunges: Drop into a lunge, then explode and jump forward from the lung. Repeat, switching sides each time. Builds explosiveness and endurance in the legs.

Sit-through planks: From a push-up position, kick one leg underneath you and across your body until that hip touches the floor, then return to your push-up position and repeat on the other side. I typically do these in sets of 15-20, and they are a good core workout for twisting movements--kicks, punches, and throws all come to mind.

Weighted crunches and bridges: Simply hold a weight plate (I use a 45lb plate) and do crunches and bridges. You could also do this with a medicine ball.

Burpees: I do the full squat-kickback-pushup-kickup-jump burpees. This can also be done with a medicine ball. Intense conditioning, works explosiveness and core stability.

Bagwork: Blast the heaviest bag you can as hard as you can for as long as you can. Excellent sport-specific conditioning.

[CredoTe]

I'm not sure why so many people seem to think exercises can only be "functional" if they don't involve a barbell . In any case, I assume you want to develop functional strength for karate, in particular. I don't do the same routine all the time, because that would be boring, but here are some of the things I do.

5x5 squats: I started with just the bar and added 5lbs each workout. Be sure that you hit parallel on each squat and maintain good form. This builds strength and explosiveness in the legs and stability in the core, both of which you need to power your strikes.

5x5 bench press: I started with just the bar and added 5lbs each workout. Make sure you get a full range of motion by touching the bar to your chest, but don't bounce it off of yourself, and don't grip the bar too wide. Works chest strength and arm extension for pushing and punching.

5x5 barbell rows: I started at 100lbs and added 5lbs each workout. Make sure you keep your back flat and don't shrug the bar up. This builds strength for pulling, which applies to your hikite and kuzushi.

3x5 deadlifts: I started at 135lbs and added 5lbs-10lbs each workout. Don't do straight-leg deadlifts, and make sure you keep your back straight. This builds strength for just about everything fighting related--gripping, pulling, lifting, and stabilizing your core.

T-bar presses: Load weight on one end of a barbell, set the other end on the floor or a t-bar bracket, stand in your stance holding the end of the bar in front of your shoulder and punch to press the bar away from you. I started with a 35lb plate and added 2.5lbs-5lbs each workout. Very functional exercise for adding resistance to your punches throughout your entire biomechanical chain.

Kettlebell swings: Two-handed, one-handed, or switching, it doesn't really matter. Develops hip drive and shoulder stability.

Kettlebell woodchoppers: I call these "farmer tosses"--imagine picking up a bale of hay off the ground next to you and tossing it up into the bed of a truck. Obviously, I'm a country boy so this makes perfect sense to me . Works hip drive, shoulder stability, and core rotation.

Rope battling: Excellent conditioning exercises, and works the shoulders, legs, and core.

Rope grapplers: Get an underhand grip on the ends of the rope and swing them over your head to slam them onto the ground next to you, then repeat to the other side. Excellent conditioning for rotational power and shoulder strength.

Heavy bag drags: Tie yourself to a heavy bag, get in your fighting stance, and press across the floor in your stance--punches optional. Builds explosiveness and endurance in the legs.

Jumping lunges: Drop into a lunge, then explode and jump forward from the lung. Repeat, switching sides each time. Builds explosiveness and endurance in the legs.

Sit-through planks: From a push-up position, kick one leg underneath you and across your body until that hip touches the floor, then return to your push-up position and repeat on the other side. I typically do these in sets of 15-20, and they are a good core workout for twisting movements--kicks, punches, and throws all come to mind.

Weighted crunches and bridges: Simply hold a weight plate (I use a 45lb plate) and do crunches and bridges. You could also do this with a medicine ball.

Burpees: I do the full squat-kickback-pushup-kickup-jump burpees. This can also be done with a medicine ball. Intense conditioning, works explosiveness and core stability.

Bagwork: Blast the heaviest bag you can as hard as you can for as long as you can. Excellent sport-specific conditioning.

Fantastic post! We do some of the things you mention, and I do many of them on my own time. But the rest, I may have to add some of the things you listed to my workout... I've been looking into that Stronglifts (Strongman?) 5x5 workout. What you've listed may just do it for me...

[AngelAriz]

Barbells are too balanced to develop certain types of strength.

Much like you dont practice bench pressing when you want to develop strong grappling. You would grab a bag or a person and do lifts, squats, kneel, etc to develop assisting muscles besides the major muscles worked in normal weight training routines.i have found mytraining has always made me stronger that my friend who is a gym rat. He is 40 pound heavier than i am and can bench, deadlift, and squat more than I, but he is weak in motion. Weak in grappling, and weak in endurance work.

So, that is why some folks do not use the "sterile" gym scene for functional strength training.

[Kuma]

Any proper strength training routine will develop "functional" strength. Is there such a thing as dysfunctional strength? A solid foundation in basic compound exercises will have a huge carryover to your everyday strength.

[AngelAriz]

I guess the concept of functional strength is lost in this post.