Functional Bombardment

Off Topic
1

so today i started my PT training with ballys which lasts for 4 days and everytime i heard the word “functional” i cringed.

i guess i got everyone riled up because they were talking about some kind of deadlift/overheard-turn thing to help with the “functional task” of putting away groceries…seriously.

so im like, but why do you need to split them up? why dont you just train the deadlift as the deadlift and then to help with the “putting away” use a shoulder press or something.

then the guy starts talking about because its not “dynamic” and its not “one fluid motion” im thiking like no shit, but how are you going to improve your deadlift with 8lbs that your putting over your head, or how are you going to improve anything for that matter.

then my Fitness Director pulls me to the side and is like, what did you ask (he was in there the whole time anyway)? and i said it to him and hes like blahblah its not functional its more for bodybuilding and youll learn that when you take your certification.

whatever, i understand that training people the way i would train myself is most likely out of the question but no way in fucking hell will i ever stoop so low to do functional training. if youre into weightloss ill give you crossfit. if you want to get bigger im training you like a bodybuilder. no where do bosu balls, 1-leg out pushups(im NOT making this up), or any other junk come into play.

2

Do what you have to do to get the certification. You can do what you want with your clients I’m assuming.

Just make sure you word it right when you tell your clients what you’re planning on doing with them.

“You can either be like everyone else, and train ‘functionally’ or you can train like I’m going to tell you to and look damn good nekkid”

3

The thing is though, you need a physique to back that statement up.

4

You sound more educated with your post this time, so I’m not going to flame you like normal.

However, just because the fitness industry has killed the term “functional” training, doesn’t mean that the idea of functional training doesn’t have its place.

5

[quote]Makavali wrote:
The thing is though, you need a physique to back that statement up.[/quote]

i do.

6

any training that produces strength gains is functional. doing a slunge/curl/overhead press with 10lb DBs (they really made us do these) is not more functional than a legit leg session, a legit shoulder session and a legit bicep session.

how can you even train that way 5 or so days a week? if youre making any real progress you wont have enough recovery time to do it over again.

i guess my strategy in marketing myself will be that with me you arent going to be doing anything i wouldnt do on myself. meaning that while we may not be equal in strength etc i have enough knowledge to say that i would train the way ill train them when i was at that stage, knowing what i know now.

man…i really wanna kick the instructor in the balls making me lose strength for my REAL workout later while we do fucking ab planks for 30 minutes.

7

Here’s another point to add, you have to deal with the sexes differently and the same.

Men: Explain that you can’t look “bulky” without years of dedication.

Women: Explain that you can’t look “manly” without years of work and steroids. The steroids part is a blatant lie, but it’ll bring in more female customers.

Why more female customers? Because it looks good when your trying to bring in more clientele. Just make sure you go with clients who won’t fail - that’ll make you look bad.

8

[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i do.[/quote]

In your eyes. It’s subjective.

9

i hear compliments on a daily basis. im scratching at 200lbs@6’ft relatively lean. im not 6weeks out but i know what im doing and i can assert myself realistically saying i have a good body. i have pics in my profile if you care.

10

[quote]Makavali wrote:
Here’s another point to add, you have to deal with the sexes differently and the same.

Men: Explain that you can’t look “bulky” without years of dedication.

Women: Explain that you can’t look “manly” without years of work and steroids. The steroids part is a blatant lie, but it’ll bring in more female customers.

Why more female customers? Because it looks good when your trying to bring in more clientele. Just make sure you go with clients who won’t fail - that’ll make you look bad.[/quote]

lol tell me something i dont know.

majority of people ill be taking are going to want fat loss, its like 90% of the gym makeup. i intend to make them lose fat in a way that will stimulate growth and strength. after they lose a decent amount of weight im going to try to pursuade them to take it to the next level and start adding mass. if theyre happy and done after they lose the weight, whatever. im obviously going to try and sell them again but if they only want a 30 inch waist and are done after that or whatever then peace out and come back with 3 more sign-ups.

11

[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i hear compliments on a daily basis. im scratching at 200lbs@6’ft relatively lean. im not 6weeks out but i know what im doing and i can assert myself realistically saying i have a good body. i have pics in my profile if you care.[/quote]

I’ve seen your pics. Don’t take it personally, I just think a proper PT should look the part. Although to your credit, your physique will probably help you pick up those initial clients.

Just bear in mind that a lot of these people will have the “general fitness” mentality. Don’t waste your time arguing with them - just point out that separating a deadlift and overhead press will actually be more functional. Don’t bad-mouth your employer either.

Pick your words carefully, and you can be a damn good PT.

12

[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
lol tell me something i dont know.

majority of people ill be taking are going to want fat loss, its like 90% of the gym makeup. i intend to make them lose fat in a way that will stimulate growth and strength. after they lose a decent amount of weight im going to try to pursuade them to take it to the next level and start adding mass. if theyre happy and done after they lose the weight, whatever. im obviously going to try and sell them again but if they only want a 30 inch waist and are done after that or whatever then peace out and come back with 3 more sign-ups.[/quote]

(Mr. Burns voice)

Excellent.

13

[quote]Makavali wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i hear compliments on a daily basis. im scratching at 200lbs@6’ft relatively lean. im not 6weeks out but i know what im doing and i can assert myself realistically saying i have a good body. i have pics in my profile if you care.

I’ve seen your pics. Don’t take it personally, I just think a proper PT should look the part. Although to your credit, your physique will probably help you pick up those initial clients.

Just bear in mind that a lot of these people will have the “general fitness” mentality. Don’t waste your time arguing with them - just point out that separating a deadlift and overhead press will actually be more functional. Don’t bad-mouth your employer either.

Pick your words carefully, and you can be a damn good PT.[/quote]

Believe it or not, there are quite a few gym goers that would rather a PT look more “normal” and not like a “meathead”.
Less intimidating and they feel the person would know how to train them better rather than making the client look like the trainer.

These are actual words from some of my clients.

But, I have gotten (in the past), “you’re a trainer? shouldn’t you be bigger?”

14

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
there are quite a few gym goers that would rather a PT look more “normal” and not like a “meathead”.[/quote]

(shakes head sadly)

15

i dont bad mouth my employer…to his face that is lol. but the guy is a joke, the instructor too. this guy really goes to me, whats your background? talking about how fascia is connected through the whole body so a pivet twist thrust or whatever is more appropriate.

its like dude, i dont care how many lame ass certifications you got, i dont care if youre going for a masters, you obviously lack common sense.

they serious told me isolation moves suck, even though disecting his lame-ass movement still incorporates 2 compounds; deadlift and O.H. press. do them circuit style and BOOM youve got a setup that will burn more fat because its high intensity anerobic that is also going to recruit more strength because for the same reasons.

i dont care how many more scientific and anatomical words they know than me their methods still suck and considering he was one of the frailest people in their aside from girls it looks like the proofs in the pudding.

16

[quote]Makavali wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
there are quite a few gym goers that would rather a PT look more “normal” and not like a “meathead”.

(shakes head sadly)[/quote]

what’s wrong with someone looking “in shape” (normal might have been a bad term)?

the job of a PT is to help people reach their goals, whatever they might be. Not everyone has the desire or the means to pack on a lot of muscle. I was there not too long ago.

IMO as long as someone exercises and keeps “in shape” while continuing to learn to better help clients that’s all that is needed.

17

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
what’s wrong with someone looking “in shape” (normal might have been a bad term)?

the job of a PT is to help people reach their goals, whatever they might be. Not everyone has the desire or the means to pack on a lot of muscle. I was there not too long ago.

IMO as long as someone exercises and keeps “in shape” while continuing to learn to better help clients that’s all that is needed.[/quote]

It’s more the current definition of “in shape”. I’m not saying you need to be the next Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler, but a lot of the personal trainers barely look like they lift.

At least you and live have that advantage over the current crop of “fitness experts”.

18

On the flipside, why is a straight deadlift more “functional?” I’m assuming they’re going to transition from a deadlift position into an overhead press, while standing.

19

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
Makavali wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i hear compliments on a daily basis. im scratching at 200lbs@6’ft relatively lean. im not 6weeks out but i know what im doing and i can assert myself realistically saying i have a good body. i have pics in my profile if you care.

I’ve seen your pics. Don’t take it personally, I just think a proper PT should look the part. Although to your credit, your physique will probably help you pick up those initial clients.

Just bear in mind that a lot of these people will have the “general fitness” mentality. Don’t waste your time arguing with them - just point out that separating a deadlift and overhead press will actually be more functional. Don’t bad-mouth your employer either.

Pick your words carefully, and you can be a damn good PT.

Believe it or not, there are quite a few gym goers that would rather a PT look more “normal” and not like a “meathead”.
Less intimidating and they feel the person would know how to train them better rather than making the client look like the trainer.

These are actual words from some of my clients.

But, I have gotten (in the past), “you’re a trainer? shouldn’t you be bigger?”

[/quote]

ugh i know. and it could work against me but im going to play it towards my own benefit saying that this is part of my own personal goal path. its extremely difficult and cant be done by accident. ill tell em how i understand a lot of different methodolgies and how to apply them for specific goals.

im also not too keen on this “fun” bullshit they try to sell. i never have fun at the gym, i enjoy some socializing there and i enjoy the satisfaction in what ive just accomplished, but thats because how difficult everything is. the fun part is the results, thats it. that doesnt mean you have to do every most excruciating exercise everyday but its tough shit and they need to be prepared that thats how it works.

and yes this is obviously semi-case specific because a 300lb woman obviously does not have the psychological capacity to jump into that style which is evident through the fact they got themselves to 300lbs. then yes, anything even SLIGHTLY above normal activity is going to produce “results”

and yea…all our trainers are pretty small except for like a Bosnian boxer named Ilir or something who isnt BBer big but he has an ok size and just doesnt look like someone id want to fuck with.

20

[quote]Sloth wrote:
On the flipside, why is a straight deadlift more “functional?” I’m assuming they’re going to transition from a deadlift position into an overhead press, while standing.[/quote]

no. in my suggestion for improvement they would superset between deadlits and some type of shoulder pressing movement as opposed to deadlifting a kettleball and then rotating towards the right while you “put in in the cupbaord”.

the straight dead to pressmethod is more effective because youre able to set the weight the weights for each protion appropriately. you obviously arent going to be deadlifting the same amount youre overhead pressing so why would you use something such low weight for BOTH, like oh say an 8lb kettleball for instance. because thats what a gallon of milk weighs? thats fucking re-tarded

and you know what, why do even need to train them simotaneously? just because when this grocery lift hapens youre using thos emuscle groups doesnt mean you need to TRAIN them at the same time. lmao, youll be much more EFFECTIVE training either similar muscle groups i,e chest and triceps, or antagonist groups like chest and back. you can get more out of your sets that way and guess what youre still using those muscles when the actual “function” happens.

thats the biggest load of bullshit ever. the stronger a muscle is the more functional it is, if youre main goal is to be stronger i,e more “functional” why wouldnt you train in the best method possible to achieve it? IT MAKES NO SENSE.