by Cori Lefkowith | Feb 5, 2016 | Blog, Exercises, Functional Fitness
Functional fitness is a term that is tossed around a lot these days. It gets used for about every new piece of equipment that comes out.
But for something to really qualify as functional fitness it has to be something that translates to better movements in every day life.
Functional fitness generally means doing compound movements that move you in every direction and force you to move and twist and turn with awkward weights. It means doing movements that will strengthen your body to handle any challenges you may encounter in every day life without getting injured.
And one great functional fitness tool we like to use at the gym is the Barrel.
No we aren’t necessarily all moving barrels around in every day life. But we are required to push and pull and move awkward heavy objects more than we probably even realized. We are asked to twist and turn and stabilize in imperfect positions.
And that is why barrels are such a great training tool. They force you to move in every direction and grip these heavy awkward things. They force your body to constantly adjust and stabilize so that you don’t fall over or push or pull the barrel over.
They force you to push and pull and rotate using your entire body since most of the time in every day life we aren’t simply using one muscle group to move.
Below is more information about getting your own barrels as well as 15 of our favorite Barrel Training Moves to get in a great functional core workout.
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by Cori Lefkowith | Jan 27, 2016 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Workouts
Planks are always a popular exercise. And with good reason. They are a great core exercise!
The problem is…it has become a competition to hold a plank the longest. When how long you can hold a plank isn’t near as important as your ability to properly engage and contract the muscles of your core intensely.
It is a much better test of core strength to challenge yourself to engage the muscles of your core so intensely that you create “shakeage” within seconds of starting the plank rather than compensating just to hold longer. If you can engage your muscles so intensely that they are shaking, you will be able to use your core and recruit the muscles of your core more efficiently during other movements.
Developing proper core strength and learning how to properly engage the muscles of your core is why you should truly be including planks in your workout routine. You want to use them to strengthen your mind-body connection!
Below are some tips to help you get the most out of the Basic Plank as well as a few basic variations and a great core burn out workout.
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by Cori Lefkowith | Jan 20, 2016 | Blog, Core, Exercises, Functional Fitness
The Power Wheel is a great advanced core training tool. It creates instability and really forces your core to engage and work during compound movements. It can take plank, crawls and glute bridges to the next level.
However, you must make sure that your core activates and engages correctly before using the Power Wheel or you could end up engaging your low back instead of your abs and glutes.
But once you are ready, or using some of the beginner movements below to build up, you can use the Power Wheel to test your core strength and learn how to engage properly during more challenging, unstable and compound movements. (Plus the Power Wheel can be a great home gym tool if you are looking to focus on core strength and stability!)
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by Cori Lefkowith | Jan 11, 2016 | Blog, Butt, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Kettlebells
Squats and Deadlifts are often touted as the head honchos of lower body exercises because they are compound, functional exercises. Heck, the deadlift is even held in high esteem as a back exercise. And while both moves are a great way to strengthen your lower body, you can’t forget about lunges.
Lunges very often take a back seat in our programming. They aren’t the main lift and, often when they are used, they are aren’t used in every direction like they could be.
But the Lunge is an extremely functional exercise that we need to include in our workouts.
Lunges work your entire leg and can target your legs from a variety of angles as you move in different directions. While most Squat and Deadlift variations are sagittal plane movements.
Lunges are also a very “reactive” movement as well. Think about when you move or react to change directions or go after a ball or even chase a child around a playground…You’ll be surprised by how often it is a lunge like movement to react and change directions and chase.
So if you’re moving like that and constantly moving and lunging in every direction, why wouldn’t you want to strengthen those same movements in your workouts? Why would you ONLY focus on sagittal plane lifts like the deadlift and squat?
YOU WOULDN’T!
Start strengthening your legs and glutes with these wonderfully functional Lunge Variations.
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by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 30, 2015 | Blog, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Mindset
Over this past year, we shared 100s of new exercises as well as workouts and fitness tips. All to help you reach your fitness goals. Here are some of our favorite articles, most popular articles and down right ESSENTIAL articles to help you set some New Years Resolutions and develop a program to help you succeed.
Work Those Glutes
Glute Activation became a very sexy phrase over this past year and honestly it happened for good reason – most of our glutes aren’t actually working and firing properly! Because most of us sit too often during the day, our hips become tight and our glutes become inactive. This can lead to a whole host of problems and pains and injuries. It also generally means we can’t move as well, run as fast or lift as much. It may also me we don’t have the perky posterior we want! That is why Glute Activation and our Glute post are among our favorites as well as our most popular and essential!
And as this year may easily be deemed the year of Glute Activation, here is our 28-Day Booty Burner Challenge. This program has 28 days of quick glute activating workouts you can easily do at home, as warm ups before your lifts or even on off days to keep those glutes strong and working!
Core Strength:
Core strength – we all know it is important. That is why our 15 Plank Variations post was so widely shared this year. And, while Planks are a great move to strengthen your core, they aren’t your only option. Actually, a good core training program, includes many different elements – unconventional full body moves with asymmetrical loading, anti-rotational moves, rotational exercises…even crunches and sit up. Below are some of our recommended reads about developing Core Strength:
And here is one of our most popular products – The 30-Day Core Challenge. Thirty days of core workouts to help you strengthen everything from your shoulders to your knees!
Injury Prevention:
Because we all seem to sit way more than we should, we develop poor posture, imbalances and compensations….all of which lead to injury. That is why in 2015, we wrote a number of articles about preventing and alleviating pain and injury. These articles are essential to review as we enter the New Year and you start developing a program and plan to help you reach your goals because these articles will help you not only prevent and alleviate injuries, but also move better, lift more and run faster! These articles include exercises for each piece of our 4 Step Injury Prevention Program – Foam Rolling, Stretching, Activation and Strengthening Exercises. Here are some of our favorite Injury Prevention articles:
If you have any aches and pains you want to get rid of, you should also check out our 21-Day Posture Fix. These workouts are 10 minute blasts you can break up throughout the day or do quickly at your desk or at home. They will help prevent and alleviate all those common desk job aches and pains!
Functional Fitness:
Functional Fitness is trending right now. The tools and equipment make working out fun. And the workouts are usually done in a community atmosphere, which not only makes working out more fun and social, but also helps hold you accountable so you are more likely to reach your goals. And because we are a functional fitness training facility, we not only use the tools, but like to help show others how to use them too. Here are some articles about how to use some popular pieces of functional equipment.
Battle Ropes have been especially popular, which is why we also created a 9-Week Battle Ropes Workout Program. Check it out here. It’s just $1 per week to get in a killer 9 weeks of workouts using the Battle Ropes!
Workout Programs:
Below are some of our most popular workout programs to help you kick off 2016 right. Also, below is a link to check out our newest program, the 21-Day Kick Start! This program includes not only a workout program, but also recipes and a meal plan. Plus, you’ll also get a 30-Day Elite Workout Library Free Trial, if you aren’t currently a member.
by Cori Lefkowith | Oct 20, 2015 | Blog, Exercises, Functional Fitness
All too often we do cardio in only one plane of motion. Actually, not only in one plane of motion, but also in one directions – forward. We run forward. We use the elliptical moving forward. We even ride the bike and move forward.
That is why anytime there is a piece of equipment that allows us to get our sweat on while moving in a different direction than forward, or backward, it should always be included in our workout routine to help make sure we are functionally strong in every direction.
That is why the Slide Boards are a great piece of cardio equipment to use that can also be used to strengthen your entire body.
Slide Boards build glute and leg strength and really work on your external rotators and even you inner thighs. Basically, they work everything done the outside and inside of your legs as well as your glutes.
Actually, Slide Boards are great for anyone coming back from a knee injury and can be used as you advance with your rehab program because they strengthen the muscles used to stabilize the knees.
And if you get creative, you can also use Slide Boards to work your core and upper body as well.
Here are 21 Slide Board Exercises you can use to strengthen your entire body while also getting your blood pumping!
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You all found this post so useful and interesting you shared it over 20,000 times! Thanks for spreading the love! Our readers also enjoyed our 
Because most of us sit too often during the day, our hips become tight and our glutes become inactive. This can lead to a whole host of problems and pains and injuries. It also generally means we can’t move as well, run as fast or lift as much. It may also me we don’t have the perky posterior we want! That is why Glute Activation and our Glute post are among our favorites as well as our most popular and essential!
Below are some of our recommended reads about developing Core Strength:
These articles are essential to review as we enter the New Year and you start developing a program and plan to help you reach your goals because these articles will help you not only prevent and alleviate injuries, but also move better, lift more and run faster! These articles include exercises for each piece of our 4 Step Injury Prevention Program – Foam Rolling, Stretching, Activation and Strengthening Exercises. Here are some of our favorite Injury Prevention articles:
Here are some articles about how to use some popular pieces of functional equipment.
