When Old Habits Die, Functional Training is Born - My Mad Methods

When Old Habits Die, Functional Training is Born

I am very grateful for my ten years of living and training like a bodybuilder. I was able to put on a ton of muscle mass on my frame, compete against some of the top bodybuilders around and I got to meet awesome people in the industry. However, as I got older, my training became stale and stagnated and I stopped having fun with the lifestyle. My goals changed from being massive to being conditioned. I no longer wanted to be just big, I wanted to be functional and athletic as well. That was when I decided to get out of bodybuilding and focus on becoming the complete package.

As I started to change my training, I still had some old habits from all my years of bodybuilding that I needed to break. These habits were not necessarily bad ones as they helped me pack on muscle and gave me shape. However, as I transitioned out of bodybuilding to becoming a conditioned athlete, these old habits were holding me back and needed to be eliminated. My focus was no longer on getting huge, but on developing speed and strength. As a result of the hard conditioning work, I lost a lot of fat, got more muscular and, ironically, I looked “bigger” than ever.

We all train for various reasons, but in the long run we all want to have a better body. Although these old habits might have been effective before, they could now be holding you back. It’s time to discard them. Move forward and have an open mind. It will lead you to getting in the best shape ever.

Train with Explosive Speed & Power

The problem with slow movements is that you can’t go very heavy and they don’t generate any explosive power. Worse yet, it doesn’t translate over to sport-specific movements. Explosive exercise movements are often used by elite athletes to improve their ability to generate power and strength. This is essential for athletes who sprint, jump, punch, and kick, requiring fast bursts of maximal effort. The types of exercise movements used to build this power require a maximum, or near maximum, power output from the athlete in a short amount of time.

The major goal of explosive training is to move heavy weight quickly. To build up to this point, you should start lifting light weight and work your way up to heavy and max weight. It’s very important to make sure you are using the proper form and technique; when this is mastered, you will see the weight and speed increase. The intensity of the work will cause a neuroendocrine effect on your body where you will automatically release testosterone and HGH in your body naturally. These free flowing hormones will cause an anabolic effect in your body so you’ll grow muscle naturally without having to take any supplements. Also, lifting with speed will elevate your metabolism and burn more calories both during your workout and after you are done. A metabolism boost will put your body in a fat burning mode so you can burn fat for up to 48 hours after your workout. When incorporating explosive movements into your program, it’s a good idea to add only one per workout. Explosive movements shock the muscles, and too much stress and wear on the muscle is never a good idea.

Explosive Exercises	Benefits of Explosive Training
Squats Power Cleans Vertical Jumps Heavy ball throws or slams Hill Sprints Pull Ups	Improve physical performance Reduce risk of injury during activities Increase power production

Elevation Training

Elevation Training (also known as Altitude Training) is by far the most intense training that you can do! Elevation training checks your ego and conditioning levels at the same time. Many athletes, especially MMA fighters, will travel to high altitudes to train when they want to improve their performance, conditioning, and stamina levels. It causes physiological changes in our bodies which creates a competitive edge. Basically, training in “thin air” forces your body to compensate for reduced oxygen levels by increasing the blood’s oxygen carrying capacity and efficiency. This change leads to increased blood volume, VO2 max, capillary volume, and lung efficiency. When athletes come back from elevation training they see a huge difference in strength, speed, and conditioning.

 

I went out and invested in an Elevation Training Mask, it made me reevaluate my conditioning level after the first workout! One session with the mask was all I needed to see what elite athletes were feeling when they first start training at high altitudes. After several weeks of training with the mask, I felt an increase in my stamina and conditioning levels. I could go longer with my workouts and never needed to stop and gasp for air. This is something that I highly recommend if you want to test your conditioning levels. If you don’t have easy access to a high altitude, then go out and purchase a training mask, it is worth the price.

Elevation Workout	Benefits of Elevation Training
Sandbag Slams - 4 x 25 Kettlebell Swings - 4 x 25 Rope Slams - 4 x 10 Tire Flips - 4 x 10 Sprint - 75 yard	Increase your anaerobic thresholds Energy levels increase Control breathing more effectively Mental and physical stamina increase

Bodyweight Training

I never thought I would ever incorporate bodyweight training until I heard about Herschel Walker using it exclusively when he played NFL football and now as an MMA fighter. His staple exercises are push ups, sit ups, and pull ups, performing thousands of reps each week. I add a bodyweight training day into my program once or twice a week. I have found that it is one of the fastest ways to get quick results in conditioning, agility, and strength.

 

Bodyweight Training is the cornerstone for strength and metabolic training. It’s a full-body workout, requiring you to burn more calories than isolation exercises. Another big benefit is an increase in flexibility and agility, you can do it anywhere and anytime, and it makes training fun and new every time.

 

Primary Bodyweight Exercises	Benefits of Bodyweight Training
Push Ups Pull Ups Sit Ups Squats	Increase strength, conditioning, & agility Cost free and can be done anywhere, anytime Enhanced flexibility and body control

 

Adding these new habits into my training program has unleashed my inner athlete. I feel explosive and have a conditioning level that I never thought possible with bodybuilding alone. These new habits are in my current training regimen and are here to stay. Getting rid of the old habits and adding these has put me on my way to building the “complete” package. If you are not doing any of these new habits, give them a try and see how you feel afterwards.

 

 

Contributor Information:

Trent Bender is the owner of the Underground Strength Gym, The Pit in Venice Beach, California. At “The Psychology of Strength,” our main emphasis is on the mental aspect of training. We believe that perseverance is a skill that can be learned. Our main focus is developing the ability to overcome adversity. This is true strength. We care less about how much our clients can bench press and more about how people can use the skills we teach to handle obstacles in their lives. Mental toughness is our primary goal. Find out more

http://www.mymadmethods.com/articles/strength-power-articles/1202-functional-training-is-born