Training longevity

On Saturday I gave my first Strength Training seminar. Having spent decades doing many forms of strength training, I wanted to share some of my experience and knowledge with like-minded individuals. It was intended to be an educational seminar about the basic concepts, strategies and tools used to build strength. After all, everyone wants to be stronger. It’s like health and wealth. Have you ever heard anyone say, "I’m too healthy", or "I’m too wealthy?" How about "I’m too strong"? Most likely not. It’s an important aspect of self-improvement.

During the seminar, we looked at traditional methods of strength training which include free weights – dumbbells and barbells – and machines. The benefits of isolating the muscles and working on them independently are that you can target the specific muscle or group of muscles that you want to build. This approach works well to build a strong foundation.

I would argue, however, that it is not only difficult to continue this method of training indefinitely without creating overuse injuries when you are in maintenance mode, but it is even more difficult to continue to gain strength using this method. Coupled with mobility and stretching and attention to form, the chances of success are greater. But like anything, it can become stale after a while. For long-term health and consistency, I would recommend trying different methods - returning to bodyweight, using suspension training, or kettlebells and supplementing with tools such as clubbells, or any number of other unconventional tools.

Three ingredients are necessary for growth:

1. Regular, consistent training
2. Intensity – more weight, fewer repetitions
3. Progressive overload – gradually increasing weight over time

One way to ensure you continue training year after year – that is, maintaining your interest and motivation, and remaining injury free – is to enjoy what you do. To prevent staleness in your workouts, you may need variety. You may also need skill-based goals, specific goals that you can train toward.

The goals of basic weight training tend to be surface goals such as weight loss, muscle building, or toning – that is looking better. The goals of functional strength training are to learn new skills. Functional training can open up a whole new world of physical achievement. Any skill-based goal can be summed up as "being better at such-and-such". The surface goals of weight loss and building lean muscle mass are also achieved but they are by-products of a skill such as scaling a climbing rope without using your legs, or holding a freestanding handstand and then lowering and pushing your bodyweight up from the floor.

The functional fitness value hierarchy turns the bodybuilding fitness hierarchy on its head. It places values in this order:

1. Health – promote what is healthiest for you follow safe practices
2. Mobility – ensure you have full, coordinated mobility
3. Function – be able to function within tasks (not just at the gym)
4. Attributes – strength, endurance, flexibility, agility, stability
5. Physique – body’s physical appearance (if you train right, a beautiful, powerful physique is a natural by-product)

Fitness is about getting back to that boundless energy and willingness to explore ranges of motion and movement we all naturally had we were younger. It's about having fun with fitness. If you can develop your strength, endurance, and mobility, and burn up calories all while enjoying yourself, that's a form of fitness that you are going to stick with. Commitment yields consistency, consistency yields results.

One of my favourite aphorisms sums up the benefits of functional training: Life is easier when you are fit!