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So you are saying that you never engage your core while doing bicep curls? Not talking about iso curls. Regular curls.
If not, you're doing them wrong.
I have no interest in CrossFit - it's its own sport. I'm into being strong and functional.
what specific part of your body is your core? i cant recall any part of my body that is referred to as a core.
The definition of functional is being strong. That's it.
I guess to be functional for moving furniture, we'll have to practice moving furniture all the time?
How often do most Americans lift anything; above head, from the ground, or over a distance? Not often. Most 'functional' experts, claim that lifting a barbell over the head isn't "functional"... but if most of you REALLY wanted to be "functional", then go ahead and sit in an office chair all day; because that is what MOST of you do all day.
Point is, no one can possibly train for every single possible thing that is to occur in everyday life; even specificity towards an actual job--fire fighting, combat, police, etc. Since it's impossible to train your physical preparedness for 'functional fitness' towards every possible situation; it's intelligent to train to get stronger and depending on the job, train for endurance.
I'm not going to sit and type training methods, because it will fall on deaf ears; but I will explain that functional fitness is for fools the way most people view it.
The definition of functional is being strong. That's it.
I guess to be functional for moving furniture, we'll have to practice moving furniture all the time?
How often do most Americans lift anything; above head, from the ground, or over a distance? Not often. Most 'functional' experts, claim that lifting a barbell over the head isn't "functional"... but if most of you REALLY wanted to be "functional", then go ahead and sit in an office chair all day; because that is what MOST of you do all day.
Point is, no one can possibly train for every single possible thing that is to occur in everyday life; even specificity towards an actual job--fire fighting, combat, police, etc. Since it's impossible to train your physical preparedness for 'functional fitness' towards every possible situation; it's intelligent to train to get stronger and depending on the job, train for endurance.
I'm not going to sit and type training methods, because it will fall on deaf ears; but I will explain that functional fitness is for fools the way most people view it.
This is what I'm saying. Like with Cross Fit people claiming to be the most, what is it? The fittest person on earth? Says who? Based on what? Saying that a standing overhead press is functional, based on what? Who does that? How is lifting a barbell over your head while standing a functional exercise?
I mean, the bench press, what is that representative of? Nothing. The bench press does not exist in nature.
Functional doesn't mean anything. If you're trying to strengthen your abs by all means do some sit us, but I'm saying that you can strengthen a muscle without so called "functional" exercises, because for all the talk about Crossfitters being so fit, they are fit at crossfit, and that's all.
Bench press, OHP, squatting.. all of those make you stronger. Since one cannot mimic every single movement in a 'natural environment', it's impossible to define "functional fitness"; therefore it is--or should be-- defined as strength and endurance. OHP, BP, Squat, DL, etc.. strength. Interval runs, LSD.. whatever running, for endurance. Simple...especially since most people are sedentary beings any movement under the wake up strength and conditioning is 'functional' for everyday life.
You state, 'it does not exist in nature'. Of course... nature isn't the end all. But, guess what; humans are part of nature. Humans devleoped 'strength training', which therefore as an extension of human beings as something we created; is nature.
Unfortunately, you much like crossfitters.. are obsessed with 'nature' and 'paleo' ... 'functional'. You are displaying the same traits as CF'ers. The obsession over 'nature' or 'natural'. I guarantee that a man that can press 1.5-2x his BW is probably pretty strong and by extension... is stronger for what you say, "natural movements".
I would choose someone doing CF over sitting on the couch watching television.
Edit: you are also clearly avoiding the questions, answers or statements that directly break down and challenge your "knowledge". i'm done.
Actually, I am agreeing with you. I disagree with the whole thought of trying to prep yourself for everything in I'll do throughout the day. Nothing you do in the gym correlates really to anything you'll do in real life. Instead you should just do exercises that make your body stronger. Not be obsessed with so called "functional" exercises.
I said the overhead press doesn't exist in nature because, it doesn't, but it's excellent for making your shoulders and triceps stronger, which will benefit you when you do anything that requires the use of your shoulders or triceps. I don't do an exercise because I'm thinking I'm going to have to do a movement similar to this. I do it because it makes a muscle stronger. I've never done anything close to a hamstring curl in my life but it's a great hamstring exercise all the same.
The definition of functional is being strong. That's it.
I guess to be functional for moving furniture, we'll have to practice moving furniture all the time?
How often do most Americans lift anything; above head, from the ground, or over a distance? Not often. Most 'functional' experts, claim that lifting a barbell over the head isn't "functional"... but if most of you REALLY wanted to be "functional", then go ahead and sit in an office chair all day; because that is what MOST of you do all day.
Point is, no one can possibly train for every single possible thing that is to occur in everyday life; even specificity towards an actual job--fire fighting, combat, police, etc. Since it's impossible to train your physical preparedness for 'functional fitness' towards every possible situation; it's intelligent to train to get stronger and depending on the job, train for endurance.
I'm not going to sit and type training methods, because it will fall on deaf ears; but I will explain that functional fitness is for fools the way most people view it.
I think functional is used in CF to describe certain type of exercises we do, in comparison to more conventional routines. Take for instance the farmers carry, and then compare it with say, tricep extensions. I would say I'm more likely to do a carry of some type in everyday life than something that involves repeated extension of my tricep.
Ive said this before, but CF has helped with my endurance on a firescene way more than when I used to do a more conventional routine. We do lots of carries in CF....farmers carry Ive already mentioned, but I do alot of weighted runs and walks with 60-80 pound bags. Know what we do alot of on the firescene from time to time and even at the station? Carry hose and other various things over our shoulder. We also do alot of drags which is great training for when the time comes to pull and then replace 5" hose. All I'm saying is that for certain applications, the functional aspect is very true.
this simply isnt true. Plus, you could apply this logic to almost anything fitness related.
If you're just trying to get stronger, lose some weight, build some muscle, most anything besides endurance running alone will help you.
However if you are looking to compete in some specific sport or event, you need to train for that event.
Crossfits prepares you to do crossfit. Which is why you'll never see any crossfitters doing anything else, at least not at the professional level, because for all their talk, all crossfit has prepared them to do, is crossfit stuff.
If you just want to use Crossfit to get in better shape, by all means, but don't think it'll make you some world class athlete at anything and everything you try, because it won't.
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