Training

Functional Fitness

Functional fitness is a leading strength and conditioning methodology aimed at enhancing overall physical fitness and readiness. It serves as the strength and conditioning regimen for numerous police academies, tactical operations teams, military special operations units, and a wide array of elite and professional athletes worldwide.

Moreover, functional fitness is accessible to everyone, catering to those with a general interest in fitness and well-trained athletes seeking to complement their sport-specific training. Functional fitness equips you comprehensively for the challenges of everyday life.

This approach to fitness fosters a deliberately broad, inclusive, and encompassing fitness level, achieved through a combination of gymnastics, weightlifting, powerlifting, and mono-structural endurance exercises such as running or rowing. The core principle is versatility rather than specialization. It instills the ability to excel in common activities exceptionally well, while establishing a foundation of strength and endurance to support an active lifestyle. The success of this methodology hinges on the dedication, commitment, and sense of community shared by its participants.

One notable feature of functional fitness is its adaptability, making it suitable for individuals of all ages, fitness levels, and backgrounds. The same principles apply whether you are an Olympic athlete or an elderly individual with heart disease; adjustments are made in load and intensity, not the program itself. Olympic athletes, weekend warriors, homemakers, and senior citizens alike have achieved their peak fitness potential through this universal approach.

Functional fitness workouts are typically short, lasting 20 minutes or less, they are constantly varied, functional movements performed at high intensity. These movements are combined in various combinations to create a daily workout. By diligently tracking each workout, you can tangibly measure your fitness and strength progress.

This is what a typical Functional Fitness session looks like:

• Warm-Up:
  The workout begins with a brief warm-up to prepare the body for the work ahead. Our warmups invole a combination of soft tissue work, mobility/stretching, a dynamic warmup, and a movement-specific warmup.
• Strength or Skill Training:
  This phase focuses on strength training or skill development. This could involve activities like weightlifting, gymnastics, or even bodyweight exercises. The strength or skill training phase typically lasts for 10 to 20 minutes.
• Metabolic Conditioning:
  This phase focuses on fitness, conditioning, and endurance. This could involve activities like running, rowing, or cycling, gymnastics movements like pull-ups or push-ups, or weightlifting movements like deadlifts or squats. The metabolic conditioning phase typically lasts for 5 to 20 minutes.

Strength & Conditioning

Strength and conditioning training is a holistic approach to improving physical performance, athleticism, and overall fitness. It combines elements of strength training, cardiovascular conditioning, mobility, flexibility, and skill work to develop all aspects of physical ability. The primary goals are to increase strength, power, endurance, speed, and agility while reducing the risk of injury.

A typical strength and conditioning program includes:

• Strength Training:
  Exercises like squats, deadlifts, presses, and pulls to build muscle strength and improve bone density.
• Power Development:
  Explosive movements such as Olympic lifts, plyometrics, and medicine ball work to enhance speed and reaction time.
• Endurance and Cardiovascular Conditioning:
  Running, cycling, rowing, or circuit training to improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels.
• Mobility and Flexibility:
  Dynamic stretching, yoga, and mobility drills to improve joint range of motion and prevent injuries.
• Core Stability and Balance:
  Exercises that enhance core strength and balance, essential for stability and overall functional movement.

Strength and conditioning is widely used by athletes across various sports to optimize performance, but it’s also valuable for non-athletes who want to improve their physical fitness, strength, and resilience. The training is highly adaptable and can be customized to target specific fitness goals, from muscle building to enhanced cardiovascular health.

Olympic Weightlifting

Olympic weightlifting is a strength sport that involves lifting a loaded barbell in two main movements: the snatch and the clean and jerk. The goal is to lift the maximum weight possible with proper technique. In the snatch, athletes lift the barbell from the floor to overhead in one continuous motion. In the clean and jerk, they first lift the bar to their shoulders (the clean) and then push it overhead (the jerk). Olympic weightlifting requires a mix of strength, power, speed, flexibility, and precision, and it’s commonly practiced to improve athletic performance, build explosive strength, and enhance overall body coordination.

Calisthenics

Calisthenics training is a form of bodyweight exercise focused on improving strength, flexibility, and endurance without the use of weights or machines. It includes movements like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, dips, and planks, often performed in sets and repetitions. The training emphasizes natural body movement, core stability, and balance, making it accessible and adaptable to all fitness levels. Calisthenics can be done anywhere and is popular for building functional strength, improving mobility, and developing lean muscle, with exercises that range from basic moves to advanced skills like muscle-ups and handstands.