Functional. Innovative. Training. (F.I.T.)

What does it mean to be fit? Is it a great body? Is it excellent cardiovascular capacity? What about moving better? I’m going to be greedy and say yes to all of the above because it is possible to make those improvements in this system. The goal of Functional. Innovative. Training. or “F.I.T.” is to design a safe program based on an individual’s skill-set in order to help achieve a client’s personal goal (nutrition and other lifestyle changes will also need to be addressed for personal results).

F.I.T. is based on the fundamental movement patterns we encounter everyday. Notice I used the word “pattern.” Movements like squatting, lifting, lunging, pushing, pulling, rotating and walking/running are all difficult patterns and often are taken for granted. If a job requires being at a desk for most of the day, the body forms bad habits. Imagine the effects these bad habits have on exercise. Ever blamed an exercise for pain? Was it the fault of the exercise or was it the fault of the exerciser for forcing the body to do something it wasn’t ready for? I get questions all the time like, “So, Jay what about using machines?” In my opinion, focusing on machine training is the sedentary "workout." Sure, the body is working but it is losing the ability to use it’s own strength, mobility, stability, etc. Basically, the body is back at work sitting at a desk, the only difference is the body is “working out.” The body was not meant for this sedentary lifestyle, it was meant for more, it was meant for movement…it craves it.

Mastery of a particular movement pattern can take time and practice but movement efficiency is the foundation to perform better and decrease the risk of injury. I can just hear the infamous Allen Iverson, a former professional basketball player, rant about “practice” ringing in my head. But without practice, how else does improvement in health and fitness become possible?

I choose to train the way we move for these reasons:

1) Pattern training is challenging. For instance, any squat pattern is a challenge because it requires mobility and stability proficiency before loading weight. If the squat can’t be done well, stop. There are modifications/corrections to help clean it up.

2) It improves quality of life. I’ve never heard, “Wow, I feel better after that bicep exercise!” However, I do hear similar words if I can get someone to touch their toes or make the hip-hinge easier. The entire body feels and moves better.

3) Exercise progression. Babies learn to crawl before walking. Pattern training is the same way. What progression is there in the bicep curl, besides heavier weight?

4) Time efficiency. Let’s face it, time is a factor. Spending 2 hours or more in the gym is not an option for most of us. Focusing on movement patterns will ensure a better training session.

5) Most effective fat and calorie burning. The bigger the move, the more calories expended.

6) Mass-building. Conversely, these movement patterns are also the best way to build strength and add muscle mass.

There is no pattern that can be performed by an isolated body part. Big arms really serve no true function in pattern training. One does not need big arms to be strong. In all honesty, big arms just look aesthetically pleasing. So in a way, it’s true, guys do “curls to get the girls.” Patterns on the other hand, require the body as a whole working together.

The human body is asymmetrical, whether its from playing a sport, or a previous injury, or just being right or left-side dominant. Gray Cook said it best, “pain is a signal,” it’s literally telling the body something. The patterns that feel uncomfortable, painful or don’t look right, is the result of a dysfunction somewhere in movement. As long as there is no current injury, movement can be improved by a movement specialist.

Everyone moves differently and has different strengths and weaknesses. It stands to reason that the goal of personal training is to feed dysfunctional patterns to improve overall movement competency. Be honest about movement proficiency. Don’t just exercise to exercise but have a plan of attack. The best way to starting any program is to be screened by a Functional Movement Screening (FMS) specialist. Remember, “move better, feel better, build strength…get F.I.T. today!