Here’s something that blows my mind.
I live in Chicago, one of the biggest cities in the United States, yet you couldn’t find a hardcore gym in this city if your life depended on it.
Everybody is being fooled and wussified by all the so called “functional training”. Some how, unbeknownst to me, squats, dead lifts, chin-ups, and barbell presses are no longer functional. Now, anything that resembles training you’d see a clown at the circus doing is the way to go.
I was told by a very successful strength coach with more than 25 years of experience, that if you went to any of the eastern block countries back in the 80’s and early 90’s (apparently when he went), that you’d find very little training equipment. Pretty much just a bunch of barbells, dumbbells and a hardcore atmosphere. Of course, they also performed the most effective exercises with them. So kickbacks, concentration curls, and dumbbell flyes were out, squats, dead lifts, chins, and presses were in…go figure.
So right now I’m training at the Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu school. My close friend Eddie Redzovic owns it and his brother (the best jiu-jitsu trainer in Chicago) Adem pretty much runs it. We’re limited on equipment there, but I’d still rather train in the basement (I call it the dungeon because it sounds better) than any of the circus training gyms around town and maintain my dignity and my balls.
Most people are so concerned with making training fun and entertaining that the workouts end up being garbage, what I call entertainment training. Let’s not forget why you started training…results. Don’t think out of the box when you never learned in the box. Master the basics.
Since we learn best by application, here’s a workout I did with Cliff just yesterday that you can use.
A1: Alternating Barbell Reverse Lunge: 3 sets of 10-12 rest: 45 seconds
A2: Chin-Up: 3 sets of AMAP (As Many As Possible) rest: 45 seconds
A3: Seated Dumbbell Clean And Press;Neutral Grip: 3 sets of 12 rest: 45 seconds
A4: Contralateral Hand To Toe Touch: 3 sets of 10 rest: 45 seconds
B1: Extended-Grip Trap Bar Dead Lift: 3 sets of 10-12 rest: 45 seconds
B2: Standing High Cable Row: 3 sets of 15 rest: 45 seconds
B3: Band Push-Up: 3 sets of AMAP rest: 45 seconds
B4: Dumbbell Pull-Ins: 3 sets of 10 per side rest: 45 seconds
PS. So here’s the key points and what you need:
- The basics (squats, dead lifts, rows, pull ups/chin ups, vertical and horizontal presses, lunges, split squats). All can be done with a barbell, a dumbbell, or body weight.
- A thought out plan
- A hardcore attitude
[...] This is exactly why most people don’t see great progress training at your typical membership gyms. To many choices with a bunch of worthless training equipment. Exercises and equipment are tools. You have to know what tool to pull out of your tool box. Hopefully you know what the basics are. I’ve discussed them several times. [...]
Thanks a lot Dan.
Chris, great post here. Not only are these newer “functional” training methods the be all end all at most fitness facilities (I hesitate to say gyms) but most of this trendy garbage is being taught at the university level (you know which one I’m talking about). Ouf of some 1,000 class periods I’ve sat through, I’ve only heard classic barbell, dumbbell and body weight exercises praised a couple of times. Way too much “walk on the treadmill at a steady pace and train the shit out of your core with “functional” exercises going on…
Keep the solid posts going