Functional Training Workshop
Functional Training Workshop
“Train a child up in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it.” -Hebrew proverb
How are we “training” our students? What are we spending our precious PE time on? Whatever we spend our time on, is what we truly value. Fitness? Sports skills? Cooperative games? Competitive games? A mix of everything? If your son or daughter was in your class, what would you want them to be learning and doing? If YOU were in your class, what would you want to be learning and doing?
Main Goal
To improve (transform) the fitness levels and attitudes of teachers and students by educating and inspiring them to be independent and intelligent movers. Learning how to give your body “puzzles to solve” takes you from “doing a workout” to creating a “movement session”.
Workshop Objectives
1. Share ideas for instant activities, warm-ups, and circuits, using body weight as resistance.
2. Experience progressions and strategies for adding simple equipment to the movement continuum.
Foundational Building Blocks
1. Teaching our students HOW to be fit is our main responsibility.
“Physical Education is the only subject that has the potential to effect how a person feels every moment of every day for the rest of their life.”
2. The body IS the machine. MINDFUL MOVEMENT is what it needs.
“If you don’t take care of your body, where will you live?”
No man-made machine can come close to the complexity and wonder of how the human body works, and what it can do. Do you live in a “mobile” home or a trailer park?
3. The brain-body connection DOES NOT WORK in isolation, and neither do your muscles.
“The brain recognizes SYNERGIES. Train to enhance LINKAGE”.
Foundational Strategies for Functional Training
1. Train MOVEMENTS, not muscles.
2. Build a menu of equipment-less movements, and master those FIRST.
3. Move in ALL THREE planes of motion, and emphasize the TRANSVERSE plane.
4. Total-body resistance training involves…
PUSHING
PULLING
ROTATING (or Core Stability)
LEGS (lunging, squatting, etc.)
5. Strive to perform movements with PRECISION, then implement proper
PROGRESSION (Stability-beginning, Strength-intermediate, Power-advanced) using a VARIETY of activities and simple fitness tools.
The Functional Training PE Teacher Motivational & Confidence Timeline
------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|→
I do NOT I’ve never seen This makes sense, I could try to teach I’m going to do this This is effective I totally get this, “Neo”
believe this is this before, but I could never this, but my students because it’s best and my students and I know I can
effective it looks interesting teach it wouldn’t’ like it for my students are better movers. create puzzles for
(whether they like I want to learn my body to solve
it or not) more about this (and my students
know they can too)
Three (suggested) Phases of Program Implementation
1. Build a menu of equipment-less movements.
2. Add simple and durable equipment to change the puzzles.
3. Introduce tubing to make the puzzles more complex.
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVE ONE (and phase one of program implementation)
Equipment-less Warm-up Ideas
These are activities the students perform immediately upon entering the PE class. YOU CAN DO THIS IN 5-8 MINUTE TIME BLOCKS. They are designed to raise body temp., build core strength, improve mobility and balance, integrate cross-body movements, re-emphasize proper form for basic movements, and prepare the body for more vigorous activity.
A good warm-up should…
A. Start with easier activities and gradually get more demanding.
B. Contain movements in all three planes of motion.
C. Prepare the body for the next activity.
D. Usually contain movements and exercises from the following major areas…
Intro to Jungle Gym
The Jungle Gym is a wonderful tool for using body weight as resistance, since it’s a non-stretchable piece of webbing. It is the BEST TOOL I have ever used for building pulling strength.
Gather the class around one of the JG stations and discuss JG “anatomy”, safety issues, and
the benefits of training with the JG.
Benefits:
-integrated training works the whole body
-it’s a simple and safe piece of equipment that uses your own body weight as resistance
-everyone succeeds and everyone gets properly challenged
-self-spotting – change the amount of resistance (body weight) by moving your feet
Anatomy
-handles
-foot straps (if you haven’t cut them off already, which I recommend)
-double buckle
-Safety: tell them to start with their feet away from the wall, and only move in if they can keep perfect form for the exercise, also make it a rule that they don’t put their feet entirely on the wall
-how to adjust the red handles (grab the webbing below the handle with one hand, pinch the double buckle with the other and slide the red handle to the desired height. Then adjust the other handle the same way to match up with the height of the other one)
*Optional Activity for Middle School*
After discussing JG anatomy, have the students stand next to their own station.
On “go” have them adjust the handles to belly button height. Count out loud 10 slow counts. Every student should be finished in 10 counts. Then have them adjust to mid-thigh, under chin, sternum, and back to belly button. You can give them less time if they are having great success. You could have a contest between classes to see which class can adjust the handles with the least amount of time.
The point of this activity is to demonstrate that adjusting the JG handles takes only seconds to do. That way when you start doing timed circuits, they will have no issue adjusting the handles quickly.
Bring the students back in to a “demo” station to discuss/demo the first series of exercises.
Body Row/ Body row hold (water skier)
The easiest exercise to start with is a pulling exercise. Adjust the handles to belly button height.
Demonstrate the “Water Skier” (simply holding the start position for the Body Row) and the Body Row exercise, and talk about how to “self-spot” by moving the feet. Make sure they start with their feet at least 2-3 feet from the wall.
Have the students go back to their station and get in “water skier”. Have them do 30 seconds of water skier or body rows. Remember to have them maintain a straight body position and extend their arms fully. If they are doing body rows, they must pull up enough so that their thumbs hit the sides of their chest.
If time permits, do a second set of body rows, 30 seconds long.
I recommend using timed circuits, because everyone can get the amount of repetitions that allow them to succeed and be challenged. For example, 30 – 35 seconds of exercise, 25-30 seconds to rotate and rest.
The next exercises to add would follow the stability level exercises demonstrated and discussed on the Jungle Gym DVD.
Push-up (hold or actual push-up)
-adjust handles to mid-thigh or knee height
-move feet out from the wall at least 2-3 feet
-lean into a push-up hold position
-if doing push-ups, you might need to drop your elbows a little so the strap doesn’t rub on your arms
-go as deep into the push-up as possible, but maintain the straight body position
-if time permits, do another set of push-ups or push-up hold for 30 seconds
Steering Wheel
-handles stay at mid-thigh
-feet are at least 3 feet from wall
-this is a stretch and stability exercise for the core
-arms move in opposition (one high, one low and behind you)
-slight forward body lean makes the core have to stabilize the movement
-do two sets of 30 seconds
Bring the class back to a demo station for demonstrating the Parallel Stance Squat w/ press
Parallel Stance Squat w/ small press
-handles at waist height
-face in
-this is an assisted squat, so proper squat form is the most important thing
-on the way down, hands face each other
-on the way up, hands face down in a small press
-they shouldn’t be leaning back excessively
You add the next round of stability level exercises (as shown on the DVD) when they’re ready.
Forward Lean and One-Arm Reach
Assisted Pull-up
Hip Sway
Lateral Lunge w/ pull
Then add the final round of stability level exercises…
Wax On-Wax Off
Reverse Fly (Flying Angel)
Twist Up
Backward Lunge w/ pull
Once you have gone through those, you can begin giving them the strength level (intermediate)
options for the exercises, and then the power level (advanced) options.
The students should be allowed to choose their level of challenge. For example, you wouldn’t want a student to do a one-legged squat and press if they are still working on proper form for the two-legged squat and press.
You can introduce the Body Row Pulling Strength Assessment after they’ve done that exercise 4 or 5 times.
Have them start with the handles at sternum level to try to get 30 of those. It works well to divide the class in half so one student can “coach” the other with proper form, and confirm the actual number of body rows with excellent form.
The Body Row Pulling Assessment allows every student to succeed, and every student to find their appropriate level of challenge. It can be a lead-up test to pull-ups, or a replacement for pull-ups.
Students are encourage to adopt a “You vs. You” attitude toward fitness testing. Encourage your students to find out what they are capable of (“let’s take ourselves out for a test drive to see what we can do”).
Intro to the Train Station
Gather the students around a demo station.
Safety and usage directions. Three main areas of safety concern.
1. Always have the first group each hour check the tubing
-demonstrate how to check the tubing, making sure you push the plugged ends of the cables out of the cable pockets to check for holes
-run the cable through your hand to feel for holes, while visually inspecting the cable
2. Use safety straps
-put your hand through the safety strap and twist twice
Using these prevents the handles from slipping off and hitting the wall, or any part of the student.
3. Never overstretch the cables (past 2 times its original length - use cones or lines as a
guide until they get a feel for the correct distance)
Other usage points…
-Grip the handles so the smooth side is on the forearm.
-pinch the double buckle tabs to move the “traveler” for changing the training angle
-discuss the different levels of tension for the 3 colors of cable (maroon – light, orange – medium,
red-heavy)
-when you reach the “muscle failure” point during an exercise, move a little closer to the wall to reduce the amount of tension.
*Optional Activity*
Have the students do a similar intro exercise described above. They go to a station and stand there. Give them 45 seconds to check both cables, including the plugged ends. When they are done, they move away from their station to show you they are done.
Then, direct them to adjust the “traveler” to a low training angle, get safety strapped in, and face out ready to do a pushing exercise. Have them self-check by seeing if they twisted the safety straps twice before grabbing the handle, and also that the handles are “smooth side” on the forearms. Then they unstrap, stand next to their station, and you instruct them to adjust to a different angle (high or mid) and either face in or out.
To introduce the exercises, follow the same introduction sequence as the JG. First you experience all of the stability level exercises, and then you add strength options, and finally add the power options.
Bring the students back to a demo station and demo/discuss the first three exercises they will try.
Two-arm Press from Lunge-hold position
-switch legs at the half-way mark
Two-arm Row from Squat-hold position
-in-facing, keep a straight back, bring the handles toward the sides of your stomach
Chop & Lift (single handle)
-face in, take an overhand grip on the handle, reach past your legs on the chop, and get full extension on the lift
Examples of progression: stability-strength-power.
Pull-press from lunge-hold
Alternating lunge and pull-press
Progressive lunge pull-press
Palm Tree
Palm Tree Balance
Palm Tree Square-up
Alternating Arm Row from squat hold position
Alternating Arm Row and Squat
Single Arm Total Body Row from back lunge hold
Introduce the leg cuff and cardio belt on separate days.
Intro to Leg Cuff
Gather the students around a demo station.
-demo how to change a handle to a leg cuff
Make sure the cable is seated correctly into the leg cuff cable pocket. If it is in upside-
down it will come out when under tension.
-use the maroon cables, or orange at the most, for leg cuff exercises.
-adjust the traveler to about knee height for these to begin with.
You could then have them go to a station and switch out the handle for a cuff (don’t have them put the leg cuff around their ankle yet) Have them check to see that the cable is seated correctly.