For more than twenty years before I transitioned to the world of strength and conditioning; I was heavily involved with martial arts training. There was a very distinct progression of how we learned and trained. The priorities of function were adhered to and a very strong base of foundational techniques was established.
For instance, the front kick was learned and practiced long before a back kick. A back kick would practiced long before a spinning back kick was learned.
In strength and conditioning, the priorities of function are also extremely important. The main reasons for this are to invest your training hours wisely so the return on your investment is a solid base of strength and correct technique. If a person cannot do a full ROM bodyweight squat, he has no business trying to do a squat with a barbell. The human tendency is to be very impatient, and that can sabotage your progress and possibly lead to an injury.
Since none of us have more than 168 hours in a week, of which much is spent doing non-training activities like working, we must have a specific priority of function in our training. The few hours per week we can spend in training should be used wisely.
Why we are training is very important. If a person is training for general fitness, his priorities of function will be different from someone who wants to compete in Powerlifting, Strongmam, Olympic Weightlifting , or CrossFit.
There is one common denominator, though: the need for solid basics!
Having a good back squat can help in any barbell strength sport.
The same goes for other basic like presses and deadlifts.
They provide a solid foundation on which to build.
The whole body is strengthened, including bones, connective tissue, and muscles.
Practicing these lifts brings a very good ROI on the time you invest in them.
Not every exercise you can learn will offer that, so choose wisely when doing your program design. Think seriously about what you want to accomplish and why. If a person is in prison, and is trying to get strong and big so he can protect himself, he surely will work on basic lifts (or basic hard-core bodyweight exercises if equipment is limited). He will have to make his training count!
A person just wanting to be more fit, but who is very busy, also needs to select the excises that will make the best use of his training time. Since some more “exotic” exercises are very time-consuming to learn; they should probably not be included in your program unless there is a specific need for them. For instance, the infamous “double-under” or double rope jump. Most people could fo better learning the classic, old-fashioned rope jump. It has served many boxers and other people well over the years. It is much easier to learn and can be done for longer periods of time .
Unless you are competing in CrossFit, I would not program double-unders in. For cardio, there are numerous , and much simpler, choices such as:
- Kettlebell swings
- Battling Ropes
- Sprints
These are all easy to learn and bring a good return on your efforts and time.
I write the training programs for my clients based on their level of fitness, goals, and time available for training. This works well for them as well as for myself in my own training.
In closing, consider these factors well it can make a big difference in your progress.
If you have any questions, please contact the author. Frank DiMeo, at frank_dimeo@yahoo.com
http://cavestrong.net
