Sounds a bit strange doesn't it, surely if you lift heavy weights you are strong, well yes and unfortunately no, because most people lift weights wrong and only get strong in their favourite movements.
And they never actually lift heavy weights in awkward movements that promote true strength, you see it doesn't really matter if you can bench press a car, if you can't deadlift it up first, then what's the point in having all that strength.
And it really doesn't matter what you can move in one linear plane, even if it ends up being half a ton, if you are looking for true functional strength and power, then you need to be using some proper functional strength, whats functional strength, well for starters what it's not is, doing squats on a Swiss ball or playing around doing stability exercises, these are rehab, not functional strength and stupid core exercises, like cable wood chops which are definitely not functional strength, OK so what is? Functional strength in my book, if lifting up heavy pieces of iron, sand bags, barrels and odd objects from the floor to preferably above your head? Why do I call movements like this functional, well if you are in a contact sport then being able to pick up heavy weights from the ground like bags of sand are much more like handling a human body than lifting up a straight bar, if you haven't tried it before, then just give it a go, grab an odd object, weighing enough to make you struggle and I can assure you after a few reps you will realize why this stuff in functional, unlike lifting up a straight bar with equal weight either end and either being able to lift it or not, lifting up a heavy object, is a wrestle, its full on tough, you have to use every muscle in your body and only if you put everything into it will you succeed.
From head to toe you will find that everything you have is being pushed to the limit, your core will suddenly be engaged like never before, you will have to fight with the weight, but when you achieve it, the feeling of satisfaction if far greater than it would be with any barbell, but you will also pay the price, that you will find after you are totally exacerbated, you should having nothing left and if that's not the case, then you are either not lifting enough weight or you didn't do enough reps, either way you are doing something wrong.
This is why it is so functional if you have ever been in a wrestling competition, done MMA or played rugby, you will know how tough it is to fight against another human being for a few minutes, but this is what you need to get good at because in all honesty its very unlikely you will find yourself getting in fights against a piece of iron apart from when you are in the gym of course.
And they never actually lift heavy weights in awkward movements that promote true strength, you see it doesn't really matter if you can bench press a car, if you can't deadlift it up first, then what's the point in having all that strength.
And it really doesn't matter what you can move in one linear plane, even if it ends up being half a ton, if you are looking for true functional strength and power, then you need to be using some proper functional strength, whats functional strength, well for starters what it's not is, doing squats on a Swiss ball or playing around doing stability exercises, these are rehab, not functional strength and stupid core exercises, like cable wood chops which are definitely not functional strength, OK so what is? Functional strength in my book, if lifting up heavy pieces of iron, sand bags, barrels and odd objects from the floor to preferably above your head? Why do I call movements like this functional, well if you are in a contact sport then being able to pick up heavy weights from the ground like bags of sand are much more like handling a human body than lifting up a straight bar, if you haven't tried it before, then just give it a go, grab an odd object, weighing enough to make you struggle and I can assure you after a few reps you will realize why this stuff in functional, unlike lifting up a straight bar with equal weight either end and either being able to lift it or not, lifting up a heavy object, is a wrestle, its full on tough, you have to use every muscle in your body and only if you put everything into it will you succeed.
From head to toe you will find that everything you have is being pushed to the limit, your core will suddenly be engaged like never before, you will have to fight with the weight, but when you achieve it, the feeling of satisfaction if far greater than it would be with any barbell, but you will also pay the price, that you will find after you are totally exacerbated, you should having nothing left and if that's not the case, then you are either not lifting enough weight or you didn't do enough reps, either way you are doing something wrong.
This is why it is so functional if you have ever been in a wrestling competition, done MMA or played rugby, you will know how tough it is to fight against another human being for a few minutes, but this is what you need to get good at because in all honesty its very unlikely you will find yourself getting in fights against a piece of iron apart from when you are in the gym of course.
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