intermediate cycle a: functional movement & Mobility
(first month)
introduction to this cycle:
Cycle a: Functional Movement & Mobility
This cycle is designed for those who have been working out for at least 3 or more months. In this cycle, you will combine bodyweight exercises for proper functional form and movement. If you have had injuries, this cycle will have many options and modifications so you can navigate around any current limitations you may have. This is ensure that your body can adapt and move as freely as possible.
If you are, and have been injury free, this cycle will give you the tools to keep your body limber and moving in the correct planes and ranges of motion. Mastering this level will help you prepare your body for more intense activities and will assist you in keeping injury free!
This level of fitness is also great for the “Weekend Warrior.” Someone who has to work a typical 9-5 but wants to get a great workout in daily life that will push them.
This exercise level is designed to push you out of your comfort zones both physically and perhaps mentally.
What does it mean to “functionally train?”
It’s actually quite easy! Ask yourself: can you do all of the activities that you want to do, easily, in your daily life? That’s a great start, now lets go a little deeper; how about functionally train for adventures you want to take, or fitness challenges you aspire to? I have trained for hiking trips, canoeing trips, half marathons, full marathons, 5Ks, and everything in between. We all have a passion for fitness and wellness, and we all have an “IT” that we are aspiring towards.
In this Level of Fitness, you are going to work on your form, range of motion, mobility, and on keeping your body as strong and as injury free as possible. For there is nothing worse than training for an event, sustain an injury, and then not having the ability to complete your goal! In this first cycle, we will be focusing on more traditional exercises for overall hypertrophy, flexibility, and balance.
In this phase, it is very important to listen to your body during each movement and with each exercise. Depending on your current level of health, you may need to take some movements slower than what is recommended, and you may find that you need to take more breaks between each exercise. If you feel this way, PLEASE DO SO! You know your body best, although you should push yourself, you also need to listen and respect what your body is telling you. This program and practice is all about you. I will have variations available to you in the videos, so start with the one that seems best for you and you can make it more-or-less challenging from there.
If you come to an exercise that is painful, stop that activity immediately, note what type of pain it is, and be sure to email us for further discussion. Do not rely on the old saying, “No pain, no gain.” That is never our objective at Natural Fitness, and it should never be your objective, especially in the Intermediate phase. If there is pain associated with a particular movement, it could indicate a more serious problem and we want to make sure we rectify the matter at the beginning, before we really get that rear into gear!
As you navigate these exercises and questions arise, be sure to write them down so you can either contact us, or refer back to the other tools we have available to you. During this initial cycle, if you notice any discomfort in joints, pain, or a side of your body that doesn’t “feel right,” please contact me immediately.
Items to go over before starting your program:
It is recommended for you to have resistance bands and/or light weights.
Annotations In Worksheets:
FB = Follow breath
ES= Each side, we will be doing a lot on one side of the body and then the other. Sometimes alternating, and sometimes completing one side before moving to the other.
AFAP= As fast as possible, but REMEMBER only go as fast as you can keep the form in check
EW= Each way, some movements require a front/back or side/side motion. It will make sense in the videos, but it is something to note while looking at the excel sheets
Numbers, EX: 2010 or 4321= Think of each digit as an individual part of the exercise. The first digit is going into the exercise, the second if there is a hold, the third is getting out of the exercise, and the fourth is if there is a hold before your next repetition. Using 4321 as an example, think about a pushup, the 4 would be how many seconds you are going down, the 3 would be holding the pushup in the “push” position, the 2 would be how long it takes for you to push back up, and then the 1 would be holding for one second at the top before starting the movement again. If the digit is a “0” that means there is no hold/pause, and you will continue the movement.
Reps= Repetitions, or how many times you will be doing an exercise
Sets= the number of times you will do the group of exercises. Most of the time there will be 3 sets. If you are not able to get through all three sets of all the prescribed exercises.
a/b/c = this is the grouping of exercises. For example, you would do all “a” exercises for the prescribed amount and then you would start back at the top of the “a’s” and complete the number of sets listed before moving onto the next group. If they are all “a” this is a circuit workout. You will start with the first exercise on the sheet, go through all of them, and then start back up at the top.