Have you gotten to a point in your training where you feel like simple movements like pullups or pushups have become “too easy” for you? If you think this is the case, coach Marcus Fillie, a former CrossFit Games rival and supporter of “functional physique”, Has some news for you: you are not above the basics. He made a video that takes some of the most basic strength exercises to the next level of difficulty and intensity by making simple adjustments.
“My goal today is to show you how you can make the simplest things so much more demanding for yourself,” says Filly. “There are several variables within training that you can manipulate to increase the difficulty and intensity of even the simplest exercises.” (He refers to variables as ‘levers’ in functional physique.)
To do this, he manipulates four factors: pace, rest periods, load / tension and position / range of motion.
He shares a four-movement torso-focused push-pull giant set that is straight forward, and then explains how he changes variables each set to increase intensity. The workout includes: pullups, dumbbell bench press, chest rides with rings, and pushups.
Round 1: Warming up
To warm up, he starts with ‘regression’ versions of various movements, including striped pullups, an oblique surface for pushups, light dumbbells for bench press, and an oblique position on the rings and pushups. He also used faster repetitions (no breaks) to make the blood flow to his muscles. From there, he enters ‘work’ sets.
Round 2: Add Tempo
To take things with intensity on a notch, Filly focuses this set on tempo, performed at a specific cadence. In this case, it’s a 3-second negative, with a pause at the bottom.
“For all the exercises, it’s going to be slower on the way down, fast on the way up,” says Filly.
He explains that in functional physique it is about knowing what ‘leverage’ to pull to adjust intensity.
“With pace, slowing things down with a 3-second negative and a pause at the bottom of a repetition is going to add a new challenge to the next contraction of the exercise,” he says.
Round 3: Adjust rest periods and increase loading
Now Filly notes that he is going to add 30 seconds of rest periods between each exercise, plus increased load by changing his body position.
“In the ring row and pushup, I changed my body position. On the pushup, I lifted my feet. On the ring row, I moved my feet much further forward and lifted them slightly, which placed my body in a position that more was horizontal and led to me having to support more of my body weight against gravity, ”he says.
He notes that this is the same as adding weight, except that he does not need to add weight. He just had to change his body position.
“For the pullups, you saw me raise my knees, which changes the position of the torso, and the direction I pull makes it a little more of an isometric core exercise,” he says. “And lastly, the dumbbell bench press, I lifted my feet off the ground. By bringing the feet into that 90 degree position, it reduces the amount of stability and balance you get from your lower body when you bench press. So there is a a little more core work there. ”
Round 4: Advanced range of motion and load
For this last set, Filly notes that it was a 9/10 effort load for him, which hit the bottom points of his rep series.
“You must have noticed I used mechanical loading for my pullups. I added a weight belt, 25 extra pounds, the same position and the same pace. For this last set, instead of push-pull, I went straight from pullups to “My ring rows, I added a weight jacket to make it more challenging,” says Filly. “I went from trek to trek, which definitely made it harder.”
On the dumbbell bench press and push-up, he played with range of motion.
“Not only did I do a traditional bench press, I did a one-and-a-quarter repetition. At the bottom of each repetition it was a slight pump of the dumbbells up. Then I went right to my pushup. There I also increased the range of motion by using parallels so that I could drop my chest deeper than my hands with each repetition, which means I added range at that end position of my push-up.In addition, I added a resistance band to my body which added tension to the top of the press, which made me exclude with more force than usual.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported into this site to help users provide their email addresses. You may find more information about this and similar content at piano.io