The Functionalist (revisited)

In some previous posts, I defined what it means to be a functionalist...

FUNCTIONALIST: One who prepares for a life strewn with physical tasks, efforts, and obstacles (both planned and unexpected), by learning, mimicking, and perfecting those body functions and abilities necessary for survival, completion, efficiency, and victory.

The functionalist is competitive by nature...whether in a contest against another human, disaster, circumstance, or self.  The functionalist sees life from a cause-and-effect perspective...if I prepare, I will win.  The functionalist is a stakeholder in his/her future.  Having a broad skill set maximizes the chances of success. 

Imagine the blending of a: 

• sprinter 
  
• gymnast 
  
• Strongman 

This "jack-of-all-trades" mentality is in direct contrast with that of being a skilled master in one or two aspects. In the sporting arena, being a specialist is critical for winning.  A competitive marathoner has little incentive for maintaining upper body strength.  Likewise, a basketball player does not need swim training. But in real life, humans need competence across a wide spectrum of physical fitness. According to the CrossFit Journal's "What is Fitness" article: There are ten recognized general physical skills. They are cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. I encourage you to read the selected CFJ articles listed in the right column of this blog. Start with What is Fitness. I do NOT agree with everything the CF community preaches, but the articles I linked to are worthwhile for anyone considering or participating in functional exercise.

Maintaining abilities within each of the ten listed physical skills has bettered my life. I challenge you to find your weaknesses. Then find a fitness program that helps you become a jack-of-all, and strive to be a master-of-many.

Functionalism: A Conclusion (Part 6)

I've strung you all along for quite a long ranting series of posts on Functionalism. I figure it's time to wrap this up before the dead horse gets beat anymore! Here's a little summary of the series:

Functionalists. Part 1. The garbage man story. Why can the scrawny trashman lift and carry bags and cans with ease? His body had been conditioned and adapted to succeed at certain physical skills. He performs better than muscular men who are all-show-no-dough. However, there are other physical attributes that the garbage man lacks...those that his JOB does not "require." He is excellent and most efficient at what he does in his career, but is he prepared for the other tasks that life dishes out?

Functionalist - Defined. Part 2. A Functionalist is one who prepares for a life strewn with physical tasks, efforts, and obstacles (both planned and unexpected), by learning, mimicking, and perfecting those body functions and abilities necessary for survival, completion, efficiency, and victory. There are movements each and every one of us must master to live a productive physical life. We're not all trench diggers or SWAT police officers, but we are all human animals required to do physical tasks...with some basic fundamental level of fitness. Even if our jobs do not require physical fitness, our lives do. We lift, carry, bend, twist, rotate, grab, and squat.

Functions. Part 3. The more tools in the handyman's toolbox, the more he can fix. Likewise, the more physical fitness attributes one possesses, the more able or prepared s/he is for physical tasks. The various dimensions of physical fitness include: Anaerobic Capacity, Aerobic Endurance, Coordination and Agility, Strength and Stamina, Flexibility, Power, and Speed. Unless we are competitive athletes, we should avoid polar extremes of bodybuilder or endurance athlete...striving instead for a compromise as a jack-of-all-trades...one who can do it all.

Functions - Input versus Output. Part 4. The math lesson. Input is a list of movement patterns in the exercise routines and drills we do. Output in the physical realm refers to "what I need to get done" or "the end product." Identifying what end product you'd like will help you decide on your Input. If you have no sport or physical aspect to your job, then maybe the ability to live a healthy EASIER life is the output. There are basic fundamental exercises to help you reach that Output. Now, what Input?

Most Functional Movements/Exercises. Part 5. There are certain movements and exercises that replicate, simulate, or have the most cross-over value into reality. These include: Air Squat, Turkish GetUp (TGU), Kettlebell Figure 8 to a Hold, Sumo Deadlift High Pull (SDLHP), Thruster, Inverted Row, Pullup, and Deadlift ...among others. High fitness can be had with not much more than this fully-integrated list of moves. As this list begins to expand, isolation and specialization slowly begins to seep in.

Summary. Becoming or being a functionalist is about returning to the basics. It's Old School. It's efficient. It maximizes the human potential. But first, it's about determining goals: Why are you exercising? What tasks do you wish to complete, or to be ready for? What is your desired Output? Tailor your fitness system around those goals. Then, make a commitment. A commitment that includes the most basic of human body movements. These are exercises from which ALL humans will find great benefit. Life's challenges require we possess a well-rounded or multi-dimensional approach to physical abilities. If we specialize, we will find failure in another aspect. Instead, strive for excellence across the board.

Life is about performance. You can't fake ability. You either have it or you don't! Go out and get those skills and win! Address your weaknesses. Most importantly, prepare yourself by doing movements that replicate reality...the way YOU live it.

Most Functional Movements/Exercises (Part 5)

There is a huge learning curve that goes along with beginning a functional exercise program. Regardless if you are a veteran weightlifter, a gymnast, or a complete newbie, there are certain exercises you MUST learn. Many of these staple movements have already been profiled in our Exercise of the Week posts.

Here are some of (by my standards) the most functional exercises. They replicate, simulate, or have the most cross-over value into reality. Unfortunately most experienced weight trainers subscribing to traditional bodybuilding methods do NOT include these in their routine. The reason for this is simple: they do not isolate a single muscle enough to force it into reaching its biggest potential. This is what I refer to as "vanity limiting performance." Anyways, here are the exercises, and links to various YouTube demonstrations. And just for sake of debate, I'll loosely rank them from top (most practical) to bottom (less practical).

• Air Squat
• Turkish GetUp (TGU)
• Kettlebell Figure 8 to a Hold
• Sumo Deadlift High Pull (SDLHP)
• Thruster
• Inverted Row
• Pullup
• Deadlift

Now I'm sure I'll catch some crap for listing the pullup so low, and the TGU and Figure 8 to a Hold so high. Bring it!

The main reason I picked the TGU and Fig8 as very fundamental is this: trunk rotation. They both involve twisting the torso... a real-life movement which could lead to incredible injury if not practiced and conditioned. I picked the SDLHP and Thruster on this list because they are complex movements that combine upper and lower body coordination and agility. I listed the pullup down on the list not for the reason that it is least functional -- absolutely not. It is because the others are more fundamental. Please analyze the list again. I picked EIGHT drills out of hundreds of possibilities. I think if you look at the longer list of all exercises, you'd see that ranking #7 is pretty darn high!!

After looking at my list again, I realized that I could potentially limit my entire workout routine to these eight exercises and still reach peak physical performance. I do each and every one of these movements. Not because they are fun. Some are positively brutal! But rather because they summarize a vast majority of potential movement patterns demanded by life.

Put this list in your wheelbarrow. You won't be sorry.

Functions - Input versus Output (Part 4)

Maybe you thought to yourself, "Why the seemingly pointless discussion of math last post?" Well step up to the chalkboard for some more number-talk. (To read all the posts in this series, just click on the label "Functionalism" at the end of this post.)

Look at the arbitrary math "function" y=2(x + 5). By the manner in which this particular equation is written, the variable y is dependant upon a value of x. Therefore, x is the input and y is the output. X goes in, undergoes a function (in this case: 5 is added to it, then their sum is doubled), and y comes out. So in this equation, x is known and y is only discovered after one does the math. If we are told x=2, then y=14.

First of all, one must understand how to add and multiply numeric values before an accurate value of y is obtained. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are the first "functions" learned in school...and usually in that order too! More advanced math skills are square roots, exponents, and fractions...but are critical in solving even the most simple of practical real-life geometry problems. By using these simple skills together, one can develop some very complex functions or equations. We've been looking at y=2(x + 5) which uses only two of them: adding and multiplying. Imagine adding a variable and some functions to create something more dimensional: z={[(3x + 2y - 2)2]/4x} + 5 This make look difficult, but it is still simple in that one only needs a few basic skills to determine a value for z (as long as x and y are known, or at least postulated).

So how the hell does this relate to physical fitness?? Input versus Output. Output in the physical realm refers to "what I need to get done" or "the end product." We've already identified some of these fathomable end products in past posts:

• Get that bag of dog food from the trunk, so I can carry it
• Get that box from waist-level, to that shelf overhead
• Get the snow from the driveway, into the lawn
• Get the brown leaves from the lawn, to curbside
• Get up ten flights of stairs

The garbage man from Part One has his own output: get the garbage into the truck. Now if we examine the garbage man as only a careerist and NOT having any other physical needs at home or away from work (which of course is impossible), he needs about three (3) physical skills to accomplish the end product:

1. LIFT the garbage can
2. CARRY it to the truck
3. DUMP it into the hopper

There are other basic physical skills the garbage man does NOT have from a career of lifting, carrying, and dumping trash cans. This may seem to be oversimplifying the issue, but stay with me for a little bit.

With schoolchildren, repetition of multiplication tables and easy math problems gives them the starter skills. 2+3=5, 9x7=63. Their next step is learning how to apply those functions, like figuring out how old the farmer's daughters are if Patsy is 9 years older than Liz, but twice as old as Maggie.... The application requires the student to create an equation (or function). We've all heard (or even said ourselves), "When are we ever going to use this?" when confronted with the old "two trains leaving New York" problem. I argue that understanding the application of simple math skills to seemlessly develop OUR OWN functions to solve problems is the greatest lesson a math student can learn in the classroom.

Maybe you're telling yourself, "But with the math we know the input and not the output. And with functional fitness we know the output but not the input? I'm confused." Turn everything upside-down. Look at the orange equation again. It can be altered just a bit and we have x=(y/2) - 5. Same components, different look. So this time by picking the output we WANT, we can determine the input we NEED to satisfy it.

As physical beings, we must first develop simple physical skills to develop our own fitness functions to solve physical problems in life. We must develop the functions within our bodies to reach those outputs. Without the ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide, a student will NEVER be able to get a value for y, much less z! Likewise, we must master the skills of lifting, pulling, carrying, grabbing, pushing, thrusting, twisting, holding, climbing, squatting, and bending if we want to be able to perform on demand with desired output.

As functionalists, we strive and prepare ourselves to complete, survive, and win various tasks, efforts, and obstacles...in the most efficient and safe manner possible. And with some brainstorming, we generally know the outputs we WANT: move snow or leaves, walk through the mall, get out of bed, bend over to tie shoelaces, carry bags of groceries, lift heavy boxes, play with their children around the house, yard work, climb stairs, etc. And importantly, do these things with the least effort expended and/or as quickly as one can and/or for as long as possible.

These outputs (requiring movement patterns) have some fundamental similarities. Much like the simplicity of easy math in a seemingly complex equation, one only needs to practice a few physical movements to become more physically functional. One of the keys to becoming more effective and efficient is to make sure you have well-rounded exercise sessions, including each of the necessary movement patterns.

Functions (Part 3)

I was raised as a functionalist, by a functionalist. Not a fitness functionalist, but by a man with a sense of cause and effect. He could solve problems...logically, efficiently, and methodically. And he taught my brothers and me to do the same. He taught us math not from a book or blackboard, but with a carpenter's tape measure and roofer's square. We learned problem-solving using livable math AND hand tools. When it came to school math, we understood...not by memory but by logic.

Take an algebra problem: (y=2x - 7) and (x= 4y) could be ancient hieroglyphics to many people. However, to a math nerd who understands "functions," these are simple algebraic or graphical representations of input versus output, or cause and effect. For each numerical value of x, there is a corresponding value for y...and vice-versa. And for both the above equations together, there is one solution. So for those goofy word problems that begin, "A farmer has three daughters. Sarah is twice as old as Mary. And Susan is 2 years younger than Betsy. If Betsy..." the solver must find the proper algebraic equations (and solution) to answer correctly. Math nerds who comprehend the beautiful relationship between geometry, trigonometry, algebra, and calculus can solve more problems...including the ones about two trains, one leaving from LA and one from NY... It turns arithmetic into practical problem solving.

Change gears: look at a handyman's toolbox. There are different tools for different jobs and tasks. Contrary to the late-night infomercial, there is no one tool capable of doing it all. The wrench, hammer, screwdriver, and bubble level each serve a purpose. As as long as the handyman knows how to use them all, having more tools equates to more abilities, which further equates to more solutions to more problems! With more tools, the handyman becomes more functional! (I think you see where this is going...)

Much like the mathematician and the handyman, we all need problem-solving abilities. And the more "tools" we have, the more obstacles we can overcome! The physical tools we need include:

• Anaerobic Capacity
• Aerobic Endurance
• Coordination and Agility
• Strength and Stamina
• Flexibility
• Power
• Speed

This list identifies some of the components of physical fitness. Within the various components, there are exercises and drills to test (and then increase) one's abilities. FUNCTIONAL and PRACTICAL fitness programs address each and every one of these components....most traditional systems do NOT.

Bodybuilders (and that includes people who do bodybuilding-style weight training, AKA "chest and bi's day") ignore anaerobics, speed, power, stamina, coordination, and agility exercises. This is because those aspects do NOT build muscle size. And generally aerobics are only included to cut fat and make the bodybuilder more "cut." Slow and isolated weight-lifting patterns DO build muscle and overall strength, but at the cost of power, endurance, and coordination. The bodybuilder is a specialist in his field.

Marathoners and triathletes generally have poor anaerobic capacity, strength, and power. They are excellent at aerobic endurance, but tend to forget about some of the other more practical aspects of fitness. As long as all the tests in life only make endurance demands, the marathoner will succeed. We can all conjure up a typical body image for an elite marathoner or triathlete: skinny like a toothpick. Muscle mass might hurt endurance sport athletes in the arena of competition, but that skinny frame and lack of powerful muscle affects them daily.

The above two characters (the bodybuilder and the endurance athlete) are polar extremes. They both excel in their isolated competitions, but lack a well-rounded sense of functionalism. Life, being a test of randomized tasks, must be tackled by those with fully-integrated fitness. The bodybuilder has the hammer. The endurance athlete has the screwdriver. So when life calls for the turning a of screw, the marathoner succeeds while the body builder fails! And when the nail needs pounding, the triathlete stumbles. With that being said, the specialist will kick your butt if the challenge happens to be within their strong suit.

I respect the professional manner in which specialists perform at individual sport, but LIFE does not dish out challenges in the same manner a race or competition judge does. We must fit as many tools into our toolbox as possible to stand ready to accept any task life give us. We must be able to carry groceries, push a stroller, rake leaves, push a stalled car, climb stairs, move furniture, shovel snow, out run a loose dog, jump a fence, swim to shore, carry a fallen comrade, or fight to the death with our assailant.

If you find yourself at one of these polar ends as a specialist does, you take a serious gamble with life. You are banking on the dice rolling in your favor. However, if you are truly a well-rounded functionalist with a broad base of fitness, you stand prepared for any of the challenges that lie ahead. The jack-of-all-trades handyman might not fix the drippy faucet as quickly or as textbook as the union plumber, but can your plumber also re-wire the ceiling fan, hang the closet door, and grout the bathroom tile? Do the math. I think not.

So I'm driving around empty streets last night. I get out of the car to grab a cup of coffee. It was as if I sprung out of an ejector seat! My clear mind allowed me to consciously become aware of how easy it was to get out of the driver's seat. It's not that it was ever difficult, but it had never been that easy...especially at 2am when the legs start to stiffen.

I thought for a moment about all the people I've watched get in and out of cars. Grunting. Groaning. Pulling on the door frame. Hands on knees. Gasping. "Ugh." If they struggle with something as seemingly simple as getting out of an automobile seat, what's the rest of their day like? How many other daily tasks are being limped through?

I affirmed to myself yet again, "I really am in the best shape of my life." I can't run a marathon today. I don't bench press 300 pounds anymore. It's been 8 years since my last rugby match. But I am more physically-balanced and well-rounded than ever before. This is a common feeling within the functional fitness community: BEST SHAPE EVER.

Then I imagine the man who loses a couple breaths to get out of his car. What was his physical prime? Why did he lose it? Maybe he let it slip away like I did: stop playing organized sport, change in metabolism, drink too much soda and beer, slack on the workout program for the sake of spending time with family and friends, mismanage time. Maybe he gets out of his driver's seat, grunts yet again, and says, "I'm in the worst shape of my life. How did I let this happen?"

My low point came after I quit running following a grueling marathon performance in 2002. I mistakenly kept eating as if I had the metabolism of endurance training. I packed on the pounds, and quickly found myself in the worst shape of my life. Overweight, tight pants, poor mobility/flexibility, crappy attitude. I was so disappointed in myself. Luckily, I got on the right track before my "condition" got the best of me.

There are others like me reading this posting who are cherishing their own moment of consciousness....living a life at the pinnacle of fitness. However, I know there are also readers of this blog who sadly find themselves in the worst shape of their lives. For you, look back and determine what was your prime. When were you standing on the summit? Why did you fall? Injury? Sickness? Family commitments? No time? Adapting to a habit of functional fitness exercises can bring reincarnation.

Some of my older friends laugh and tell me to "just wait about 10 years." Maybe it'll be me reminiscing about a time when I jumped onto my feet in my prime. Not a care in the world. Healthy joints. Loose pants. Only time will tell. Maybe I'll wait for some young pup to drag me out to the gym or trails...

Come out and join us. We'll help you get your springs back. There must be some truth to this functional fitness phenomenon if there's so many folks out here preaching, "I feel better than when I was twenty!" Imagine that!

Functionalist - defined (Part 2)

FUNCTIONALIST: One who prepares for a life strewn with physical tasks, efforts, and obstacles (both planned and unexpected), by learning, mimicking, and perfecting those body functions and abilities necessary for survival, completion, efficiency, and victory.

Now that's far from any scientific or sociological definition. Don't look for it in any official glossary. It's a wordy creation to describe my mindset (and ultimate mission) regarding my fitness program...a uniquely-tailored workout routine.

To begin as a functionalist, one must first recognize the physical nature of life. There are certain seemingly mundane tasks the average person does on a regular basis: get out of bed, bend over to tie shoelaces, carry bags of groceries, lift heavy boxes, play with their children around the house, and yard work. The list goes on. And every day, somewhere, someone gets hurt or injured doing one of these ordinary chores.

If one happened to pick a career of starched shirts and neckties, any bit of a physical aspect to his/her life might include only voluntary routines: a workout program or sport. Maybe s/he likes to run 5Ks, or lift weights, or play in a basketball or volleyball league. Their careers might be sedentary, but their lives are not! But does that triathlon hobby transmit to an increased ability to move furniture or do heavy landscaping around the house?

For others (much like the garbage man), a job might be the most physical part of life. I had two such jobs. I first recall days working in a warehouse. There was a tremendous amount of lifting, dragging, carrying, and moving of heavy, unbalanced, and awkwardly-shaped boxes. I also remember summers replacing storm sewer pipes...digging, hammering, breaking, and throwing. These were jobs that left me exhausted at the end of the day. However, these jobs' physical tasks were completely known and anticipated.

And at the extreme physical nature of work lies public safety. The jobs of firefighter, law enforcement, and military fall into a unique category: massive amounts of sedentary lifelessness, infrequently interspersed with short bursts of high intensity. Some of these spur-of-the-moment events ask the doer for odd physical needs such as clearing tough obstacles or fighting an assailant. Regardless, it is not the suddenness nor the intensity which steers FF/LE/MIL training. It is the potential catostrophic results of failure! Elite fitness is a MUST in public safety careers.

But this article is not solely for FF/LE/MIL. It addresses a much broader group: Functionalists. We each have a bit of functionalism inside us. So what "functions?" At one end of the spectrum there are those who look at purely a better "quality of life" (being able to perform daily tasks more easily)... for example carrying laundry baskets and shoveling snow. Or becoming better at sports and hobbies. At the opposite end, there's a public safety group (who also has quality of life concerns), but MUST be physically (and mentally and emotionally) prepared for life and death struggles at a pin drop's notice. In the middle, there are physical job employees where it's not a life and death battle, but efficiency gained by increases in a worker's physical abilities. What all three (3) of these crudely gathered groups share is the need to complete everyday life tasks. These body movements include:

standing up from a horizontal position
lifting from the ground
lifting overhead
pulling with hands towards body
lifting oneself up
bending over
squating down (and up)
twisting and turning the torso

A physical worker (if s/he decided to workout to prepare for the job) might add certain movement patterns to this list. And a FF/LE/MIL employee should identify specialized skills and abilities. But like I said above, there are movements each and every one of us must master to live a productive physical life. We're not all trench diggers or SWAT police officers, but we are all human animals required to do physical tasks...with some basic fundamental level of fitness. If our current fitness programs are not addressing the above list of movements, we are neglecting our most primative needs.

Functionalists (Part 1)

I was talking to a veteran garbage man the other week. He explained how new guys riding a garbage truck are usually put to shame by the day-in-day-out performances of the older (and seemingly out of shape) men. At the end of their first week, these young pups with chiseled chests and bulging biceps are nearly falling over from fatigue of carrying and lifting bags, cans, and boxes into the hopper. At least their arms look good with sleeves rolled up.

This is the truest example of functionalism out there. Here we have a young man who has religiously followed an accepted and traditional weightlifting/bodybuilding routine. It has given him exactly what the program originally intended: a built body. It is nice to look at, and he is excellent at those movements such as curls, bench press, and shoulder shrugs. however, the task-relatedness is virtually non-existent. His program lacks the mimicking of real life, which for him is now carrying and lifting heavy garbage cans...all day long.

Veteran garbage men have adapted to the physical needs of their job. Their "workouts" have been their pickup routes, and they do them everyday! They not only have workouts that mimic real life, their workouts ARE real life. The garbage man I was talking to is a slender (some say skinny) man. He never had nor will have big arms or a buff chest. But his body is absolutely excellent at preforming certain coordinated tasks: lifting odd shaped items off the ground, carrying them, then throwing them into a truck box. For those who equate a muscular frame to strength, his ability is surprising. The garbage man is the embodiment of a Functionalist because HE HAS TO!!

After beginning a different post (which will likely become Part 2), I decided to begin the Functionalism theme with this antidote of the garbage man. Until I get around to posting future parts of this topic, make a mental list of some of the physical tasks in your life. Start with this: carrying grocery bags, helping my brother move into his new apartment, etc.