Welcome to the Funk Roberts Fitness Blog. Here, I will provide you with useful information that will help you with your health needs. Find fitness tips, workouts, sample diets, nutritional information and motivation to help reach your fitness goals.
Ultimate Sandbag Training is awesome!! I am so excited that I have added this element to my training and even more pumped to bring this element to you. After this workout today I asked myself, what took me so long?
I say that because I have had the Sandbag in the basement for a while and only decided to bring it out yesterday and test this bad boy. The result is astounding: every muscle in my body is sore from the workout, which means, the Ultimate Sandbag works.
Check out this fat burning, stength building, functional workout and CLICK HERE to order your Ultimate Sandbag today!
You will perform the Ultimate Sandbag Spartacus Workout #1 as a circuit, doing one set of each exercise in succession. Each exercise is timed for 45 seconds. You will do as many reps as you can, in that duration (with perfect form), then move on to the next station in the circuit. You get 15 seconds to transition between stations, and then move onto the next exercise.
After you complete all 10 exercises or one circuit in succession you will rest for 2 minutes. Then repeat 2 more times. That is what is called a 45-15 Interval workout (45 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest). Total workout takes 40 minutes.
In the battle for greater fat loss, possessing the right tools is vitally important. Often boredom, lack of time, and minimal variety can quickly sabotage even the best laid fitness programs. This had led me to a continual and never ending search for training methods and tools that can produce fast results and keep training fun!
Fat loss and great fitness were only part of my goals as a serious back injury had long kept me from pursuing my personal fitness with great consistency. I constantly experimented with many different ideas and one that instantly seemed to fit all my needs was sandbag training.
With all the modern pieces of fitness equipment why would a sandbag appear to be an ideal solution for my fitness needs? I evaluated what are the common requirements of a well rounded fitness program?
1. Something that could train a lot of muscles at one time to stimulate not only fat loss, but optimal muscle gain.
2. A tool that could challenge my core strength for not only great abdominals, but one that was equally as strong to help bring my back to my ideal level.
3. A program that could easily be adapted to a beginner or an elite athlete.
4. Something that could be used in a multitude of ways to train endurance, strength, and flexibility.
5.Ideally a program that had stood the test of time and proven to be effective over the centuries.
Sandbags were ideal for all of these considerations. Training compound lifts is one of the first rules in creating effective fat loss programs. By stimulating a large number of muscles we burn a lot of calories as well as stimulate the positive hormones that help shred body fat and increase lean body mass. Sure, barbells, bodyweight exercises, and dumbbells can all be used in this manner. However, sandbags stimulate more muscles than any!
Because sandbags change their shape as you lift them, the body has to recruit the big prime movers as well as the stabilizers to perform all the lifts. This means we are training more muscles leading to a better result! Ever notice how much easier it is to lift a well balanced box with handles than an awkward bag with no handles?
Holding sandbags in different positions, whether it is on the shoulder, bear hug, zercher, or any of the many varieties makes the core work harder. The weight either tries to pull the body forward and the trunk must resist or the core has to prevent the body when the weight is loaded on the side.
Sandbags can be used for interval training, strength training, and easily integrated into many other fitness programs. Take a sandbag and your bodyweight and you can develop an incredible fat loss program that would never become boring!
Skeptic? Just give sandbag training one workout and you will quickly become a believer in its effectiveness and challenge.
75 million Americans suffer from a condition known as metabolic disorder (you can add a lot more if you count the Canada and the rest of the world as well), a condition characterized by a bulging belly and known as a precursor to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even some cancers.
This reality has forced some of the top trainers in the world like BJ Gaddour and myself to up our game and create this new style of training that trumps aerobics known as metabolic resistance training that can help burn belly fat, boost weight loss, build rock-hard muscle, and skyrocket metabolism.
A metabolic workout is essentially a total body circuit of non-competitive exercises that works different areas of your body with short rest periods between exercises. In other words, you quickly and seamlessly alternate between a series of upper body, lower body, and core exercises to keep intensity high while getting a ton of work done in a very short period of time.
Metabolic workouts like the Men’s Health Spartacus 1.0 and 2.0 and my Spartacus workouts torch a TON of calories and can flat out get you ripped in no time. Every day I receive amazing body transformation testimonials from people all over the world that have done the Funk Roberts 4 Week Spartacus Program – http://www.spartacusworkout.com/
The Spartacus style workouts are being used by men and women of different fitness levels, athletes, combat fighters and of course the actors from Spartacus- Blood and Sand.
Here is a BJ Gaddour with a new 48-minute TRX Spartacus 2.0 Workout created for Men’s Health Magazine and you.
Step1- Each exercise is a station. At each station do as many reps as you can in 40 seconds. Rest for 20 seconds and move on to the next station. Go until you’ve done 2 circuits, then rest 2 minutes and do 2 more circuits. Rest for another 2 minutes, then go to Step2.
Station#1- TRX Rear-Foot-Elevated Med Ball Slams
Station#2- Band-Resisted TRX Atomic Push-ups
Station#3- Kettlebell 1-Arm Bottoms Up TRX Single-Leg Squat
Station#4- TRX 1-Leg, 1-Arm Kettlebell Row
Station#5- TRX Sandbag Fusion Rotational Lifts
Step2- Each exercise is a station. At each station do as many reps as you can in 40 seconds. Rest for 20 seconds and move on to the next station. Go until you’ve done 2 circuits, then rest 2 minutes and do 2 more circuits and you’re done!
Station#1- Band-Resisted TRX Bent-Knee Hip Extensions
Station#2- TRX Sandbag Fusion Jammer
Station#3- TRX Rear-Foot-Elevated Sandbag Clean and Press
Here is the article BJ Gaddour wrote on his experience shooting the Men's Health Magazine workout, the effectiveness of the workout and why YOU should be using a TRX suspension system. - http://www.workoutmuse.com/
When I was at RODALE headquarters last Monday shooting exercise vids among other things, I was chatting with Men’s Health Fitness Director Adam Campbell about their extremely successful Spartacus Workout series.
To briefly recap, Adam teamed up with world class trainers Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, CA, to create some high-intensity, fat-smashing metabolic circuits designed for those dudes (and gals) looking to build a body of, well, epic proportions in line with promoting the new series SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND.
A metabolic workout is essentially a total body circuit of non-competitive exercises that works different areas of your body with short rest periods between exercises. In other words, you quickly and seamlessly alternate between a series of upper body, lower body, and core exercises to keep intensity high while getting a ton of work done in a very short period of time.
Adam told me that both the Spartacus 1.0 and 2.0 Workouts are the most popular Men’s Health workouts of all time and that says a lot for the world’s largest men’s magazine which pumps out countless killer workouts each and every month.
So why is the Spartacus Workout series so popular?
I think it’s because most fitness junkies love a crazy workout challenge and more importantly, the big results that come with rising to the occasion.
But there’s more to this workout series than just that.
The reality is that 75 million Americans suffer from a condition known as metabolic disorder, a condition characterized by a bulging belly and known as a precursor to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even some cancers.
This reality has forced some of the top trainers in the world to up their game and create this new style of training that trumps aerobics known as metabolic resistance training that can help burn belly fat, boost weight loss, build rock-hard muscle, and skyrocket metabolism.
Though nobody will argue that a dietary intervention has far greater impact on reversing the trends of said metabolic disorder – mainly by cutting out added sugar in your diet and opting for more fibrous, nutrient-dense fruits and veggies – studies show that high-intensity anaerobic exercise can also help reverse insulin resistance, a symptom of metabolic disorder whereby your pancreas can no longer secrete enough insulin to effectively manage your blood sugar.
But beyond the health benefits, metabolic workouts like Spartacus 1.0 and 2.0 torch a TON of calories and can flat out get you ripped in no time.
To quote Adam Campbell:
“When Christopher Scott, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of Southern Maine, began using an advanced method to estimate energy expenditure during exercise, his data indicated that weight training burns more calories than originally thought—up to 71 percent more. Based on these findings, it’s estimated that performing just one circuit of eight exercises—which takes about 8 minutes— can expend 159 to 231 calories. That’s about the same as running at a 6-minute-mile pace for the same duration.”
So you can use classic resistance training exercises in a circuit format to burn as many calories of running without all that pounding on the joints- sweet!
Now the Spartacus 2.0 workout consists of 2 steps, each step consisting of circuit of 5 exercises repeated twice followed by a 2-minute transition period before you do it again. In other words, there are 4 different 10 exercise circuits that you perform for a fat-slaying 48-minute total body workout.
Using the latest caloric expenditure estimates of anaerobic exercise, this means that the Spartacus 2.0 Workout can burn over 1,000 calories just during the exercise bout itself!
Mind you, this doesn’t include the post-workout calorie burn or “afterburn” that continues to churn along for up 48 hours after completing this workout.
Yep, this workouts kicks ass and it will kick your ass if you have guts to do it!
But, recently I made a couple of tweaks to it that I think will get you even better results.
Where the original workout used dumbbells in an effort to be more user-friendly for people who workout in the comfort of their own home with minimal equipment options, my new TRX Spartacus 2.0 Workout uses the TRX Suspension Trainer in every exercise.
Why? Suspension training provides the type of unstable training environment that will engage more muscle, cause greater activation of your core (you know you love to work your abs), and burn even more calories than you would otherwise.
But there’s yet another X-factor with this unique training tool- it activates the fight or flight response that will truly make your body change and FAST.
More specifically, being suspended makes your body think it’s in a survival state and as a result you release catecholamines, better known as adrenaline, which are proven to best mobilize the stubborn fat found in the belly and lower back of men and the hips and thighs of women.
Plus, I think the TRX is second to none for providing a fresh and fun total fitness experience due to it’s portability and versatility and the fact that it can be integrated with other phenomenal training tools like kettlebells, resistance bands, sandbags, med balls, and more.
After all, Men’s Health did vote the TRX Suspension Trainer to be the best total body training tool on the planet for a reason.
Our best-selling app, iWorkout Muse PRO for the iPhone and iPod Touch, allows you to build custom interval training soundtracks mixed to your favorite music:
So I want to share this amazing bodyweight training system for Men and Women called the “Shapeshifter Bodyweight Training System” that my buddies Adam Steer and Ryan Murdock are about to launch.
They’re not ready to launch yet, but to generate interest, they’re giving away 6 days of their program so you can give it a test drive – you know “TRY BEFORE BUY”
As you know, I love bodyweight training and used it exclusively for 6 months as I prepare for my Professional Muay Thai fight last year in Thailand. I couldn’t believe how much fat I burned, how much lean muscle I gained and how much my overall strength improved.
Adam and Ryan are always on the cutting edge, not only with their training, but also their delivery of their programs, which I've also learned from and they've outdone themselves again.
They have included manuals, printable charts, instructional videos, and follow along videos.
With this FREE giveaway, you can get a few new exercises to add to your bodyweight training arsenal as well
Be sure to check it out and take advantage of this free giveaway. You don't have to buy anything, no catch and no strings attached and once you check it out I know you'll be glad you did.
Can you believe as of today over 50,000 people have grabbed a copy of this cool workout routine, so get yours.
HOW TO GET RID OF JUMPER'S KNEE - PATELLA TENONITIS
WARNING NOTE – I AM NOT A DOCTOR. I AM NOT A PHYSICAL THERAPIST. IF YOU ARE INJURED, GO SEE A PROFESSIONAL.
I shot this video 10 weeks out from my Muay Thai fight in Thailand and wanted to share with you. I was feeling a little tweak in my knee (patellar tendinopathy), when I was skipping, in my prior training session and knew right away, my quads (which I hadn't worked in a while due to fight training) needed some love...and hence the workout.
I played professional indoor and beach volleyball for over 15 years.
What does that mean? It means a lot of jumping up and down, moving side to side, back and forth and the increase in the potential of getting knee injuries.
I am sure over the span of this period; I probably jumped up and down over 100,000 times, between practices, matches and beach volleyball games.
One of the most common nagging injuries for me and other volleyball players alike was the patellar tendinopathy, better known as jumper’s knee. This injury has put many athletes on the shelf, but with a few tweaks, many athletes can avoid this.
So with years of research, testing on myself and visits to my Physiotherapist, I found a few ways to combat jumper’s knee throughout by strengthening and stretching my quads and legs.
In this article I will give you a quick overview of what patella tendinopathy, some of the symptoms and ways I have found to help prevent and combat this nagging injury.
WHAT IS PATELLAR TENDINOPATHY (PATELLA TENDONITIS) ?
Jumpers Knee or Patellar Tendinopathy occurs when the patella tendon, which joins the kneecap (patella) to the shin bone, comes under a large amount of stress due to individuals who actively put extra strain on the knee joint. This is seen in individuals that perform sports that involve direction changing and jumping movements.
With repeated strain, micro-tears as well as collagen degeneration may occur as a result in the tendon. Not to be confused with patella tendonitis (tendinitis) which is a condition that indicates an inflammation of the tendon, tendinopathy is more about degeneration of the tendon.
SYMPTOMS:
Some of the symptoms that you may be experiencing if you have Patellar Tendinopathy are:
• Pain at the bottom and front of the kneecap especially when pressing in
• Aching and stiffness after exertion
• Pain when you contract the quadriceps muscles.
• The affected tendon may appear larger than the unaffected side.
For me, as soon as I felt that pain at the bottom of the knee, it was FUNK’S REHAB to the rescue.
I found when researching to write this article that there are 4 levels or grades to Patellar Tendinopathy
• Grade 1: Pain only after training
• Grade 2: Pain before and after training but pain eases once warmed-up
• Grade 3: Pain during training which limits your performance
• Grade 4: Pain during every day activities
If you have any of these symptoms, see you doctor first and then try my below suggestions
TREATMENT - How to Treat Patella Tendinopathy
This is the moment you have all been waiting for. Here are some of my suggestions for treating your jumpers/fighters/runners knee
• Quadriceps muscle strengthening program: in particular eccentric strengthening. These exercises involve working the muscles as they are lengthening and are thought to maximise tendinopathy recovery – see video and below Quad Workout.
• Stretching the quads, hamstrings, calves
• Ice packs to reduce pain and inflammation after any form of exercise
• Wear a knee support, or jumper’s knee strap to reduce pain and ease the strain on the tendon.
• See a sports injury specialist who can apply sports massage techniques to the tendon and advise on a rehabilitation program.
• Muscle strengthening of other weight bearing muscle groups, such as the calf muscles, may decrease the loading on the patellar tendon.
• Massage therapy - transverse (cross) friction techniques may be used.
• Rest from training
FUNK’S TREATMENT
My number #1 treatment is to try and strengthen the quad muscles and keep your legs strong and power full to ensure you take the pressure off your knees and on your quads when jumping, striking and/or running.
Implement the below workout into your weekly training schedule to ensure that your quads and legs are strong and powerful.
FUNK ROBERTS QUAD WORKOUT
1. BARBELL SQUAT 5 SETS OF 10 REPS (GO HEAVY, GO DEEP, GO HARD)
2. BODYWEIGHT BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS – 3 SETS OF 10 REPS
3. LEG EXTENSIONS – 3 SETS 10-15 REPS (GO LIGHT)
4. RIDE THE BIKE FOR 10 MINUTES
5. STRETCH, STRETCH AND STRETCH
BEST EXERCISES FOR YOU LEGS
These are the exercises that everyone should have in their workout arsenal. If you are not performing these moves then you are just wasting your time in the gym. Not saying that you have to these all the time, but these exercises need to be part of your workout regime. These are the Best Damn Exercises for Period
Training legs is probably one of the most overlooked, let me rephrase that, neglected body parts in peoples workout regimen. Unless you are a bodybuilder, very few invest the time to develop strong, powerful, yet leaned and ripped legs. They are your foundation and must be trained for optimal performance, injury prevention and overall your look.
