The term “functional fitness” has been all the buzz and for good reason. Functional fitness workouts are designed to train your muscles to prepare for everyday tasks by mimicking common movements like reaching, pulling, or squatting that you might do in daily life. Consistently engaging in these workouts can result in easier, safer, and more efficient performance in things like carrying in groceries, or playing tag with your kids. The focus of functional fitness is to improve quality of life through exercise.

Functional type exercises use multiple joints and multiple muscles. A squat is an example of functional exercise because it works to train the joints and muscles used when you stand up and sit down from a chair or lower down to pick up objects from the floor. Performing a squat fires up quads, glutes, and hamstrings, and hinges your knee, hip and ankle joints all at the same time.

Your Functional Fitness Toolbox

Functional workouts can be done almost anywhere. To make them even more fun, we put together a “Functional Fitness Toolbox” full of colorful Prism Fitness exercise equipment. 

1. SMART Core Wheel with Mat

The Smart Core Wheel delivers the best core workout for the entire core (not just abs!) with one tool. Strap your feet or grip the handles for a great core-focused workout.

2. SMART Indoor Ladder

The rubber Smart Indoor Ladder will help athletes of all levels improve their quickness, agility, coordination and control. This high-quality, versatile athletic training tool is also designed to be very easy to use and store.

3. SMART Stability Balls

The Smart Stability Balls are self-guided for users at all fitness levels. They feature 13 exercises that are printed on the ball for easy reference.

4. SMART Medicine Balls

The Smart Medicine Balls are a functional fitness staple. The weighted center forces the user to use different muscle groups to throw, bounce or twist with the ball.

8 exercises are printed on each ball for easy reference. They also feature a textured surface for a reliable grip and made of sturdy rubber.

5. Smart Straps Body Weight Training System

Finally, you won’t be staring at the dangling straps wondering what to do with it! 12 self-guided exercises printed directly on the straps for easy reference.

No more wrestling with floppy straps; easily place your foot in the pre-formed cuffs either facing down or facing up to perform even more core and leg exercises!

Be sure to follow our social feeds for workout ideas using our SMART line of Prism Fitness products.

Here’s a Cardio SMART Medicine Ball Workout for you to try!

1.  Jump Squat with Hold

2.  SMART Med Ball Burpee

3. Duck walk with backward shuffle

4. Side Knee Repeater

30 seconds each. 4 rounds. Repeat! ((Be sure to switch up those legs for the knee repeaters each round.))

Your backside is made up of three of the largest and strongest muscles in your body: the glute maximum, glute medius, and glute minimus, commonly referred to as just “the glutes.” These glute muscles work together for hip abduction, rotation, and extension.

Unfortunately, if you have a job where you are sitting or driving for long periods, your posterior chain muscles can get weaker, while the hip flexors have a tendency shorten, making them feel tight. In short, they “turn off” or stop firing as efficiently, effectively, and strongly as they should, and they become weak and underworked.

Strengthening the muscles in your backside will improve posture and will keep the integrity of movement in your hip joint. When you keep your glutes strong, you take the pressure off your lower back because the work can be handled by the strong muscles in your backside.

Strong glutes create stability in the pelvis and SI joints, and this can lead to improvements in athletic ability in areas of speed, agility, jumping, and lateral movements. Pelvis stability can also reduce pressure on your knees which helps to prevent injury in the knee and ankle joints. In addition to increases in athletic performance, and injury prevention, strong glutes can also help with making everyday movements easier. Sitting down, standing, picking up heavy objects, and climbing stairs all become more natural with a strong backside.

For best results, train your glutes at least once a week using mostly compound, multi-joint exercises.

Glute workout using the Smart Stability Ball

Here are three exercises that you can work into your routine:

1. Wall Sit

Use this isometric exercise to build strength and endurance in glutes, calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, and adductor muscles. Hold yourself in a seated position, between 30 to 60 seconds. The addition of the stability ball to a wall sit increases the work on your balance and posture. 

2. Hip Bridge Hold and Roll

The hip bridge hold and roll is an excellent workout for the hamstrings, abs, glutes, and lower back and to keep your posture upright in either a standing or sitting position. This exercise is a great alternative for those who have a hard time with squats because of hip or knee pain.

3. Stability Ball Squat 

Adding a stability ball to your squat increases spinal alignment and shoulder engagement and encourages proper form through the entire range of motion. Holding the ball above your head will help your spine stay long and keep the weight in your heels. 

What is a Fitness Cable, exactly, and how do they work?

Sometimes referred to as resistance bands, fitness cables are tubular elastic made from professional-grade rubber that when stretched provide varying levels of resistance. Some cables, such as our sleeved tubing, are encased in nylon sheathing that enhances safety and comfort during resistance training. 

Resistance bands can provide continuous tension but will force the select muscle group to work the hardest at the end of the arc when the band is pulled tight, whereas in free weights the heaviest load is felt at the beginning of the range of motion. Fitness cables allow you to feel resistance in every phase of the movement.

The 3 R’s of Fitness Cables

1. Rehab

2. Recovery

3. Resistance

Fitness cables are a very versatile tool in the fitness world. Lighter bands can be used in exercises to rehab an injury, or in a stretching routine to increase range of motion. Heavier bands can be added to make your workouts progressively harder. Each band is color-coded to indicate resistance level, and by using the Smart Quick Flip Handles, users can create their own multi-level resistance system right at their fingertips.

If you want to add even more variety to your cable workouts, The Kiio fit wall gym can be installed on your wall to enhance your training sessions.

Five reasons to add Fitness Cables to your routine.

1. Protect your joints and muscles.

2. Perfect for traveling

3. Whole-body workout at any fitness or recovery level

4. A cost-effective way to build a multi-level strength training system

5. Easy to learn and safe to use.

3 Fitness Cable exercises to try: 

What you’ll need:

· Fitness Cable + Smart Quick Flip Handles or SMART Sleeved Tubing

· Pole,  small tree, or Kiio Fit Wall Gym

Find a sturdy pole or tree and wrap the fitness cable or tubing around until you find the beginning of the resistance arc.

1. Squat Hold with Leg Lift

Facing the pole/tree/Kiio, sit in a squat position holding the handles of the cable with one in each hand evenly on each side. Balance your body with the weight in your heels, chest lifted, shoulders back. Alternate lifting legs as you hold your body steady using the cable.

2. Rowing

Facing the pole/tree/Kiio, hold the handles with one in each hand evenly on each side. Next, ground your legs and pull back with your elbows while keeping your shoulders down. Return to start position slowly to enhance the eccentric phase.

3. Punching

Facing away from the pole/tree/Kiio, hold one cable handle in each hand with even distribution on each side. The cable should lay on the outside of your arm. Next, lean slightly forward, brace your torso, and extend one arm out, twisting the fist during the extension until the fingernails face the ground. Avoid locking the elbow. Retract back to starting position and alternate arms as you punch in the air. Repeat while keeping the tension steady.

for your next outdoor training session.

Designing an outdoor bootcamp doesn’t have to be hard. All you need is adequate space, a good class design, and enough equipment for your group.  Even if you only have room for a handful of products, the variations to your workout can be tremendous. To show you versatility, we took just four of our Prism Fitness Products and designed 3 different, 4 station boot camps for you to try by yourself, or as a small group training session!

A good boot camp workout mixes cardio, strength, and agility exercises – working opposing major muscle groups and alternating between upper body and lower body work. Whether you are a fitness pro looking for a class design for small group training that is ready to roll out, or you just want to hit a solo session, we give a few choices for a simple, but effective circuit-style routine.

What you’ll need:

✅ SMART Medicine Ball

✅  SMART MODULAR Agility Ladder  

✅SMART 3 in 1 Plyo Box  

✅ Fitness Cables and Accessories

EQUIPMENT SET UP: The following designs work best for up to 4 people. Leave enough room to perform the work, while keeping the stations close enough to maximize group interaction.

SMART BOOTCAMP DESIGN # 1

✅ SMART Plyo Cube Box: Donkey Kicks

✅ SMART Medicine Ball: Sumo Squat Hold with Overhead and Side Rotations

✅  Fitness Cables: Single Leg Cable Extension

✅Modular Agility Ladder: Single Leg Hop

SMART BOOTCAMP DESIGN # 2

✅ Single Leg Cable Raises

✅ SMART Med Ball Mountain Climbers with Foot Balance

✅  In and Out SMART MODULAR Agility Ladder Drills

✅SMART Plyo Cube Box Rebounding Box Jumps

SMART BOOTCAMP DESIGN # 3

✅ One arm side raise with Fitness Cable

✅ Seated balance with SMART Med Ball hold

✅ SMART MODULAR Agility Ladder Forward Runs

✅SMART Plyo Cube Box Jump with Plank Kick Back

TIMED CIRCUIT:

Each participant chooses a starting station. Go all-out on the exercise for 30 seconds. During a 10 second rest cycle, move to the next station and prepare for the next exercise. Complete all four stations for 4 consecutive rounds. Take a 60 second rest. Put on repeat to build a killer workout session!

IMPORTANT! Be sure to alternate during subsequent rounds on the single arm/leg exercises such as the single leg cable raises and the one arm side raise with fitness cables.

SPEED CIRCUIT:

Challenge yourself to complete a prescribed number of reps and record your time.

On subsequent rounds, try to beat that time! This can be a great way to spark a little competition in a small group training session, or even as a personal challenge goal.

Remember, form always comes before speed, so if you find yourself performing the exercises fast but sloppy, slow down until you can work more speed into your workout while maintaining good body mechanics.

SMART EQUIPMENT PROFILES:

1. SMART MEDICINE BALL

The Smart Medicine Balls are a functional fitness staple. The weighted center forces the user to use different muscle groups to throw, bounce or twist with the ball.

8 exercises are printed on each ball for easy reference. They also feature a textured surface for a reliable grip and made of sturdy rubber.

2. FITNESS CABLE OPTIONS & ACCESSORIES

The interchangeable Fitness Cables, along with the Smart Quick Switch Handles, allow users to create their own resistance systems to strengthen and tone from head to toe. Use different cables for different exercises and ranges of motion or move up to the next resistance level as your strength increases.

3. SMART MODULAR AGILITY LADDER

Snap ladders together for the desired length AND connect rungs together to create the desired width!

Create various patterns from double/triple lane ladders to obstacles, zig zag patterns, and a full grid!

4. SMART 3 IN 1 PLYO Cube

The 3-in-1 Smart Foam Plyo can be used at 20″, 24″ and 30″ heights (all in one!) There are 9 exercises printed on the plyo box for easy reference.

It’s made of high-density foam with a commercial-grade vinyl cover.