These lower body training principles from Marcus Filly will help you take your strength, movement, fitness, performance and health to the next level.
Marcus Filly is a multiple time CrossFit Games competitor and pioneer of functional bodybuilding.
What is Functional Bodybuilding?
“Functional Bodybuilding is a training philosophy and a movement that can benefit anyone in the fitness community. The essence of the movement is that training shouldn’t constantly beat you down, but rather build you up and make you feel great.”
“As the functional fitness community has evolved in the past years to embrace intensity as a goal in and of itself, we have seen more and more people suffering from burnout and injury. It’s time to shift the pendulum back, help people define what intensity is right for them, and show them alternative ways of training that keep them functional, but also honor age old training principles that help people stay healthy, balanced and strong.”
Developing the Mind Muscle Connection
“The brain muscle connection is the first stage in strength development. Creating nervous system connections to the muscles is what we see babies do as they develop. Their movements start out a little spastic as they are trying to figure out how to get their brain signals to coordinate with the movements they want to achieve. Then those movements smooth out over time as the brain development occurs and mind-muscle connections happen. At that point they can begin to get stronger and support themselves more and more.”
“The same process needs to happen with athletes and in fitness.”
“As we develop into more advanced athletes, it is also worthwhile to revisit these static patterns almost as if you are rebooting your computer. It helps deepen these connections and correct any hardware misfiring that might be going on.”
1. Lower Body Training Principles – Squat Warm Up
“Favorite Squat Prep – sled push and pull to get the ankles and knees warmed up, followed by a superset of Monkey Foot or Banded Hamstring Curls + Poliquin Step-Ups. Finish off with Copenhagen Raises to hit the adductors and you are ready to squat DEEP.”
2. Lower Body Training Principles – Develop End Range Strength
“This is the MOST DIFFICULT DEADLIFT variation I know of. Perform a Snatch Grip Deadlift to a deficit. Charles Poliquin loved this movement.”
“If you perform it like this it will combine the squat and pulling patterns. Move slowly on the way down, hit full depth at the bottom, and don’t let the bar touch the floor at all!”
“You will build the most INSANE BACK ever!”
3. Lower Body Training Principles – Make Your Reps Perfect
“How many times do you come to the gym with the main goal of making the reps PERFECT?”
“Broaden your horizons beyond the number on the bar – you can look good and feel amazing when movement quality is your goal.”
4. Lower Body Training Principles – Take your Mobility to the Next Level
“Accomplish the unimaginable when you follow a structured recovery and mobility plan.”
Finish every workout with the following routine and you will be well on your way to achieving the front splits.
- Elevated Pigeon – Hold 2mins/side
- Assisted Front Split – Hold 2mins/side
- Reclining Hero Pose – Hold 2mins
5. Lower Body Training Principles – Pre-Fatigue to Improve your Movement
“Have you ever hit a big compound lift like a Back Squat and felt like on your last set you were FINALLY moving well?”
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“That is why we Pre-Fatigue in Functional Bodybuilding – think of it as warmup+ to get your mind and muscles READY for the big lifts of the day.”
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HOT START
3 Sets
500m Bike
30 Double Unders
250m Row
15 Slant Board Squats
rest 60sec between rounds
+
Pre-Fatigue x 2 Rounds
Single Arm Cable Elbowing Row x 10/arm
Single Leg Hip Thrust x 10/leg
Cable Crunches x 15reps
Hip Abduction Machine x 20reps
Learn More from Marcus Filly.
image sources
- Athele-Setting-Up-for-Squat: Alexander Redl on Unsplash
