I realize upon writing this post, there could be folks out there who rightfully could accuse me of exaggerating the title of this post. I realize I still may have a long way to go, but in defense I have to say I have come a long way as well.
We all know the sociology and psychology behind this common phenomenon. You learn something new and exciting and discover the amazing benefits, and consequently you can not help but to share this with others – it is natural. I “discovered” Functional Fitness for myself in 2007. It began with a little program called Core Performance, which is a twelve week program marketed to athletes and the masses, and which argues for the focus on a person’s core in order to obtain great fitness in many areas such as strength, elasticity, and agility.
To complete the U2 song, I actually had found what I was looking for.
My good friend, Jason Robillard, was going through a similar journey and recommended Crossfit and Gym Jones. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with those formats, so I began to create my own workouts. I blinked and before I knew it, I had a blog, wrote books, got a core and Functional Fitness certification, trained dozens of others, and even have an app! How did that all happen? Wow!
This blog, though, created a space to where I could “share” what I was so passionate about. Unfortunately, this “sharing” at times morphed into “preaching.” You either did Functional Fitness, or you were wrong. How could you priortize muscle isolation or running without crosstraining? Seriously!!
Runners choked down my unending sermons because I think they really believed in crosstraining deep down. Others, however, challenged me – again, rightfully so. However, I simply wrote them off as being stuck in their unlightened ways and ignorant of the truth. High Intensity Interval Training, the power of a strong core, working movements not muscles, priortizing a dozen aspects of fitness and not just strength and power! Duh! They obviously were idiots if they couldn’t grasp how Functional Fitness is the only path!
But alas…I was the one in the dark. I was blinded, as many have been before me, by my own passion. I narrowed my view and held my ground and shouted from my roof top. I was wrong. Functional Fitness IS a great road to health, but it is not the only game in town.
I am not changing my program any time soon. I still believe Functional Fitness is a great tool for many folks new to fitness, for runners looking to crosstrain, and for folks who just want a balanced approach. Others, who have specific targets and goals, or who enjoy other styles/formats of exercise, could get off track if they succumbed to my rants. Functional Fitness might not get them where they want to go. It is not for everybody.
Challenging your own strong beliefs is important for growth. I hope I will continue to force myself to reflect, and more importantly, listen to others.
Part of getting older is listening and learning from others and be willing to change if need be. It’s how we get our wisdom in our older age. It’s from our research, trial and errors and advise from others. Some people can be runners and feel everyone should be able to run and can’t understand why they can’t. They feel they are doing something wrong but all of our bodies are different and we need to do what is good for our bodies. Same with training and exercise. You’re on your way to success because you are growing in your thinking and willing to bend a little in what you feel is the right way. Way to go I can’t wait to follow your journey in your new phase of your life.