This is the seventh article in my series of Top 10 Functional Strength Exercises. The aim of this series is to introduce some of my favourite strength exercises, that people may not be aware of or may not have tried.
What is the push press?
A push press is a press from the shoulders to a […]

It’s about time I shared some more great links with you, to give you both food for thought and entertainment. Today I’m introducing a new forum, a video series, some great blogs and a fab free training guide. You can always check out my Links page anytime as well.
Funckey forum - This new forum on all things functional […]

This is the sixth article in my series of Top 10 Functional Strength Exercises. The aim of this series is to introduce some of my favourite strength exercises, that people may not be aware of or may not have tried.
What is the overhead squat?
The overhead squat is a deep squat performed while holding a barbell […]

I suspect all of us have emotional routines attached to our training sessions that play a big part in the training process. I often feel nervous before a workout, but at the same time I know this is a good thing. If I don’t feel nervous, a little voice in the back of my head […]

I went for a max chin-up attempt the other day and got 11 good reps with the form I was aiming for. Going over 10 reps was a milestone for me as I was stuck on around 7 or 8 for ages! However, once I had broken through that particular plateau, progress was faster and […]

Joining a club is a great way to train for a new sport because you can rely on the club to set your training sessions and you get the opportunity to test your progress in competition settings. I belong to the rowing team at the Glendorgal, Newquay, where our coach Tommy Gee plans our training […]

I’ve seen some valid criticisms of the notion of “functional strength” or even “functional fitness”. After all, strength is itself functional, however it is developed. The “functional strength” crowd doesn’t have a monopoly on whole body or compound exercises. These are used across the strength disciplines by powerlifters, bodybuilders, martial artists and so on.
I can […]

The muscle-up is one of the most challenging tests of strength for the amateur trainee. If you’ve mastered dips and pull-ups and you are looking for your next challenge, add the muscle-up to your arsenal.
If you want to learn this difficult move you will need some excellent guidance and Crossfit London’s Ring Training guide by […]

Indoor rowing is one of the most misunderstood exercises in the gym. This is partly because indoor rowing is somewhat counter-intuitive: it looks like a machine where you just pull on the handle as hard as you can.
Few people really think that going on a treadmill and running flat out for as long as you […]