Geoff and I did explosive training yesterday, plus some EST (energy system training – I’m learning so many new acronyms!) at the end. I also started reading a book that he gave me on functional strength training. Wow, it’s so much more involved than any other kind of training I’ve read about, and I’m getting glimpses of what he’s trying to do with my program.
A lot the exercises this book recommends, while they seem simple, are shockingly hard. For example, there’s a progressive series of exercises to teach you to involve the deep abdominal muscles rather than rectus abdominis (what we generally think of as “abs”), and it was freaky how poorly I performed. I mean, I can clean and jerk reasonable amounts of weight with safe (if amateurish) form, but last night on my couch I couldn’t lie on my back and suck my belly button towards my spine for five five-second reps with proper form without feeling like a total strength training n00b again.