Accessories used in functional training include: TRX straps, sandbag, Bosu, kettlebell, Flexi-Bar, gym ball. Learn how to use these devices, learn about their benefits and the impact of training with their use on the figure.

The accessories used in functional training are to increase the effectiveness of the exercises and diversify them. For example, push-ups on an exercise ball additionally involve the oblique muscles of the abdomen, quadriceps and buttocks. They require greater concentration, because it is easy to lose balance on the ball and they improve motor coordination. Each of the exercise devices described below is eagerly used by trainers conducting functional training.

Accessories for functional training - TRX

TRX is a popular piece of equipment used in functional training. These are two tapes with a handle, hung, for example, from the ceiling. About 300 different exercises can be performed on the TRX, thanks to which the muscles of the whole body are developed: from the legs, through the thighs, abdomen, back, and ending with the arms.

Tapes are equipment for people with different levels of training. You can do basic exercises (front supports) and very advanced ones (e.g. pocket knives) with them.

Training with straps improves endurance, strength and balance, because it engages the deep muscles that stabilize the figure. With the TRX you can train in any place where it is possible to hang it, e.g. in summer you can do such training outdoors by hanging the TRX on a tree branch.

Watch: Training with TRX straps

Accessories for functional training - sandbag

Sandbag is a training bag with hand grips, filled with sand. It is used to develop strength and dynamics while performing multi-joint exercises in functional training. The choice of sandbag in terms of weight depends on your physical predispositions, but it is assumed that at the beginning you should train with a load of 20% of your body weight. For example: if you weigh 60 kg, train with a 12 kg bag.

In professional sandbags you can adjust the load yourself (bags are added to the set, which you fill with e.g. sand). The price of such equipment is quite high, so you can make it yourself. All you need to do is cut a car inner tube, sprinkle sand inside, and tie both endsstring, tape it with insulation tape to strengthen the bag and it's ready.

The advantage of a sandbag is that you can train your entire body with it (e.g. squats, deadlifts, torso turns, rowing), but you need to know the exact technique of the exercises (you train similarly to a barbell).

Thanks to the training you will build up your muscle mass, speed and strength. Below you will find an instructional video on how to deadlift. Instead of a barbell, use a sandbag.

Accessories for functional training - Bosu

Bosu is an equipment used in functional training, which looks like a ball cut in half. It is a combination of a flexible ball and a stable and hard training platform. You can train on both sides, which increases the range of possible exercises.

Training with this equipment is more difficult than exercising on a stable surface, because in order to control the posture, you have to put your whole body into exercise. On bare feet, you can train your arms (push-ups, side supports on one arm), abdomen (crunches, torso turns), and legs (squats, lunges), both on the soft and hard side.

Bosu is used to train the sense of balance by enthusiasts of winter and water sports (snowboarding, surfing). It has another advantage - if you want to do additional stretching after training, this equipment is perfect for it. With a half-ball you can safely stretch, for example, hip muscles, because the soft part will protect the articular cartilage of the knee from damage.

Accessories for functional training - gymnastic ball

One of the most commonly used aids for functional training is the gym ball. In order to stay on it and not lose your balance, you need to balance your whole body. By training with the ball, you will strengthen your deep muscles and relieve your spine.

It is very important to adjust the size of the ball according to your height, as poorly fitting equipment can reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. The advantage of this equipment is its low price and the fact that you can train with the ball anywhere, not only in the gym.

Watch: Fitball Exercise Kit

Accessory for functional training - kettlebell

Kettlebell are round training weights with a hand grip. The original Russian kettlebell weighed 1 pood (pood is a Russian weight unit, 1 pood - 16.28 kg) and a multiple of this weight. Training with kettlebell develops the body comprehensively, as opposed to isolated exercises with a barbell, which only work on selected muscles.

Muscles are working when performing dynamic exercises, such as the American swingthe buttocks, abdomen, shoulder blades and deltoid muscles, and when exercising the tosses, mainly the muscles of the shoulder girdle, chest and back. The advantage of kettlebell training is that you don't necessarily have to go to the gym to train.

By practicing with a kettlebell, you improve your dynamics and strength at the same time. In addition, during the training, you learn how to properly lift the weight so as not to strain your back.

Watch: Sample kettlebell training

Accessories for functional training - Flexi-Bar

The Flexi-Bar is a glass-fiber reinforced plastic bar with rubber weights on both sides and a handle in the center. The bar is made to vibrate during functional training. The vibrations are transferred to the training person, whose task is to balance these vibrations by stabilizing the figure. In training with Flexi-Bar, mainly the muscles of the arms, back, chest and abdomen work, and to a lesser extent the legs and buttocks. The intensity of the training depends on the amplitude of the vibrations - the stronger the vibrations, the more effort is put into maintaining the balance.

Category:

ABC of exercises