Functional Fitness FITS For Every Day Teaching

Greg Thompson

K-12 Department Chair

Farmington, MI Public Schools

Teacher, Longacre Elementary School

Mike Meeteer

Teacher, Kromrey Middle School, Middleton, WI

Co-founder, Foundational Fitness

I. Introduction- Some basic tenets of functional fitness...

Training movement not muscle

Multiple joint motions

Incorporating proprioception, dynamic flexibility

Importance of Progression, Precision and Variety

Our job is to “build” the whole student: “strong all over, better at everything”

II. Equipment-less Movement Progressions - Creating puzzles for the body to solve.

  1. Balance
  2. Mobility
  3. Prone / Side / Supine Strength
  4. Squats / Lunges
  5. Arm Patterns
  6. Foot Patterns
  7. Combinations
  8. Linear and Multi-directional movement

Equipment-less Circuit Example (35 seconds “on”, 25 “off”)

Station 1 (balance theme)

Single leg balance (eyes open, eyes closed)

Station 2 (mobility theme)

Forward hurdle circle (foot touch, balanced, add speed)

Station 3 (supine strength)

Supine dying bugs (opposite hand to knee, elbow to knee, hand to foot)

Station 4 (squat)

Parallel stance squat (hands on thighs, hands on hips, floor touch)

Station 5 (prone strength)

Half-sey push-up

Station 6 (lunge)

Alternating forward lunge (hands on thigh, waist, twist and floor touch)

Station 7 (arm and foot pattern combination)

Scissor jumps w/ sprinter arms

Station 8 (linear / multi-directional movement)

Forward sprinter march

III. Adding simple equipment to make the “puzzles” more complex.

Think in terms of building strength “all-over” by training the major movement systems.

  1. Pushing
  2. Pulling
  3. Rotation / Bracing
  4. Legs (lunging, squatting)

Circuit with Equipment Example (35 seconds on, 25 off)

Station 1 Sandbells (rotation / bracing theme)

Seated side to side touch (Russian Twist) w/ press

(both feet down, one foot up, both feet up)

Parallel stance rotational slam

(begin at waist, at knees, at floor)

Station 2 ABC ladder (combo movement theme: sagittal and frontal planes)

Forward two-in w/ sprinter arms (quiet feet, add sprinter arms, add

speed)

Lateral two-in w/ sprinter arms

Station 3 Circuit Trainer Band (pushing / pulling theme)

Two-arm press from split stance (partner hold)

Two-arm row from parallel squat

Station 4 Sandbells (legs: lunging / squatting)

Staggered stance squat with rotation (sandbell hold, floor touch, or curl &

press)

Alternating transverse (drop-step) lunge (hands on thigh, waist, twist and

floor touch)

Station 5 ABC ladder (combo movement theme: transverse plane)

Forward shuffle (one in, two out) cues: “in-in-out”

(quiet feet, add sprinter arms, add speed)

Forward crossover shuffle cues: “cross-out-out”

Station 6 Body weight (body complex theme: strength and conditioning)

Eight count body builder w/ windshield wiper legs

Eight count body builder w/ push-up and leg pommel

  1. Adding rhythm to the puzzle (with or without equipment).

Ask the students to do the movement in time with the music.

Have them create, demonstrate, and lead routines.

V. Video clips of functional fitness in PE.