Looking for a gym in Denver with turf for functional training? Look no further than Rocky Mountain Flex Fitness in the Baker neighborhood of Denver!
As you may have heard, our gym is expanding by another 4000 sq. ft. starting November 1st. That will bring the RMFlex gym’s floor plan to over 12,000 sq. ft! Our members are excited about the gym expansion in general, but our new 60-foot turf area is something they are especially looking forward to. Below is a sneak peek at our turf area while it is still under construction.
Our gym’s new 20-yard turf will be a functional fitness area that can accommodate a variety of workouts, from stretching to intense HIIT sessions. This unique space offers year-round usability, transitioning seamlessly from indoor comfort during the Denver winter months to an open-air setup in warmer months when we can throw open the garage doors.
In addition, at the far end of the turf, there will be a dedicated wall for medicine ball slams and throws, ensuring a complete full-body workout that focuses heavily on core strength and cardiovascular endurance.
What is Functional Fitness?
Functional fitness involves exercises designed to mimic your everyday activities, emphasizing real-life movements rather than isolated gym workouts. This approach builds a body capable of performing daily tasks naturally, focusing on balance, coordination, and strength across multiple muscle groups and joints.
The exercises include moves such as squats, lifts, pushes, pulls, and rotations, mirroring common daily actions. This approach to training seamlessly integrates into everyday life when lifting groceries out of the cart, playing with your kids or grandkids, or even just bending down to tie your shoes – these are all part of our daily grind. Think of it as training for LIFE!
11 Types of Exercises You Can Do on Gym Turf:
1. Sprint Interval Training:
Sprint intervals are a high-intensity cardiovascular exercise where you alternate between short bursts of maximum effort sprinting and periods of active recovery. On the turf, you can challenge your speed and endurance, promoting cardiovascular health and strengthening your fast twitch muscle fibers, the fibers that make it possible for you to perform explosive movements.
2. Agility Drills:
Agility drills involve various exercises like ladder drills and cone drills that focus on improving speed, coordination, and quick reflexes. These drills are perfect for enhancing sports performance and overall agility, making them an exciting addition to your gym turf workouts. To make it even easier for you, we have two sets of ladders painted right onto the new turf so our RMFlex members can jump right into a ladder drill exercise at any time!
3. Bodyweight Exercises:
Bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, tricep dips, squats, lunges, and burpees utilize your own body weight as resistance. Doing these types of exercises on turf provides a stable yet comfortable surface, making it ideal for mastering your form and increasing your strength.
4. Core Workouts:
Core workouts like planks, Russian twists, crunches, wood chops, and mountain climbers target the muscles in your abdomen, lower back, and pelvis. A strong core is essential for overall stability and balance, which is important to maintain as we age. Performing these exercises on the turf engages your core muscles effectively, enhancing your core strength and stability.
5. Resistance Band Workouts:
Resistance band workouts incorporate bands of varying resistance levels to add challenge to exercises like banded lateral walks, banded glute bridges, banded pull-aparts, and so much more. The resistance bands provide continuous tension, making your muscles work harder and improving your strength and endurance.
6. Plyometric Exercises:
Plyometric exercises involve quick and explosive movements that aim to increase your power and strength. Examples include box jumps, tuck jumps, clapping pushups, jump squats, and burpee jumps. Doing these exercises on the turf allows for a soft landing, reducing the impact on your joints while maximizing the benefits of these powerful movements.
7. Balance and Stability Exercises:
Balance and stability exercises like single-leg squats, balance lunges, and stability ball exercises focus on improving your balance and coordination. These exercises challenge your stabilizing muscles and are essential for preventing injuries and enhancing overall athletic performance.
8. Partner Workouts:
Partner workouts add a fun and social element to your turf exercises. Partner exercises can include medicine ball passes, partner push-ups, or synchronized movements. Working out with a partner not only motivates you but also adds an element of friendly competition, making your turf workouts enjoyable and interactive. So grab your favorite RMFF gym buddy for some partner workouts!
9. Medicine Ball Slams:
Medicine ball slams involve lifting a medicine ball overhead and slamming it onto the ground with full force. This exercise engages your core, shoulders, and arms, providing a fantastic full-body workout. The dynamic nature of medicine ball slams helps release stress and boosts your cardiovascular endurance, making it a powerful addition to your turf workout routine. When the new space opens, we will have a dedicated med ball slam wall at the end of the turf so you can incorporate these into your workout routine.
10. Equipment-Based Workouts:
Incorporating kettlebell swings, medicine ball slams, sled pushes, tire flips, and battle rope waves are excellent examples. These equipment-based exercises give you the ability to add variety, resistance, and intensity to your workouts. We are also installing a 14 foot Rogue wall mount rig to the side of the turf so you’ll be able to jump from exercises such as a squat or deadlift right into a Trap Bar farmer carry down the turf.
11. Cool-down Stretches:
Cool-down stretches are crucial for improving flexibility and preventing muscle soreness. Include stretches like hamstring stretches, quad stretches, and shoulder stretches to relax your muscles and promote better flexibility.
8 Footwork Exercises That You Can Incorporate Into Your Turf Workout Routine:
1. High Knees:
Stand in place, feet shoulder-to-shoulder width apart, and jog in place while bringing your knees up towards your chest as high as possible with each step.
2. Butt Kicks:
Jog in place while kicking your heels up towards your glutes with each step. Butt kicks help enhance leg strength, speed, and flexibility.
3. Lateral Shuffles:
Stand in an athletic stance with your feet shoulder-width apart, hips back, and chest up, then shuffle several steps to the side by taking quick, small steps, then repeat to the opposite side. Complete several rounds of this, alternating from side to side.
4. Box Jumps:
Stand in front of a sturdy box or platform. Jump onto the box, landing softly with your knees slightly bent. Step back down and repeat. Box jumps build explosive power and improve vertical jump height.
5. In-and-Out Agility Ladder Drill:
Stand at one end of our turf agility ladders. Step into the first square with both feet, then step out of the ladder with both feet. Continue this in-and-out motion, moving down the ladder. This drill improves footwork, agility, and coordination.
6. Speed Skaters:
Start by standing on your right foot and leap to the left, landing on your left foot with your right foot behind you. Quickly switch sides, hopping back and forth. Speed skaters work on lateral movement and balance.
7. Forward and Backward Bunny Hops:
Find an imaginary line on the ground. Keep feet hip width apart, hop forward and then backward on both feet for your desired amount of time.
7. Tuck Jumps:
Jump up, bringing your knees towards your chest. Land softly and immediately jump up again. Tuck jumps are great for explosive power and overall leg strength.
Incorporating these footwork exercises into your next turf workout at Rocky Mountain Flex will help enhance your agility, speed, cardiovascular endurance, and overall lower body strength. You can create circuits or interval training routines using these exercises to keep your workouts dynamic and engaging. Remember, proper form and consistency are key to reaping the benefits from these exercises.
Let us know how you are enjoying the new RMFlex gym expansion and turf once we open the new space in the first week of November! We look forward to hearing from you.
