About Us

 

The name of our gym and the tag line embodies what we stand for. We believe that training functionally will empower us to live longer, to be pain free, thus, allowing us to enjoy various kinds of physical activity.

 

Our tag line is "Live with Zest". What does this mean? By our definition, it means to "Live an interesting life, full of excitement, enthusiasm and energy". To "Live with Zest", one has to be healthy in Body, Mind and Spirit.

 

Here at FTI, for our clients to "Live with Zest", we take care of the "Body" component. We help them:

 

1. to move around efficiently/optimally

2. to have full Range of Motion (ROM) in their limbs like children do

3. to enjoy high levels of energy everyday

4. to be fit enough to enjoy playing sports and games with family and friends

5. to live, pain-free

 

Most people believe they have the required knowledge and skills to get fit on their own, and usually with the mentality of "pushing through the pain." Some types of pain are healthy and even necessary but for the most part, many people are compounding their injuries or creating massive misalignment through repeated actions. If you take a quick survey, you'll probably find out that many people are training with some pain, experience stiffness and have lost the full mobility of their joints. Looking fit, doesn't mean being fit.

 

Our belief is that most training protocols created in the gym are not functional in nature. People who train in the gym, sit, lie down or stand in a static position whilst exercising. When does this ever happen in nature or in sports? – NEVER!

 

In nature and sports, movements are always dynamic. This is why functional training is the way to go. When you train functionally, you will have Stability In Motion (SIM). Here are three reasons why training functionally is important to you:

 

1. Optimal/Creative Movement = Functional Longevity

 

Moving creatively, moving optimally simply means moving the way a child does. All of us are born with perfect and varied movements, but this starts changing when we start school, where we were made to sit for hours on end. 15 years later, we start work and, for most of us, sitting for long hours continues. Our bodies are not designed for this.

 

To quote one example; an experiment was done in the USA where 20 children were put in a room for 3 hours and told to do anything they want in there for the duration. Researchers observed that the children demonstrated 52 movement patterns in that time. When they gave the adults the same conditions, the adults demonstrated a mere 12 movement patterns! This is a quarter of what the children did!

 

Adults don't move optimally because they spend too many hours sitting, or are simply inactive, and they have lost their creativity in movement.

 

Functional training is all about training movement, unlike the traditional gym training that encourages isolating individual muscle groups. It restores your ability to move optimally and creatively, like a child. It integrates all the muscles in your body, and help you live pain free for the rest of your life.

 

2. Respecting the Kinetic Chain Principle

 

Training functionally means getting the whole body involved, from the toes, to the top of the head, to the finger tips. The brain gets heavily involved too! You have to be fully aware of your movements and how your muscles are reacting to the challenge. Don’t even attempt to watch TV or read a magazine when training functionally! It's impossible! Mind-Body connection will be enriched, swiftly developed, making you feel like a new person.

 

Functional movements require a lot of balancing and co-ordination. It develops kinesthetic awareness and proprioception. Because you train your whole body and your brain (nervous system) all the time, you will become Fitter, Stronger, Faster, more Agile and enjoy higher levels of energy at a quicker rate than you ever imagined.

 

3. Shifting IS the New Lifting

 

In sports and daily life, we move. "DUH!" you might say. Of course we do, but do our exercise programs prepare us for our daily movements? Do these preparations happen in most gyms with people sitting, lying down or standing still while exercising? Highly unlikely.

 

Another critical point is that progression in most normal gym exercises means increasing the weights that you lift. And this is often times to the detriment of form.

 

Lifting heavier is just one method to progress on exercises. Increasing the complexity of movements is a second way and reducing stability is the third, both of which are very practical and functional.

 

Speed, agility, balance and co-ordination are required for sports and games and this can be achieved ONLY by training complex movements and on unstable surfaces to force the body to balance and co-ordinate. Then you will develop Stability in Motion (SIM).

 

Think about the following athletes:

 

1. Tennis and Badminton players

2. Basketball and Volleyball players

3. Soccer and Rugby players

4. Olympic Divers and Gymnasts

 

All of them have to remain STABLE as they MOVE. They have developed S-I-M in their respective sports. And because they have developed S-I-M, their bodies remain healthy and robust even as they grow older.

 

This is why we believe everyone should strive to improve their ability to balance and co-ordinate, to "fire" up their stabilizer muscles and develop kinesthetic awareness. This will allow you to age gracefully.

 

AT FTI, We are R.E.H.A.B Trained

 

All of our trainers are R.E.H.A.B. trained. Here is what the acronym means:

 

• R: Risk assessment of the injury or pain.

• E: Evaluation of Movement Patho-mechanics (client’s posture and movement patterns)

• H: Hands on loosening procedures (using trigger point and new “general stretches”)

• A: Activation drills and techniques (special isolation exercises to "wake up" dormant muscles)

• B: Begin training (strengthen weaker muscles using isolation exercises, integrate the whole body with functional training)

 

We are always eager to get our clients started on training. However, based on past experiences and testimonials from our clients, we realized that correcting posture and movement patterns first are critical. We need to correct bad posture and movement habits so that our clients will progress faster and see better returns from all their hard (but fun!) training sessions at FTI.

 

Come and "Screen" Us while... We "Screen" You!

 

It is our procedure to screen our clients before starting training.

 

We believe you should do the same when choosing a gym. Please make an appointment with our front desk at 6336 0422.  Our trainers will be most happy to show you around our studio gym. This is the opportunity for you to "screen us".

 

During the walk around, our trainers will show you the "Functional Screening Window" and check your current posture. This is where we "screen" you. This "screening" is similar to what is done on athletes in clubs, sports schools and sports clinics.

 

We are confident that the educational tour and "screening" will be an eye opener for many of you. Rest assured that there you will experience no hard-selling as we believe that methods and products will be the convincer you need. 

 

Come and pay us a visit soon. We look forward to showing you how we can help you to Live with Zest!