🏋️‍♂️ 4 functional fitness workouts you've gotta try

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Welcome to The BarBend Newsletter! Let's dive into today's topics:

• Build foundational core strength the right way

• How to add more function to your fitness

• The best Labor Day 2025 fitness sales

Core Training

Begin With the Beginning

It may never be too late to start again, but how much better would our lives have been if we'd just started out on the right path in the first place?

The foundational ab workout in this article is the best place to start your journey as a beginner. And even if you're already getting a little longer in the tooth, this program is the perfect way to get back to basics and on the straight and narrow. In addition to the workout, we dive into the logistics of core training, including how often you should train and what benefits you’re missing out on. 

For big compound movements like deadlifts and squats, the core is usually where things break down and cause the lift to fail. Getting your foundation dialed in isn't taking a step back; it's a step forward for your biggest lifts. Tighten up, strengthen your base, and find relief in the knowledge that you're going to be moving in the right direction.

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Workouts

Let’s Get Functional

Fitness and functionality used to be one and the same. Pictures of silver-age bodybuilders doing gymnastics on the beach in horizontally striped tank tops flooded magazines, and the concept of “physical culture” was alive and well.

In the article below, we break down what functional fitness actually is, its benefits, and provide you with four workouts tailored to various goals, including endurance, conditioning, and more. 

You might already be doing some of these moves without knowing it; CrossFit and similar workouts are loaded with functionality, after all. Being a better human should be the goal of everyone, and moving better sounds like a pretty good place to start. Discover the joys of functional fitness with this primer.

Sales

Labor Days of Love

On your day of rest from your weekly toil, kick back with a hot dog and a cold one and use modern technology to shop from your back porch. The Labor Day fitness deals we’ve curated make it well worth your time, so look no further than the article below for all your holiday exercise savings. 

With the ability to save hundreds of dollars on high-ticket items and cleanse yourself with the lure of free shipping, this is one of the most prestigious sales weekends of the year. We’re talking about deals on everything from treadmills and all–in-one trainers to your favorite creatine and pre-workouts. Check out some of our faves.

Equipment

• Assault Fitness: Save up to $500 on Runners.

• Aviron: Get 32% off all equipment.

• Bowflex: Up to $700 off select equipment.

• Horizon Fitness: Take up to 35% off assorted cardio equipment.

• Titan Fitness: Save up to 60% on functional trainers, power racks, and more.

Supplements

• Bulletproof: Labor Day sale 30% off sitewide.

• Cellucor: Get 15-35% off subscriptions to creatine, protein, pre-workouts, and more.

• Legion: Right now, Legion has a BOGO 50% off site-wide deal.

Quick Hits

🚶‍♂️ Walk This Way: Consorting with the beast through the power of numerology may have been a fun post-Hot Topic activity for you in the early 2000s, but breaking out this 6-6-6 walking workout may be an even better use of those three digits. Discover how this method of organizing your walks can help you consistently meet your weekly activity goals.

🇨🇦 See This Podium, eh? Canada's Strongest Man has been crowned after a beefy field of 13 duked it out over the weekend. See who came out on top with this full event-by-event breakdown.

💪 Lift This: Have you ever heard of the 5×5 training method? Find out how it can boost your gains and supercharge your strength.

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