“Functional training” is a buzzword in fitness circles, but this one is much more than a fad. In fact, it’s the crucial core element of any training. Let’s look at what functional exercise (or functional training) is, why it’s so important, and how you can ensure your workouts do more of it – whatever kind of training you enjoy.
What is functional exercise?
The human body is a connected system of bones, joints and muscles, and it’s meant to move as an integrated unit. The way we exercise needs to reflect that. Instead, it seems that “exercising” often isolates bits of our body and asks us to move in unnatural patterns.
Functional exercises – or functional training – encourages us to put our body through fundamental movement patterns so we get fit and strong for life outside of the gym.
Why is functional exercise important?
Why do you exercise or play sport? It’s probably to feel better, move better, be stronger, and have fewer aches and pains as you get older. Am I right? Functional exercise is the only way to improve all of those things. Whether you do functional exercises without added load (bodyweight exercises, yoga, swimming etc) or with resistance (functional strength training), it’s all training your body to move efficiently and build strength in a natural way.
The primal patterns of movement
All functional training honours the seven primal patterns of the human body: squat, bend, lunge, push, pull, twist, bend, and gait. Let’s look at how these show up in “real life”, and then how we can train them through exercise.
Squat: getting up off the sofa
Bend: picking up a box from the floor
Lunge: getting in and out of the car
Push: pushing danger away from you
Pull: pulling something up over a ledge
Twist: moving an object from behind you
Gait: walking
These are just some of the many and varied ways these primal patterns show up in everyday life. Every single thing you do ticks at least one of these boxes – you’ll start to notice them now!
Why do we need to train in a functional way?
It’s really important to do functional exercises because the alternative is drilling movements that (at best) are no use in real life or (at worse) make your body adapt to unnatural positions.
Examples of functional exercises in the gym
In general, free weights and bodyweight movements are far more functional than using the weights machines (as these fix you into a single range of motion). Read more about my thoughts on machines in this blog.
Functional exercise isn’t necessarily about speed, although it’s good to train your body to stay efficient as it moves fast. Functional training can be slow and controlled (a barbell back squat), explosive and controlled (the Olympic lifts) or more movement based (team sport).
Here are just a few examples of functional exercises in the gym:
Squat: bodyweight squat, barbell squat, goblet squat, squat snatch
Bend: deadlift, clean, kettlebell swing, medicine ball load
Lunge: walking lunge, weighted lunge, single leg work
Push: press up, bench press, cable press, overhead press,
Pull: pull up, deadlift, barbell row
Twist: rotational ball throws, Russian twists,
Gait: sprints
Functional exercises for everybody
And if you play sport? Yet another reason to train those primal patterns with functional movements. Golfers, you are lunging and twisting (and possibly bending if you don’t have a caddy). Tennis players, you do a lot of twisting and gait work. Netball players, lots of gait and twist and push movements for you. Horse riders, plenty of bending, pulling, pushing and twisting. Olympic lifter or Crossfitter? Lots of your movements combine multiple primal patterns in one move.
Every sport and activity in the world repeats some if not all of the primal movement patterns, so it’s crucial that you train them in your workouts to get stronger, faster, and less prone to injury.
The best way to train your body is to follow the primal movement patterns. Base your workouts around exercises that move multiple parts of your body at the same time and you’ll get fitter and stronger for life outside the gym too.
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