How to Add More Function to Your Workouts
Wednesday July 1, 2009
'Functional Training' is one of those fitness phrases that has lost it's meaning over time. I think the phrase encompasses so many meanings to so many people, that no one knows exactly what it means. Even at the fitness conference I attended a few months ago, I heard the phrase from experts as they talked about this exercise being more 'functional' as opposed to that exercise.
The truth is, what is functional can't always be defined in a broad sense, but I think it has more to do with a departure from traditional strength training. The strength training many of us learned was based on how bodybuilders train - working muscles individually to make them stronger and, of course, to make them look good. These days, we come at strength training from a multitude of angles - runners focus on strengthening their bodies for running, which is different from how a beginning exerciser might train for overall conditioning and weight loss.
The truth is, anything that makes your body work better is functional, whether you isolate your muscles, as in a biceps curl for strength and size, or whether you add more movement, such as a squat curl and press to build whole body strength and burn calories.
Adding dynamic movement is a great way to work your body in all planes of motion - our bodies bend, twist and rotate through a number of activities each day and it makes sense to train that way. As a bonus, it makes your workouts more interesting - you really have to focus when you're working multiple muscles. Some ideas for adding a little functionality to your workouts:
- Try compound or combination exercises. There are the common exercises (squats, lunges, dips, etc.) and then there are more unusual ways to combine exercises such as the lunge sweep or squat toss.
- Try circuit training. By moving quickly through a variety of exercises, you work every muscle in the body along with the heart and lungs.
- Add movement. Look for ways you can add movement to different exercises. This lunge reach incorporates more balance and core strength than static lunges, while this rotation on the ball involves more movement than the usual ball crunch.
- Think about what you want to get better at. Do you want to be able to jog up the stairs with ease? Working on your cardio endurance and practicing stair climbing can help you accomplish that. Want to be able to spend hours working in the garden without hurting your back? Focusing on muscular endurance, core strength and, perhaps, yoga exercises for flexibility may help with that.
Comments
I think of functional as being practical. So when I got my new motorcycle I started working my lower back and shoulders. The new machine has a much different riding position and by training at the gym I can ride the bike for far longer and with less fatigue. Working it the other way I find digging holes (for compost) uses muscle I never knew I had, so I get a great workout and fantastic garden !!
EVERY MOVEMENT YOU DO IN LIFE REQUIRES FUNCTIONALITY! When you exercise think of the 3 MAIN PLANES of MOTION, i.e., the SAGGITAL, TRANSVERSE, and FRONTAL PLANES; and increments that fit in-between these. (I won’t spend time explaining these planes-of-motion – I suggest you Google them!) Anyhow as I stated in a recent feedback SPIRAL ROTATION is the best to loosen and strengthen the total body.
I believe ‘Functional Training’ to be based on the individuals requirement by day and by recreational necessity, so aim all my programmes accordingly. I also use dynamic stretching pre-programme and static stretching post-programme as I have found it to result in better posture and way improved flexibility.
What is functional to a 20 year old may be way beyond what is functional to a 60 year old.
I always remember the trainer who told a bunch of women that they wanted strong upper bodies so that they could lift their grandchildren and or groceries. Now that is functional!
I believe a functional movement in the exercise sense should be to mimick somrthing we may do in real life, i.e. a squat could mimick the movement of crouching down to pick some thing off the floor or tie our shoe laces. You don’t get the same sense of functionality on the leg press.