Functional Training has become a growing term in the fitness industry over the past ten years and has grown in popularity by the endorsement of some of the world’s top strength and conditioning coaches.  Below are three definitions of what functional training is:

  • “An exercise continuum involving balance and proprioception, performed with the feet on the ground and without machine-assistance, such that strength is displayed in unstable conditions and body weight is managed in all movement planes” –Mike Boyle

 

  • “A spectrum of activities that condition the body consistent with its integrated movement and/or use.” -Juan Carlos Santana

 

  • “Functional training involves movements that are specific – in terms of mechanics, coordination and/or energetics – to one’s activities of daily living (ADL’s).” -Steven Plisk

To put it more simply, machines are bad and free-weights and body weight movements are good.  I’ve sat in front of some very well respected individuals and heard them say that leg extension machines and others like it should be thrown out of all gym and training facilities because they are not functional.  BULLSHIT!  What’s functional to one person may be non-functional to the next.  That’s why I agree with the third definition given by Steven Plisk.  Activities of daily living (ADL’s) are specific to each individual.  Wouldn’t it make sense that the ADL’s of a 55 year-old female are different than the ADL’s of an 18 year-old male?  This means that some “non-functional” movements may actually be beneficial for many people. Below are just a few examples of what would be classified as functional and non-functional movements.

Non-Functional Movements Vs. Functional Movements

  • Leg Press Machine vs. Squat
  • Leg Extension Machine vs. Lunge
  • Seated Cable Row vs. Bent-Over Barbell Row
  • Seated Lat Pulldown vs. Pull Up
  • Lying Bench Press vs. Push Up

Functional training changes between different ages, sports, and genders.  How many times do you see people in the gym doing crazy, circus-act movements claiming that they’re doing functional training?  Next time you spot someone doing one of these movements, ask yourself this simple question; “Will I see anything even close to the resemblance of that movement outside of the gym within in the next five days?” The answer is probably not!  I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I was out in public and saw somebody holding a log across his or her back and squatting up and down on an inflatable raft.

And I openly admit, that I used to be one of those trainers.  I never trained a client that way, but I would often perform movements like that myself just because I could, and thought it looked cool.  If we took all the isolation machines out of gyms across this country and expected people to still perform resistance training with only free-weights, we’d soon see a tremendous amount of injuries caused by improper lifting mechanics. Not to mention even more people dropping out because they have absolutely no clue of what to do aside from barbell curls and bench presses (let’s not depend on seeing a whole lot of squats and deadlifts being performed).  Free-weights are very intimidating to some and too advanced for others.  If you don’t know how to properly move your own body weight first, the last thing that would be beneficial for you to do, would be to grab some dumbbells in your hands and start squatting and lunges across the floor.

Machines will NEVER replace free-weight movements, but some machines definitely have their time and place.  There are some machines that are actually detrimental to your joints, but we’ll save that for a later post.  One last point I want to get across that is probably the most important point of this article. KNOW WHY YOU’RE DOING A MOVEMENT!

  • What is the goal of the exercise (strength, power, speed, endurance, coordination, etc.)?
  • Does that circus-act movement coincide with what your current goals are (fat-loss, muscle gain, improved range of motion, etc.)?
  • Do you feel the muscles working that are the muscles targeted in the exercise (example: if you feel your back more than your legs when you squat, that may be a concern you should look into)?

There is no specific definition of what functional training is and it will always vary from person to person.  All athletes train with the desire of building power, speed, strength, and endurance, with the hope that those improvements carry over to their individual sports.  Below I’ve shared a video with you showing the effects of baseball players and golfers using weighted bats and clubs to warm-up.  The results will probably shock you and there is nothing more functional to a baseball player and golfer than their swing.  This goes to show that functional training can be advantageous and detrimental if used improperly.