Functional Training

In many respects, functional strength training should be thought of in terms of a movement continuum. As humans, we are constantly performing a wide spectrum of activities such as walking, jogging, running, sprinting, jumping, lifting, pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, turning, standing, starting, stopping, climbing and lunging. All of these actions involve smooth and rhythmic motions in the three cardinal planes of movement. These planes are sagittal, frontal and transverse.

Training to improve functional strength involves more than simply increasing the force-producing capacity of a muscle or group of muscles. Rather, it requires training to enhance the coordinated working relationship between the nervous and muscular systems.
Functional strength training involves performing work against resistance in such a manner that the improvements in strength directly enhance the performance of movements. In turn, an individual’s activities of daily living become easier to perform. The primary goal of functional training is to transfer the improvements in strength achieved from one movement to enhancing the performance of another movement by affecting the entire neuromuscular system.

In functional training it is as critical to train the specific movement as it is to train the muscles involved in the movement. The brain, which controls muscular movement, thinks in terms of whole motions, not individual muscles. Therefore, when choosing an exercise program to fit your goals, it is important to take various factors into consideration. For example, a program including explosive and ballistic exercises is risky for an inactive person because it may be injury prone. Think of something that would help you in everyday life. Even a squat is useful for helping you get off that comfortable couch or for an active mother when lifting up her child. So rather than getting into the gym and performing isolated exercises such as leg extensions, be as effective as you can when training and you will reach your future goals!