Functional Training is one of the hot new buzzwords of the fitness industry. Many fitness professionals like to claim that they are functional trainers and any trainer who delivers an exercise program directly related to their client’s needs and goal is a functional trainer. This is because “functional training” is simply exercise with a purpose. There are many other definitions thrown out there, but this is the only one that truly defines all that “functional training” encompasses.
Exercise with a purpose is a simple and all encompassing definition for “functional training”. This means that if you have issues bending your arms, both the curl and the row would be considered functional. It allows for both multi-joint movements and individual muscle exercises as long as the exercise is pertinent to your needs. So long as you, or your fitness trainer, are using exercises that will help you to achieve your specific, individualized goals you are performing “functional training”.
The two most widely used definitions for “functional training” are: 1.) Movements which mirror activities of daily life (ADL) and 2.) Any large muscle, multi-joint exercise which engages the core musculature. These definitions are synonymous with one another, the second just defines ADL rather than refer to it as ADL. These definitions are commonly followed by a derisive comment about the biceps curl. Both definitions sound very impressive, however, a simple question will often send the trainer backpedaling: What if I can’t bend my arm? This will send the fitness pro scrambling for an answer and ultimately they will end up making an exception to their own definition or possibly switch their definition completely. This does not make them a bad trainer. Rather, they are being more of a “functional trainer” by acknowledging the need for the biceps curl in specific situations than if they dismissed it and stuck to these definitions.
The Functional Movement System (FMS) is rapidly gaining popularity in the fitness world and differs from the popular definitions of functional training. FMS is a series of movement assessments which focus on the quality of movement patterns, the belief being that a priority should be placed on correcting movement before correcting postural deviations caused by muscle imbalances. This thought process is the opposite of most training techniques. FMS has its own certification process and if your are training with a FMS professional, it is important to know that their idea of functional training is very different from that of a non-FMS certified professional.
Exercise with a purpose is a simple definition which best defines the term “Functional Training”. It incorporates any and all exercises that help you to reach your specific training goals. It may not be the most impressive sounding, but it will get you the most impressive results.
-Nick
ACE-CPT, NASM-CES, PES