Functional Training Exercises

Functional Training are key to lose weight or change the shape of your body

Functional training may seem like its on the rise in the fitness community, but it’s one of the oldest and most common types of training around. Functional training got its beginnings in the physical rehabilitation field and was created by physical therapists to improve patient recovery after injury or disability.

Specific exercises were developed to help patients regain function and return to activities of daily living. From this start, functional training has been embraced by fitness professionals and morphed into predominantly weight-bearing exercises that simulate everyday movements and target core strength.Well, function. The purpose of functional fitness training is to improve your ability to perform your everyday activities.

Well, function. The purpose of functional fitness training is to improve your ability to perform your everyday activities.

Think of it as training for the entire movement—not just a specific muscle. When you jump, you’re not just using your leg muscles. It’s a coordinated effort between your nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, and musculoskeletal systems that allows a fluid movement.The key to effective functional fitness training is simulating the actual activity that you’re training to improve. There should be a focus on doing similar types of contraction (eccentric, concentric, or isometric), speed, range of motion, and level of coordination.

The closer the exercise mimics the actual activity, the more effective the training. For instance, if you’re an active person who spends a lot of time on a bike, functional training would include exercises that simulate the movements and strengthen the muscles used in biking.

Although exercise machines are a popular method for strength and fitness training, most, such as a leg extension machine, tend to focus on one area of the body and don’t mirror actual activity, as well as a functional exercise.

Functional training comprises the movement continuum, meaning that it involves all the systems that work together to perform an activity. If you want to become a stronger biker, you don’t just work on your quads—they’re only one component of the entire system recruited to pedal a bike.

8 Key Points in Creating a Functional Training Program

Determine what your functional fitness goals may be, and tailor your functional training to what type of activities your body does each day.

Take your level of fitness and health into consideration

The program should include a variety of exercises that train flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, power, and endurance.

The program should be designed with careful progression and monitoring.

The exercises should include movements on multiple planes.

Include concentric, eccentric, and isometric muscle contractions.

Use your body weight and equipment, such as free weights and resistance bands, instead of machines.

The best functional exercise is doing the activity, but exercises that simulate the movement can significantly improve your performance through frequent training bouts.