fitbody
Functional Training
Training total body movements, not individual muscles by Lindsey Schweiger-Whalen
F
unctional training has become a trendy buzzword in the fitness in- dustry. Despite its growing popu-
larity, the principles and methodology of this training method are frequently misunderstood. In researching this article, I asked several of my friends and clients how they would describe functional training. I received the fol- lowing answers: “Ummm…,” “Train- ing with movements that are specific to your needs,” “Using functional equipment like stability balls,” and “Isn’t that how athletes train?” Even though each one of us engages in functional movement the moment we climb out of bed in the morning, the concept and significance of functional training needed further discussion. Functional exercises are those that engage total body movement patterns rather than isolate individual muscles. The design of the muscular system, with single muscles that oper- ate multiple joints and feathered fibers that run along diagonals, suggests that
we are intended to perform complex movements involving coordination of body segments. Life’s activities— pulling, pushing, bending, twisting, starting, stopping, climbing, lunging, stepping, walking, running, lifting— seldom require muscular isolation, but rather, integrated joint action. Thus, functional training develops whole body motions that are specific to ac- tivities of daily living (ADLs). Because ADLs are so diverse in nature, functional training includes a hearty menu of exercises, but to be functional, they must involve a coordinated effort of the neuromuscu- lar system to perform a specific task. Tasks are performed in multiple planes of motion with no machine to guide the movement. Furthermore, these tasks closely resemble ADLs. For example, let’s compare the squat, a functional exercise, to a seat- ed leg extension, an isolation exercise for the quadriceps muscles. The squat is a coordinated task that requires an
integrated effort of the lower body and trunk muscles. The movement path is determined by the individual performing the squat. And the mo- tion is transferable to many ADLs like rising from a chair, picking up a child, or jumping. Conversely, a leg exten- sion involves an isolated hinge at the knee and the motion is controlled by a machine. The movement pattern of swinging the knee in isolation from a seated position is rarely employed and has little transferable value to ADLs. Functional movements exist on a continuum and are appropriate for people of all ages and abilities. As il- lustrated in the paragraph above, the act of standing up from a chair and jumping to block a volleyball follow similar movement paths in the lower body. They are distin- guished from each other by intensity, speed and range of motion, variables that can be altered ac- cording to indi- vidual needs.
Functional training can be accom- plished using a range of equipment including one’s own body, dumb- bells, kettlebells and TRX suspension trainers. a
Lindsey Schweiger-Whalen is an ACE certified personal and group fitness trainer at BODY of Santa Fe. She is also a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher. Lindsey holds a B.S. in kine- siology from Temple University and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Sport Psychology at the University of New Mexico. She has more than 10 years of experience in the fitness/exercise industry.
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