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Understanding Functional Training


An exercise is functional only if it moves clients toward their individual goals


goal. When it comes to designing exer-


F


cise programs, how important is func- tional training? “In theory, it’s an ab- solute must that everyone’s programs are functional,” says Zeglen, assistant strength and conditioning coach of the Winnipeg Jets hockey club. But he likes to clarify that function-


al exercises aren’t a special category of exercise. “Any exercise can be considered


a functional exercise depending on what you’re trying to accomplish,” says Zeglen, who is also manager/ head strength coach at Winnipeg’s Focus Fitness/True North Sports and Entertainment Ltd. “Sometimes people look at an exercise like a biceps curl and say, ‘That’s not very functional,’ but it really depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. The biceps curl isn’t very functional if you’re a pro ski- er, but it sure is if you’re a bodybuild- er or figure competitor. Training pro- grams to climb Mount Everest, to play football, to become Mr. Olympia or to maintain an active and independent lifestyle as you age will all look very different on paper, but they all need to be functional.” Like some other long-time fitness


professionals, Zeglen isn’t necessar- ily a huge fan of the term “functional fitness.” “I think it’s a catch phrase to make people feel like they are doing something new and different,” he says. According to Zeglen, whether


you’re a hockey player, a regular gym- goer or an older adult working to maintain basic mobility, the benefits of functional exercises are significant and identical for all of these groups. “A functional program that’s


34 Fitness Business Canada May/June 2016


or AJ Zeglen, the definition of functional training is simple: It’s simply any exercise that helps you accomplish your


geared towards your goals lets you make the most constructive use of your training time and greatly increas- es your chances of success.” During the Jets’ playing season,


time for off-ice workouts is quite lim- ited, says Zeglen, due to the consid- erable travel time and ice time in the schedule. Because minimal time is spent in the gym, it needs to be strictly for the purpose of making each player better at hockey. So functional train- ing is a key component of every play- er’s program. “All of our strength and condi-


tioning with the Jets is aimed at put- ting our players in a better position to be more successful at hockey,” says Zeglen. “We don’t do any exercises that won’t make them better at their goal of improving their hockey skills


or any exercises that aren’t functional for their specific situation.” The Jets’ training programs are


based on the five fundamental human movements—push, pull, squat, hinge and carry—which are all multi-joint movements that exercise several mus- cle groups and are functional actions practised in everyday life. Zeglen’s favourite pieces of equip-


ment for these movements include free weights, barbells, dumbbells, medballs, sleds and body weight. The movement patterns and the equipment are appro- priate for any exerciser—NHL players through to older adults—just the start- ing points and different progressions will be different, he says. Here are several other pieces of


equipment that are ideal for designing functional exercises.


Life Fitness The Life Fitness SYNRGY90 system is for facilities looking to create holistic personal training programs in a lim- ited area. It drives client engagement with progression training and a nearly limitless variety of exercise options in one space. Rooted in the success of SYNRGY360, the SYNRGY90 system is a major shiſt into contemporary per- sonal training—it provides the struc- tural space trainers need, offers a high level of configurability and fits seam- lessly in dedicated spaces. SYNRGY90 is an example of how Life Fitness has taken cable exercise equip- ment and evolved a system that also accommodates bod-


yweight training, suspension training and accessory storage. For more in- formation, visit commercialsales@life- fitness.com or call 800-527-6065.


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