Functional fitness is a classification of training which prepares the body for real-life movements as well as activities. Also referred to as functional training or functional movement, this type of exercise trains your muscles to work together and prepares them for day-to-day tasks by simulating common movements that you could do at home, at work or – alternatively – in sports.
Movements such as squatting, reaching, pulling as well as lifting will be made simpler with functional fitness integrated into your exercise routine. Functional fitness concentrates on building a body capable of performing real-life activities in real-life positions, not just lifting a particular amount of weight in an idealised posture that is created by a gym machine.
For instance, you could be deadlifting 181 kg in the gym however when you go to put a suitcase in the overhead stowage in an airplane, you throw your back out. Alternatively, you can bicep curl with 22 kg dumbbells with perfect form, however picking up your child makes you pull one of your muscles. If either of these things sound like you, it could be time to incorporate functional fitness training into your routine.
Functional Training Has A Point And Translates Into An Activity Beyond Your Exercise Regime
The central word here is function and function is purpose. So functional training is merely training which has a purpose. More than that, functional training concentrates on movement patterns which have a purpose.
That purpose can be related to becoming better at everyday activities—like walking, squatting to pick up a heavy object, pushing a revolving door, or getting into and out of a chair — or preparing to compete in a sport such as soccer, football or tennis.
A functional workout is just one that strengthens you in a specific way which directly translates into an activity outside the weight room. For most individuals, the practical application of functional training is to make daily activities easier to perform.
Increasingly, fitness studios are adding classes which can help individuals become stronger in their everyday movement patterns. Functional training has become more popular as a lot of studios as well as gyms are making it extremely accessible for the consumer to try this form of training.
Is Working On Your Functional Fitness Great For Losing Weight, Developing Muscle Or Cross-Training For Certain Sports?
All of the above! As functional fitness combines muscle groups across the whole body it is beneficial for nearly any type of individual no matter what their fitness goal is. It builds lean muscle and assists you with losing weight if that’s your intention. Athletes right up until the professional level will utilise this kind of training for conditioning as it brings a well-rounded aspect to their frequently highly-targeted training regimes.
What Are The Components Of Functional Fitness?
There are a number of components of functional fitness. Before you are able to move freely in your everyday life without worrying about injury, you need to nail the basics. These include:
- Strength,
- Balance and coordination,
- Power,
- Range of motion, as well as
- Mobility.
Zeroing in on these characteristics of your training will have a number of benefits which translate to your everyday life. Movements such as walking, jogging, running, sprinting, jumping, lifting, pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, turning, standing, starting, stopping, climbing, and lunging will be made easier while training to improve functional strength.
If You’re A Beginner To Functional Training, Should You These Exercises Under Supervision At First?
As with any kind of exercise, it is far better to at least be shown the fundamentals. For most movements there are just a number of key points that you need to focus on that will greatly lower the risk of injury when doing them. When you learn these little points it is very straightforward to do functional training by yourself. In order to lower the risk of injury at the outset you also able to focus more on bodyweight exercises and utilise lighter weights.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
If you want to become a functional fitness trainer then you need to do our HIIT and Functional Trainer Course. Follow this link to find out more.
