Digging on Functional Training

Today we are diving deep into functional training.

How is this different from just hitting the gym and lifting weights? I think that's a great question because while traditional weightlifting can build strength, it oftentimes focuses on isolating specific muscles.

But functional training focuses on these compound movements and it's engaging multiple muscle groups at the same time. 

Just like you do when you pick up your kid or you're playing a sport. Or carrying heavy grocery bags.

Isolating your bicep to lift a bag of groceries. Right. You're using your legs.

Right. You're using your core. Right.

Everything's working together as one unit.  So it's more about training your body to work as a whole system, as an integrated system. 

Rather than these individual muscles. And I think the cool thing about that is, is that it not only burns more calories, but it also improves your coordination and efficiency of movement.

So it's almost like, you know, you're working smarter, not harder because you're training your body to move better as a whole. Right. And then, like you said, those everyday tasks that you're doing become smoother.

You're less prone to injuries. I mean, that right there is huge because, you know, I think so many people struggle with things like lower back pain. 

Are there specific functional exercises that you could recommend for that kind of thing? Absolutely. So you know functional training. It really takes this holistic approach to fitness.

Right. It's not just about strength. It's about flexibility.

It's about balance, coordination, all of it. It's everything. And so for your lower back, exercises like planks, you know, bird dog, deadlifts, these types of exercises can really strengthen your core and support your spine.

Which can ultimately reduce pain and improve stability. 

So does this mean like no more bench presses for me? I just need to like chase my toddler around the park for my workout.

Well, chasing your toddler is definitely a great workout. Don't get me wrong. it's really about incorporating those compound movements that we talked about into your routine. But you need to do strength training for overall strengthening of your functional activities. 

So things like, you know, body weight training. Using your own body as resistance, this is a fantastic way to build functional strength.

Things like squats, lunges, push-ups. These are all movements that really mimic what we do on a daily basis.

I think even for people who are familiar with HIIT workouts, you know, high-intensity interval training, functional training can kind of take that to the next level by incorporating multiple movements that translate directly to your favorite sports or activities.

So to wrap things up here, it sounds like functional training is really all about moving better, not just lifting more. It's about training for life, not just the gym.

And I think, you know, one really important principle here is this idea of progressive overload, where you're gradually increasing the difficulty of exercises as you get stronger to continually challenge your body so that you continue to see those results. That makes sense. 

So I think, you know, a final thought for everybody to chew on here is, you know those times when you felt like your body wasn't quite up to the task? Whether it was struggling to lift something heavy or you felt a little off-balance or clumsy? Do you think that improving your functional fitness could be the key to unlocking a greater sense of ease and confidence in your everyday movements? Absolutely.

I think it's something worth exploring. It really is. Something to think about.