Like most health and fitness terms, it may seem like a meaningless buzzword at first.
In fact, its something every single person should do as part of theirfitness program.
Functional training has a purpose and translates to an activity beyond your workout.
COREY TOWERS
The main word here isfunction.Function is purpose.
More than that, functional training is focused onmovement patternsthat have a purpose.
Increasingly, fitness studios are adding classes that can help people get stronger in their everyday movement patterns.
Katie Thompson
A functional workout typically consists of compound exercises like squats, lunges, and deadlifts.
Probably rarely, if ever.
Now, how often do you squat to lift something off the floor?
Katie Thompson
Or lunge to tie your shoe?
Or push a door open?
That means moving forward and backward, side to side, and incorporating rotational movements.
Katie Thompson
For the same reason, functional exercises requirefree weights, not machines.
That doesnt mimic how your body actually moves IRL.
For example, think of the leg extension machine, she says.
Katie Thompson
Youre never going to just use your quads.
Theyre going to work with the glutes, hamstrings, and core.
Thats not to say that isolation exercises dont ever have a purpose, says Salvador.
Katie Thompson
But that wouldnt be my primary area of focus.
Functional training improves your bodys ability to work efficiently as one unit.
Youre training it to be a system and not just individual parts that work independently.
Katie Thompson
Think about lifting a heavy suitcase.
Below are some exercises that will get you started working on those patterns.
Katie Thompson
