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This is not about growing muscle mass or sculpting a perfect figure. The priority here with functional training is general physical fitness and wellbeing. We will feel the effects of this even while sitting at a desk.


What is functional training?

This is a type of intense, but uncomplicated exercise aimed at comprehensive muscle strengthening. Simply put, functional training is about mimicking the movements we do every day, but at a much faster pace. For example: picking up a weight from the ground and lifting it over your head. Or bending for something, sitting down, crouching, climbing steps etc. Simple? Yes, but not with many reps.

How is it different from traditional strength training? It has a definite advantage of multi-joint exercises over isolated ones because in everyday life, we most often make such movements. Climbing stairs combined with carrying an uncomfortable weight has little in common with an isolated biceps exercise or a barbell bench press.

  • Benefits of functional training
  • Whole body improvement
  • Deep muscle strengthening
  • Reducing the risk of injury during every day, spontaneous activities
  • Improved flexibility and coordination
  • Increasing the body's efficiency, improving circulation
  • Developing the right posture and proper movement patterns, and as a result, minimizing the ailments associated with prolonged standing, sitting in front of the computer.

Consistently and properly performed functional training may not result in great musculature, but it will give you fitness that you will appreciate in an everyday situation.

All new types of activities - painting the ceiling combined with climbing the ladder many times, digging the garden, cleaning on the top shelves in the wardrobe will no longer be tiring. And if you plan to try new activities during the holidays - kayaking, sailing or simply living in a tent, then start functional training now.


How to exercise?

You don't need complicated equipment to perform functional training. Dumbbells or kettlebells are enough (they are more comfortable to hold), a medicine ball or a Bulgarian bag may also come in handy. For this, it is necessary to have a stable platform - a step, a training bench, or an exercise box. A mat to be able to do exercises on the floor would also be ideal.

The most important tips for performing functional training - it must have correct form and be dynamic.

Form – It is best to start this type of exercise under the supervision of an experienced person who will correct the mistakes we make. A poorly performed exercise will have the opposite effect - pain or even injury. A personal trainer can also prepare an appropriate functional training plan for us - tailored to our lifestyle, our plans and mobility possibilities. After a few meetings carried out "under the supervision" we will be able to successfully continue the exercises on our own or even at home.

Dynamics. Exercises involving the repetition of a specific movement performed at a fast pace, in sets lasting from 45 to 90 seconds, depending on the level of advancement. And here the discipline of speeding up the pace is very important, so that we can gradually do one or two more repetitions in this allotted time. Of course, while taking care to maintain form. Perform each exercise in 3 to 5 sets with ideally, one minute of rest between sets. After finishing one exercise, move on to the next. We can also significantly increase the intensity by combining exercises with each other in a circuit and resting only after completing the full circuit.


Examples of exercises in functional training


Step ups with a weight or arms above heads.

Put your foot on a raised platform (step or, in a more difficult version, a training bench), climb up, adding the other leg and at the same time lifting our straightened arms to the sides. You can hold small weights in our hands while we do this for added difficulty. We do these reps alternately once with the right leg, once with the left leg.


Squat combined with lifting the weight above the head

Holding a small weight (kettlebell, medicine ball) in your hands at chest height, do a squat, then stand up and press the weight with both hands above your head. Lower the weight and do the squat again.


Lowering and lifting the medicine ball diagonally

We start from a standing position with the ball (or other weight) held in both hands in front of the chest. Performing a slight twist of the torso, we bend down as if we wanted to put the ball right next to the left foot. However, we do not put the weight down, but return to the upright position and then turn the torso to the right and lift the weight diagonally up as if we wanted to put it on the shelf located on the right side above our head. The movement is uniform, long and must be careful to activate not only the muscles of the buttocks and arms, but also the core muscles. We exercise by controlling the posture by tensing the abdominal muscles.

Each of the above exercises involves several muscle groups - this is what good functional training is all about. It is worth doing it two or three times a week to significantly improve your overall fitness.

Tags: helpful exercise