In recent years, a large number of functional trainings have become popular.
Some celebrities on the small and big screen are touting functional fitness programs as the latest and greatest alternative.
But what are these programs exactly?
Discover functional training
Functional training: positive goal
By definition, functional training is one that has a purpose, that is, it has an objective, and this, moreover, is positive.
Historically, functional training was born in the field of rehabilitation, in which these programs were used to improve people’s day-to-day activities.
But leaving semantics and history aside, we could define functional training as one in which work is done in a multidimensional and integrative way to achieve a positive strengthening of physical condition.
How is this achieved? Well, basically with the programming of exercises that bring together a whole range of poly-articular movement patterns, with others that affect various axes, using different and wide ranges of joint mobility, and, mainly, strengthening the body in general, especially the middle area (core).
Take away the monotony
Therefore, functional training (in theory) will run away from guided movements such as exercises on typical gym machines.
What we achieve with them is to require a large number of muscle groups with high demands on neuromuscular control in order to achieve global strengthening.
But the greatest advantage of these exercises is the infinite number of possibilities they show, avoiding the feeling of boredom and being able to adapt to each one of the people individually, taking into account their particular characteristics, be it a sports star who trains daily. , a movie actress who does an action shot, a bricklayer who moves bags of cement, someone who usually carries the purchase of the supermarket or an undertaker.
Each individual has some peculiarities that make them repeat a series of movements in their work, in their hobbies or in their customs, and in each of these cases functional training can help us in a positive way.
To further expand the range, today the physical activity industry offers an almost unlimited number of tools that supposedly give us physical improvements.
Although, one thing must be clear: the use of these instruments by itself does not mean that we are performing functional training.
Remember that functional training must have a preconceived positive purpose. Well, there are many authors who support its use.
Support material
Among the best known we highlight the elastic bands, dumbbells, medicine balls, instability platforms, the recently known TRX (based on the use of tapes with a single high anchor point to keep us in suspension and work with the weight of our own body ), kettelebells or Russian weights (which are iron balls with a handle), Swiss balls or fit balls (large latex balls), Bosu balls (which are a hemisphere), dyna discs (inflatable rubber discs), etc.
Some instruments incorporate unstable materials that aim to destabilize the user to generate greater activity in the abdominal region (core), so their use may also be appropriate for people with a consolidated base of exercises on stable surfaces.
I hope I have given you useful information. If you expect to function harder, better and longer, consider functional training.