Functional Training has become the new mainstream fitness jargon that everyone likes to be associated with thier training. While functional training literally means training for function and improving efficiency and quality of day to day activities and training specifically the natural movements of the body that are unrestricted and free flowing- you might still be extremely wrong about Functional training. Today, we will learn how to train your ‘Functional Strength’.
1. Function is Movement in synergy.
It involves multiple muscles at a time to perform one action that happens in our day to day life. For example – If you are a parent and you are lifting your loving child from the couch, your biceps, deltoids, lats, spinal erectors, hip extensors and other core muscles act in a co-ordinated movement to complete the task. Or for an instance you are pushing your broken car in the middle of the road – all of your triceps, pecs, quads, glutes, hamstring, calves and core work in a co-ordination.
So how do we train to prepare us for all of this- it might not work well for you to lift your baby with 3 sets of 2020 or pushing your car despite its not broken. Well it might come surprising for you but doing traditional Compound Lifts like Squat – Bench – Deadlift are real foundaition pillars of functional training. The big 3 mainly trains Push-Pull- and hinge/leg muscles effectively and establish high level of co-ordination.
2. Do you even Run?
What’s the basic instinct of survival? It is to run when you sense danger. Jokes apart, in 2025 there are not many predators roaming around in our society. But running is one of the most basic movement pattern that an organism develops. It is just encoded in the natural patterns of mammals on land and you must practice it.
Running is an interal part of functional training. So run fast, run for longer distances and run frequently. Practice good running technique that allows you to extract better performance out of you while reducing injuries.
Plus…… it trains your most important muscle-the caridac muscle- THE HEART. While running is not the only way to train cardiovascular fitness, but it is one of the best because you are training a movement pattern and heart rate together at a time. It doesent even require a fance setup or equipment and it is highly enjoyable with so many formats and intensities to try out!
3. Functional Training is Lifting heavy Stuff (Yes,it is)
Wait, but functional training was doing fancy instagram stuff? Well it isn’t. Let me break it to you – ‘lifting heavy is more functional than anything’. What lifting heavy does is it trains ‘high threshold motor units’ a.k.a the fast twitch muscle fibers that are responsible for all high end force production and power.
You also train your central nervous system to fire at higher rates to produce more and more force. I mean logically what is more functional than being able to lift a sack of potatoes or wheat that you couldn’t lift before. Fortunately, you will be lifting heavy military presses, zercher lifts, back and front squats.
4. Functional Training is Lifting heavy Stuff Fast
You lift heavy-you train strength. You lift moderately heavy stuff in faster velocity-you train your power component. Thats what power is force multiplied by velocity.
Power training is fun, you pickup heavy stuff faster like power cleans and snatches, you throw and slam heavy stuff like medicine balls and slam balls, you also use heavy hammer slams. You throw stuff up , down, left and right. Basically you take out a lot of force in a split second.
Doing normal lifts in high velocities is also power training. Keep it simple.
5. Carry
Our moms need our hands to carry the groceries, your girlfriend might need you to lift her up and walk, your injured mate might need you to lift him/her up and climb stairs to reach home. Ever saw soldiers carrying heavy bagpacks or thier buddy on thier back? Ever saw construction workers carry the bag of cement on thier bag and walking. Freaking strong right?
People who do functional training forget to do the most important part that is- Carry. Include Trap bar walks, kettlebell walks, heavy dumbell walks. If that gets easier, then use same exercises with unilateral challenge.
6. Rotate
Remember the first point that the body works in synergy to produce a movement. All movement is directly or indirectly connected to core muscles. But what are the core muscles? These muscles are basically which stabilize the torso during when force transfers from one limb to another, These muscles also are prime movers in flexing and extending the spine. Also, most importantly, rotating it.
Medicine ball lateral throws, landmine presses, resisted anti-rotations are some exercises that train rotation of spine.
7. Putting it all together
Overall whatever you are doing currently is already functional. However you can use this article to take your game up by taking points from above and adding whatever is missing.
To conclude, focus on movements like squats, deadlifts, presses, pullups and lunges. Throw in heavy farmer carries at the end of the workout. Dedicate 2-3 days to run on different heart rate zones. Dedicate one day to train movements like medicine ball slams, throws, tosses with plyometrics.
However if you feel there is a need for personalized functional training program that is made specifically just for your strength and limitations, put your e-mail in the box to reach out.
