Functional training as a form of training is now probably known to everyone who has ever set foot in a gym or opened any lifestyle magazine. For several years now, functional training has been very popular in marketing terms and promises performance development that is close to everyday life with a high level of carry-over into various sports. Unfortunately, the term seems to be used inflationary for this very reason and especially followers of classic iron sports are sure: Functional Training is not optimally suited for the pure development of strength and muscle mass. Whether this is really true, however, is decided by the exact definition.
The problem with Functional Training
Although the vast majority of people can imagine something under the term Functional Training and often associate it with kettlebell swings, training on wobble boards or pushing sleds on artificial turf, a uniform definition is difficult to establish. A commonly cited version by a co-founder of the functional training philosophy Gary Gray reads:
Movements that use a single muscle in isolation are considered non-functional. Functional movement forms always integrate several muscles and muscle groups simultaneously.
This definition is justified by the fact that in everyday life and in most sports, individual muscles or joints are rarely isolated. Accordingly, it is more natural and, for most requirement profiles, more “functional” to think in terms of movements rather than muscles.
Of course, this approach has a kernel of truth, but it also suggests that a biceps curl, for example, has no function. All bodybuilders and people in general, for whom visual aesthetics and muscle growth are the result of a “functioning” program, may protest vehemently. But not only for bodybuilders has the mentioned classification quickly reached its limits.
Why isolation exercises are functional after all
If, on the other hand, functional is translated as functioning, the concept can be defined much more broadly. For example, isolated triceps training is equally useful for powerlifters, javelin throwers, martial artists or gymnasts, among others, when the triceps, as the weakest link in a chain, is the limiting factor of a multi-joint exercise or movement.
Similarly, isolated triceps stretching is indicated in therapy, for example, to correct an extension deficit in the elbow joint after traumatic damage. Accordingly, from rehab to competitive sports, context always determines whether or not an exercise serves a function. In other words, any exercise that serves to achieve a specific goal can be considered functional.
It can be stated that the evaluation of functional training as a form of training also fundamentally depends on which criteria one uses as a basis and how one defines the term oneself.
In bodybuilding, for example, the building of muscle mass is functional, as this is essential for athletic performance. For a marathon runner, it looks completely different.
But this connection can also be illustrated less globally by means of exercise selection. For a bodybuilder (but also, for example, a high diver), crunches make sense because they train the abdominal muscles and, in the second case, the curling spinal movement represents a competition-specific movement. A powerlifter, on the other hand, primarily needs a stable spine in his competition exercises that remains straight against acting forces. Dynamic core exercises are therefore less useful than static ones in this case, since the carryover into the sport is practically non-existent.
On the basis of this explanation, the term Functional Training can hardly be used uniformly, since without further information on the objective and context, the functionality of an exercise cannot be evaluated and thus the attribute “Functional” in front of the word training becomes obsolete.
This does not mean, however, that what we have called Functional Training so far cannot still be helpful for you. In fact, most athletes and recreational athletes do benefit from the key elements of the original concept, such as improved core stability, movement quality, and the use of complex basic exercises. However, the exact selection of training methods and exercises must always be individualized and context-specific. The term “functional” should therefore be assumed rather than used to describe a form of training, due to a holistic training plan that is oriented towards a goal.
How can you use this knowledge?
Functional training is goal-oriented training. With this in mind, you can make an individual definition of what you consider functional for your individual training goal and what not. Therefore, check if your current exercise selection and training system, split and other training habits really match your goal.
For example, a frequently discussed issue is the use of pulling aids in your workouts. If you want to make your lift maximally heavy, their use is functional. On the other hand, if you want to improve your grip strength, functional training should be done at least partially without pulling aids.
Many athletes still tend to stay in a certain comfort zone with increasing training age and no longer question their own training habits. Is the 4-split you’ve been doing for a few years really what’s still moving you forward, or has it simply become your habit? Is front raises a functional part of your shoulder training or do you just like doing them? Following this pattern, you should honestly reflect on your training content at regular intervals and replace it with suitable alternatives if necessary.
Especially if various conditions such as time budget and training goals change or injuries occur, you should re-evaluate the exercises and methods. After all, not everything that was once functional in your plan will remain so for the rest of your training career. For example, if you have improved said triceps as the weakest link in the bench press through appropriate focus, you don’t have to maintain the additional volume forever, but in this case will likely benefit more from working on other weak areas. Regularly evaluating your training progress is therefore useful and allows for actual functional training.
Conclusion on Functional Training
You should constantly check your training plan for functionality, but not necessarily with functional exercises according to the original definition. Rather, what is functional is exactly what brings you closer to your goals the fastest and takes your personal situation into account.
Functional Training is therefore a highly individual term, which without context simply means training. So if you want to train functionally in this newly established sense of the word, you should carry out your own definition of successful training and the specific requirements, honestly reflect on your own weak points and then select the appropriate training content in a targeted manner. Then you can build more muscles with functional training and don’t necessarily need stability balls and balance boards.