Per our go to Trainer, Trey Patterson at Train with Trey, today we will highlight the importance of Functional Training, what it is and why you should consider this training to be part of your fitness program.

Functional training is, in more simple terms, a way of training that has a purpose.  While hitting the gym and focusing on one main muscle is great, this type of training focuses on not one but multiple muscles working together to accomplish simple movements we do on our daily basis to function.  The seven specific movements that functional training focuses on are pull, push, squat, lunge, hinge, rotation, and gait.  Think about how often you do these things every day.  Examples are picking up something heavy from the floor, bending over, playing with the kids etc.  As simple as these tasks may be, it’s these simple tasks that can also lead to big injuries. 

By incorporating this type of training, you don’t only strengthen the muscle groups needed to execute these movements but more importantly, you increase your mobility.  The importance behind mobility is that you reduce your chances of getting injured significantly.  Another benefit of improving your mobility is not only decreasing the likelihood of injury but also your ability to increase mobility which in turn allows you to gain strength.  This goes to show that this type of training does not just benefit people that prefer to take it easy at the gym but also the ones that spend a lot of time in the weight room. 

According to Trey, “having more mobility or range in motion is going to significantly help you in your strength training.”  Functional Training focuses on compound exercises, which require more than one muscle group to achieve one goal and only incorporate free weights, not machines.  Although, weights are not totally necessary either, yoga is known to be a good example of functional training since it is considered “a bodyweight resistance training based on natural movements we use every day.”  Other than Yoga, here are some more examples of Functional Training:

• Medicine Ball Rotational Throw
• Single Leg Deadlift
• Bent-over Row
• Jump Squads
• Push-ups

And

• Jump Squads

In conclusion, Functional Training allows your body to function as one unit efficiently which is so important because you are training the entire system not just focusing on one muscle group which then allows you to become one stable powerhouse.