Functional WHAT?

I like this exercise because it’s far more functional.

Sitting silently in the back of the group I pondered the selection of the word functional and figured I missed that part of the lecture; this physioball exercise certainly doesn’t resemble anything I would consider functional. Now, I realize that  functional is one of my least favorite adjectives that have become part of the personal training vernacular. It’s meaning enveloping anything not conventional or traditional, but certainly not functional in any real meaning of the word.

Functional training by definition should be any exercise leading to the development of a specific function. So for example, if you would like to increase your speed of running, run faster; if you would like to increase the amount of weight you can lift, increase your load; to increase power, guess what you should train for? That’s right – power. However, let’s consider the physioball. It’s an unstable surface yes, but in a manner that has no real life resemblance to function. All joking aside, when would you be lying on a bouncy unstable surface doing sit-ups? Worse yet, when would you be standing on such a surface? At least a trampoline never claimed to be more functional it was simply fun, and if you had a stint in the circus as a trapeze artist perhaps functional for those times you fell into the net.

The most common request in the gym is weight loss. Functional training for weight loss is actually quite simple. First, get your diet under control. If you need some help with meal planning a close friend and colleague of mine Alex Jamieson has a fantastic program called Week in a Weekend that can help you cook delicious, meat free meals for an entire week. Also, don’t forget that alcohol is like liquid desert and the calories add up quickly.

Second, exercise as much as possible as intensely as possible. One strategy that is effective (and fun) is high intensity interval training, or HIIT (also referred to as wave or Fartlek training). Consider a wave pattern, when you exercise you have highs and lows.  The longer you keep your intensity (based on heart rate) at a high intensity, the more calories you burn. Instead of resting in a low/recovery period do resistance training or lower intensity cardio. The only precaution here is to not do activity where the heart is below the legs (like a decline bench press or inverted push up) at high heart rates. As with all exercise, if it hurts, don’t do it!

So what and why should consumers be aware of the functional training trap? What consumers should be aware of is an inability of their personal trainer or gym expert to explain exactly why they have selected an exercise. If a trainer suggests the selection to be far more functional ask why. How does this exercise impact your ability to achieve your goals? If the explanation is over your head, it’s likely over your trainers head. Why should consumers beware of the functional training trap? Stated simply, the more confused you are, the more likely you are to re-new and stay hooked. After all if you can’t squat on a physioball that is a significant indicator that you’re lacking function….right?