So, just what IS this "Functional Fitness (FF)" everyone is suddenly talking about? Actually FF is nothing new, it is in fact the oldest and, in many an opinion, the most important kind of exercise. A true example of FF is Yoga. Hardly new. You don't ever see a Yogi just repping on one muscle at a time do you? Let's first look at the opposite of FF:
THE ISOLATED REP. I see this all the time in every gym I have ever visited. For many years this was THE method used by body-builders for building muscle. So, what's wrong with that? Nothing, and everything! Clear as mud? OK, let me explain. If you are in the gym doing all of that work and spending all of that time, just so you can have some "pretty" muscles, well, isolated work might do ya. But is that "fitness"? Not really, no. I have seen countless bodies that are the result of this kind of exercise and very often they are unbalanced, and one step from real problems. Often they are not really that attractive either. I'm sure most of you have seen "that musclebound guy" walking down the beach thinking that he is really strutting it. Yet his arms don't even hang correctly. It is called muscle"bound" for a reason. Notice that "that guy's" palms are often facing backwards instead of towards his sides. This is partially due to a lack of flexibility because "pumping up the muscles" is more important to this guy than spending time stretching. Another cause of this "ape-like" stance is that these guys often place much more emphasis on working their front than their "all over". Why? Because he can watch his work in the gym mirrors and it looks cool! He works his back less simply because he cannot see it. This kind of exerciser is not really going after 'fitness', and isn't getting it either. He/she also has a much higher chance of being injured during activities due to the imbalances in the body, as the body has not been 'trained' to work together. When a muscle is very strong, and the opposing muscle is not, you are asking for problems. And how can isolation work train the muscle how to "work well with others"? Teamwork is important in more than just sports! It is critical in the body if you truly want to be physically 'fit'.
This is where Functional Fitness comes into the picture. The only thing that is somewhat 'new' about this is what we are calling it. Yoga, Pilates and athletic training are all examples. You can actually turn some work 'functional' by just standing on one leg as you do it. This brings your core smack full into the equation, and changes the dynamic entirely. Of course you only do this when it is safe to do so! An example of an isolated move would be a hamstring curl, which works ONE muscle (or group, since several muscles in the body are actually a group, i.e., triceps, biceps, quads, etc.). Now think about a squat. This works quads, hamstrings, glutes, core, etc. And you can take this a level higher by making this a ONE legged squat, thus working all of the isolator muscles that keep you balanced as well as those large mover muscles. All 'compound' moves are not necessarily in the category of FF, but FF will always use more than one muscle. Bottom line is that functional work involves the entire body and how it works together. This article is about the difference between the two and the importance of FF. Come back again when we really get into detail about some of the best functional work, and how convenient you will find it to do. You can turn almost any place into your FF gym. Boot camp work is among the best, think about it, our soldiers train functionally, you don't see them sitting out there in the field with the Sargent all curling dumbbells now do you? Not at all, they are doing burpees, push ups, running, climbing, doing ploy work and more. All can be done with the body alone. See, the excuses are gone! No need for a bunch of equipment.
I'll 'see' you soon, and in the meantime, start switching up your isolated work and see if you don't really start to feel the difference in your every day activities. ~Coach Sherilyn~
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