Training » Take life on

The term functional training has been somewhat abused over the last few years. Various fitness professionals have adopted and used the term loosely in an attempt to jump on the fitness trend bandwagon. But what is functional fitness, and should you be doing it?

Functional training
Full-body functional training programmes have the ability to improve your posture and balance, increase your range of motion, build strength and endurance, and reduce the pain and discomfort associated with inactivity and the dysfunction that our modern sedentary lifestyles cause. A functional training programme that is true to the basic principle of improving human movement will therefore target your muscles as integrated units, which is how they were designed to perform or, to be more specific, function.

Benefits of functional training

• Teaches muscles to work together rather than working them independently by isolating them.
• Enhances movement efficiency by strengthening movement patterns. 
• If done correctly, functional exercise should improve function, not reinforce dysfunction.
• Multi-joint movements help to burn more calories than single joint movement.
• Improves balance and coordination. 
• Helps to prevent injuries.
• Improves quality of life. 

Exercise	Set	Rep
Squat Press	4	10
Pike Press	4	10
Kettlebell One-Legged Deadlift	5	10 each leg
One Legged Push Up	4	10
Rope Pull Up	4	10
Kettlebell Overhead Jack Knife	4	10

Kettlebell Overhead Jack Knife

How to do it: Lie on the ground or mat on your back. Hold the kettlebell close to your chest with the handle facing down and your elbows close to your body. Raise both legs off the ground with your knees bent towards your torso. Slowly extend the kettlebell straight back behind your head while extending your legs at the same time, like you would with a jack knife. Targeted Muscles: Abdominals and shoulders.

Pike Press

How to do it: Rest the toes on a bench, wall or step and get into the push up position. Keep the legs straight and walk your hands towards the wall or bench in order to bend at the waist until your head and shoulders are pointed towards the ground. Bend at the elbows and lower your shoulders until your head touches the floor. Slowly push yourself back up.
Targeted muscles: Shoulders and core.

One-Legged Push Up

How to do it: Place a kettlebell on its side and position one foot on it while assuming the push up position. Keep the free leg parallel to the ground and move it outward away from the kettlebell. Bend your elbows and slowly lower your chest towards the floor while keeping both legs straight. At the bottom of the movement slowly push yourself back up to the starting position. Targeted Muscles: Shoulders, triceps and core stabilisers.

Rope Pull Up

How to do it:Hold the ropes with your arms extended and feet flat on the floor. Pull on the ropes, relying on your lats to lift your off the floor as high as possible. Drive downward with your elbows to engage that lats and keep your legs slightly bent behind you. Hold this position for five seconds and then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position. Targeted muscles: Lats, biceps and grip strength.

Kettlebell One-Legged Deadlift

How to do it:Stand upright holding a kettlebell with both hands. Shift your weight onto one leg, keeping the knee slightly bent. Perform a stiff-legged deadlift on one leg by bending at the hip and slowly lowering the kettlebell to the ground. As you do so extend your free leg out behind you for balance. Once you are parallel to the ground slowly lift the kettlebell back to the upright position while maintaining your balance. Targeted muscles: Hamstrings, glutes and lower back. For beginners: Start off with a lighter weight and hold the kettlebell with one hand to assist with balance.

Squat Press

How to do it:Squat - Get into the rack position by cleaning two kettlebells to the shoulders. Squat down while looking straight ahead and keeping your torso upright. Push your knees outward as you squat down. Slowly rise up again by driving through your heels. Press - Upon rising up from the squat position use momentum from the legs to drive the kettlebells overhead. Once the kettlebells are locked out overhead, lower the kettlebells back to the rack position and repeat the squat press.
Targeted muscles: Shoulders, triceps, glutes, quads and calves.

 

A final consideration – To be truly functional exercise needs to be specific in terms of the movement patterns it enhances and strengthens. As such, this programme is aimed at general movements we encounter in everyday life. It is not specific to particular tasks or requirements – for that you will need a personalised programme from a qualified strength and conditioning coach.