Functional workouts: how to approach these exercises and what to expect

We often hear about functional training, more and more people approach the gym through courses of this kind. There are those who particularly appreciate it and those who prefer something else: it all lies in the goals you try to achieve.

Also known as functional training, this type of training has a system based on the principle of functionality, from which it takes its name.

To define themselves as functional, exercises or workouts, they must pursue the aim of making certain movements more effective and efficient or they must solve particular physical complications or perhaps just improve certain situations related to the mobility of the body.

What does functional training involve ?

The efficiency and necessity of such training is very specific, although in quite a few situations you may actually find yourself needing them.

In fact, it is characteristic of functional exercises to focus on core and stability, but this does not mean that it is suitable for most athletes or in equal measure.

In fact, in order to approach the world of functional training, it is important to take into account the subjectivity of the individual.

For this, it is not correct to use collective global functionality training.

First of all because, as we have said, assembling a group of different subjects, with different characteristics and needs, is counterproductive as it would require adapting a routine common to everyone, which is wrong and inconvenient for some subjects, such as professionals.

Secondly, making functionality global means standardizing fitness capabilities at both the muscular and joint levels: this is also wrong but also risky.

In fact, it is important to remember that the margin for improvement must be considered for everyone, regardless of the starting level and the targeted objectives; but you can’t ignore the limits of each subject, which are difficult to work on whether it’s a sedentary subject or even if you’re dealing with a sportsman.

Importance of the concept of functional in this type of gymnastics

The fame of this type of training is not unfounded: this particular category of exercises brings with it advantages, but you need to know how to get them.

To appreciate its nature and efficiency, it is essential to assume a functional attitude before approaching such courses or lessons.

In order to understand what is being said, let’s follow an example: that of pull-ups, also known as pronated grip pull-ups.

This kind of exercise is actually functional for very few types of athletes, probably only for climbers.

A trainer could set up this workout with a progressive structure: starting from the falling pull-ups, continuing with the help of an elastic band, and so on …

Instead, for the nature and purpose of these workouts, it would be appropriate to understand the reasons behind the limited functionality of the pull-up, which involves humeral adduction and extension and forearm flexion.

Indeed, even with a progressive training approach to increase potential, if you don’t understand why this movement isn’t fully functional for the athlete, the effort and dedication put into doing the exercises won’t be truly functional either.

Positive aspects of functional training

Once we’ve listed the characteristics of this type of fitness and clarified that functional training is not necessarily functional for everyone, let’s now state what the advantages, the positive aspects, of this approach are.

In fact, an athlete who regularly practices functional or pseudo-functional activities will certainly find various benefits.

A first advantage is to increase the athletic ductility of the subject in general, it will make him more “sporty”, as he will work on improving the function of mind and body to interact with the environment.

A lot of work will be done on the development of coordination skills; at the same time, the stability and strength of the core will be improved, both in terms of muscles and breathing.

A consequent benefit of this type of exercise is to increase muscle flexibility but also joint mobility.

To add to this we will certainly find many other benefits, even deviating from those more merely of physical functionality, turning more our gaze towards aesthetic interest, such as the fact of bringing improvements in metabolic parameters, weight loss, …

Functional training: different types of workouts

There are numerous types of exercises that fall into this category, because each of them focuses on specific body parts and particular muscle areas.

Each of them, to work on specific body parts, requires specific positions, in which you need to maintain a stable structure to engage the muscles.

In any case, regardless of the type of exercise performed, in addition to the specific area of attention to which the exercise itself is aimed, there are common improvements such as muscle control, improvement of balance, inter and intra-muscular coordination, …

Finally, there are types of exercises that aim precisely at increasing strength, strengthening secondary muscles and complete body stability.