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Back in January when I joined the gym I paid for 6 private training sessions and loved them all. You can search the archives for the workouts that we did together, but basically they were the type of workouts that belong to a class called “functional training.” In a nutshell, “functional training” is a type of workout that helps to prepare your body for every day activities. A good trainer will interview their subject to find out what kinds of activities their client does on a typical day and then design a training program around it. Most functional workouts involve multiple movements using multiple muscle groups at the same time. Also, they almost always engage your core abdominal muscles while you’re working your specifically targetted muscles.
Sometimes I wonder if this type of training is actually better for you than traditional single muscle/single movement isolation exercises. Well, it turns out that the verdict is still out. According to a recent article in the LA Times:
Many trainers do only functional training with their clients because they believe that it produces better overall results and that it improves their clients’ ability to do everyday activities, such as reaching for a high shelf, golfing or bending to pick up objects.
Other trainers feel strongly that functional training is not more effective, just more complicated and unnecessary for the average person who does not have a sport-specific goal or unique rehabilitation need. Many of these trainers also believe that doing these patterns with weight or resistance creates unnecessary risk and potential for injury, especially if done incorrectly.
So what do you guys think? A lot of you work out with weights. Are you a more traditional weight lifter, or are you functional? I like to do both types–switching back and forth when my routine needs a refresher or when my body adapts. Currently, I’m in a traditional phase. But now that my back is feeling 90% better, I think I’m going to sign up for another set of training sessions at the gym.
Whichever type you believe in doesn’t really matter. We all know that building muscle and burning fat is key to turning our bodies into metabolic machines that help us in our goal toward achieving long term weight loss. Right?
J.D.
11 responses so far ↓
1 Danny // Nov 19, 2008 at 9:03 am
I hate traditionnal weigth lifting. It bores me. I prefer doing push-ups over working triceps, biceps, pectoral and deltoïde separately. Last time, my trainer planned an isolated muscle weightlifting program. I was totally demotivated after a week. I felt that my sessions were too long. I simply ditched half of the program to replace by only one exercise that use many muscles.
Unnecessary risk? The worst one is demotivation.
So I prefer a prefer programs made of two Superset of three exercises on unbalanced surface and/or exercises who work more than one muscle at a time.
My all time favorite are push-up, squats and running.
2 anna // Nov 19, 2008 at 10:02 am
functional all the way. I’m not bodybuilding, I’m living my life.
3 Andy // Nov 19, 2008 at 10:13 am
@ Danny (#1)
I weight lift using a “traditional” program (which does include squats and running). It’s fine, but I’d rather get in and out of the gym quicker. Do you feel your method can compete with the workout you’d get from a traditional routine? Mind me asking what age/weight etc you are, and what your goals are?
If it’s just as good, why doesn’t everyone do it? Sounds like a hell of a lot more fun.
4 Kym // Nov 19, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Are you still doing Stronglifts 5×5? That is based entirely on compound movements.
I’m currently doing Stronglifts 5×5 and I really enjoy it. I do feel like I get a better overall workout than I did when I just did isolation moves.
5 Adam Steer, Momentum Wellness // Nov 19, 2008 at 1:51 pm
The biggest problem is the interpretation of the word “functional” when associated with training. Too many trainers fall back on what they call functional training because what they are really looking for are flashy and funky exercises that call attention to what they are doing and keep their clients from getting bored. But that is NOT what functional training started off as.
I think we need to go back and look at how we define functional training. In fact, I would insist that ANY trainer worth his or her salt is indeed giving their clients “functional” training programs. The first question that needs to be asked is, “what do you want to be fit for.” Are you training for physique? Do you want to be stronger? Are you trying to improve your health? Do you want better performance in a sport? All those are goals that you can be FIT FOR. I don’t know of anyone who just trains for no reason at all.
So, if you are trying to be fit for something, then you need a training program that develops that functionality. Therefore, every decent program is functional. All the physioball, bosu ball, plyo ladder, etc, etc, etc exercises are not the only tools of functional training. They are the gimmicks that some trainers picked up on to augment their marketing.
Don’t get me wrong, every one of those tools can have a place in a good training program. But again, it depends what you are training for. If you want to get signficantly stronger, you are better off with 5×5’s of the basic lifts. That is functional if it fits your goals!
If you lack core strength to achieve your goals, perhaps the physioball would indeed be a functional tool (depends how you use it - balancing on it while lifting a kettlebell and playing the didgeridoo does not seem like it would be all that functional - search YouTube and you will find just such an exercise).
At any rate, decide what you need out of your training, build a program or have it built for you, and voila - you’ve got yourself some functional training. For each job, a functional tool…
Cheers,
Adam
6 Jaime // Nov 19, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I think what I do would be characterized as traditional. I strongly recommend everyone interested in weight training read through the entirety of stumptuous.com/cms. It’s geared at women, but applicable to everyone. Great advice and motivation, and TONS of info. Plus, it’s fun to read. Totally changed my life. (And my thighs.)
7 Bill // Nov 19, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I think the question to ask is, Does it work? If it works for you and keeps you motivated and you don’t go nuts and try to throw the weights around, then you’re way better off than the most likely alternative — watching TV or eating ice cream!
I’m a traditionalist. I like doing compound exercises like bench presses, squats, and pull-ups, as well as isolation movements like curls and press-downs. But I also believe that training for your specific activity is very important.
8 Miguel // Nov 19, 2008 at 6:55 pm
These days I don’t do curls, or isolation movements. Probably the least compound exercise I’d do, is the bench press. Normally it’s a lot of Olympic lifts, along with squats, thursters, lunges, pull ups, dips, push ups, medicine ball work, and running.
I’ve gained a lot of strength in a short amount of time doing this.
9 Dave // Nov 20, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I’ve been lifting for about 3 years now.
I played around with different isolation routines for the first two years, and saw a little physical progress, but basically no strength gains.
In the last couple months, I started Stronglifts 5×5 (which I discovered via your blog) and have noticed physical changes already. Mostly in my legs, and its feels great to have my pants fit me as they probably should lol. But I also have recieved a few comments from friends who’ve noticed a change.
I also like stronglifts because it feels so natural; body-weight exercises and barbells, all compound and good for “real-life” strength.
Do I think compound lifts are perfect for everyone?
-No, probably not even perfect for myself.
Would I recommend them to everyone who’s never tried?
-Absolutely. (just be sure to study proper form, there is a higher tendency for injury)
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11 Carol // Nov 30, 2008 at 6:07 pm
I love dance, running, and yoga AND when I fit it in, I love lifting weights - at home. Specifically dumbbells. I have not given it my full monty, but I recently resolved to give it a go once again. I am pretty intimidated by going to a gym and lifting. I am setting up a standard weight lifting routine but modifying it to work with dumbbells. I just read about 5×5. I will try that. I do need to get more weights. Sparkpeople.com has a nice fitness video area where you can see plenty of dumbbell moves in animation and of course you can go to youtube, too.
An aside: I think for a lot of us, the routine that we will actually DO is often the best. I have also noticed that the more I can do an activity here at home, the more I am likely to do it, and I am most likely to feel comfortable if less gear is involved. Just my style and food for thought.
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