The Art of being FUNCTIONAL

A Loud shout out to all ...today I felt I should write and share my thoughts on a catch word we have been hearing about for a while now : FUNCTIONAL TRAINING ! At the risk of probably getting shot at I think it's necessary that we dispel a few myths that surround this form of training. First and foremost FUNCTIONAL TRAINING is exactly that - a training system put together to help in using our limbs and bodies to carry out daily basic functions! As simple as that ! Why? You may ask, don't we regular human beings do that anyway? Yes of course we do! Then why functional training to help in this ? THE ANSWER MY FRIENDS, IS FUNCTIONAL TRAINING IS SPECIFICALLY A FORM OF REHABILITATION TRAINING TO BE PERFORMED BY QUALIFIED PHYSICAL THERAPISTS TO HELP IN RESTORING FUNCTIONS OF A LIMB OR LEG OR NECK OR SPINE OR KNEE OR ANY OTHER PART OF A HUMAN BODY THAT NEEDS A RESTORATIVE PROCESS POST TRAUMA OR INJURY. I have seen various forms of exercise varying from swinging on bars, to jumping on body balls, to moving a sandbag in unnatural circles overhead' to balancing on balls with one leg and trying to attempt a pistol squat, to crawling like various animals and the list goes on. It's laughable how this is dished out as FUNCTIONAL TRAINING! Not only is this highly injury prone but it is unnatural and most times goes against a human body's natural biomechanics. Let me ask the Pundits of fitness who are so quick to point out flaws in a regular squat - your heel is lifting off the floor, your back is bending way too forward, your back isn't arched, your spine is bending, your chest is caving in etc. All too often I have heard these observations and they are perfectly correct. My point is now when the same Pundits make a client perform a squat, lunge, pistol squat etc. I'd really like to see the client they are training perform these actions keeping in mind the commandments of a correct squat form Again I have heard and seen FUNCTIONAL FITNESS being used as a sports based training theory! An unsuspecting member / client is holding a metal rod attached to a resistance band / cable and is being exhorted to play cricket strokes with the intent of strengthning his arms or bringing to his body EXPLOSIVE MOMEMENT!! For a second imagine you doing this - if you have ever played the sport of cricket you would immediately know that your stroke making with this sort of technique would be total crap and you would probably stress your elbow, wrist and shoulders ! Now bring into this scenario a cricket bat and replace the pole/ rod with the bat and perform the same EXPLOSIVE MOMEMENT STROKES ...chances are you will look like a total clown! Animal movements ...Wow...now this is just stupefying ! My first question being man evolved from crawling to ape like movements to being HOMO ERECTUS which means standing upright on two legs ! Nature did this for a reason people, why then are we fooling ourselves by doing animal movements in the name of fitness and functional training. Maybe some of these movements strengthen some muscles but they come with their share of injury to other body parts and there are a multitude of ways to strengthen those muscles other than crawl around a gym ! Coming to a few other movements, battle rope, Tyre flips, hammer, etc. Ask people why these are done and the answer you get is "its functional movement" yes it is but from where and how is this applicable in our daily air conditioned lives ? The answer to this friends is that these movements are actual adaptions to what our fore father's did in their daily activity Battle rope - beating or threshing of corn Plough - easy enough to understand , pushing the yoke Tyre Flips - Rolling heavy objects or stones Farmers Walk - carrying heavy loads in each hand and walking to destination. Hammer Strikes - again easy enough to understand, breaking of stones or rocks So you see people there is a clear explanation for FUNCTIONAL TRAINING : MEDICALLY 1) TO REGAIN FUNCTION AND MOBILITY OF A CERTAIN BODY PART THAT HAS BEEN INJURED TRAINING AND EXERCISE 2) TO REPLICATE EARLY MAN MOVEMENTS TO STRENGTHEN BODY PARTS Now I know many may rubbish my view points or not agree and that is because of the fact that they have been taught to believe otherwise. Also the fact that nobody likes to be told they have been futile in their training efforts. That's okay because it's perfectly fine to agree to disagree . I am not overtly worried whether you are right but point out to me where I am wrong! Happy reading folks and oh yes beware of those injuries and animal walks. If you do notice in all the videos you see, all of these actions are being performed by extremely fit people, why then are these FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS being administered to most people who have just joined a gym, particularly women? Next time the myths on cardio and treadmill and the like! Till then stay fit stay strong stay healthy