What EXACTLY Is Functional Training? Part I

October 14, 2009 on 5:55 pm | In Strength Training | 35 Comments

A few years ago trainers started to use more stability balls, balance boards, and other pieces of training equipment and deemed training with those items as “functional.” 

Most recently another group of trainers have become up in arms over the term “functional” saying the first group of trainers just use it as an excuse to perform ridiculous exercises at the expense of the athlete.

Who’s right?  Well the answer is somewhere inbetween…. Let’s break this debate down.

Definition of Functional Training:  “Functional training is the action of training “function,” a general term that meaning ‘role or duty.’ Functional training is the science of training the body to meet the specific demands of life and sports.”  The origins of functional training come from the rehabilitation settings.  

stabilitball What EXACTLY Is Functional Training? Part I

This largely comes out of the SAID principles – Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands.  This simply means that the body will adapt to the physical demands which are placed upon it.  For example, if someone trains a bench press, the body will adapt and become better at pressing the weight off your chest. 

What “function” are athletes going to perform?  In my opinion it is going to be the demands of their sport (or for the general population their daily activities).

Here’s where the interpretation comes in – which exercises are going to produce the best “functional” athletes (athletes that can will perform best under the demands of their sport). 

HERE’S THE PROBLEM WITH “FUNCTIONAL TRAINING”

There must be a link between the exercise and the sport.  I have a hard time making the connection between some exercises deemed “functional” and sport carryover, but let’s take a look at someone that has a much more scientific mind than I do.

Verkoshanky’s lays out his principles or criteria of dynamic correspondence on his site and in Supertraining (in other words, how a training movement corresponds with a “real life” movement.)

Criteria of Dynamic Correspondence

  • The exercise must resemble the amplitude and direction of the movement
  • The accentuated region of force production must be considered. In other words, wherein the amplitude of movement are the highest forces produced?  For example, a baseball swing will accelerate through the zone then decelerate through the follow through. 
  • The dynamics of the movement must be the same. For example, should the exercise involve an explosive concentric contraction, or a slow eccentric contraction?
  • The rate and time of maximum force production of the skill needs to be replicated.
  • The regime of muscular work (the type of muscle contraction) must be the same.

Let me simplify this – in order to be deemed “functional” the exercise needs to fit the above criteria. 

the catch football What EXACTLY Is Functional Training? Part I

Michael Yessis, PhD. and Tony Schwartz Explain this further, and perhaps a little more easily understood in General and Specific Exercises in Sport Part I. 

 1. The exercise must duplicate the exact movement witnessed in a certain segment of the sports skill. For example, an exercise to duplicate the exact ankle, knee, hip, or shoulder joint action in running.

2. The exercise must involve the same type of muscular contraction as used in the skill execution.For example, in the knee drive exercise, the muscles undergo an explosive concentric (shortening) contraction (after being pre-tensed) to produce maximum force and resultant running speed. After the initial contraction the limb continues on via its own momentum until the antagonist muscles undergo a strong eccentric (lengthening) contraction to slow down and stop the limb before an injury can occur. The special exercise can also duplicate the speed of movement.

3. The special exercise must have the same range of motion as in the skill action.  For example, in running, doing an exercise with the arm raised above the head and then pulling it downward may use the same muscles, but it does not duplicate the same range of muscular arm action. A more specific exercise is to move the arm backward and upward so that it duplicates the exact range of motion which occurs in the running stride.

Considering Yessis and Verkhoshansky, a functional exercise movement IS THAT MOVEMENT. 

I was in a discussion with Jim Smith of the Diesel Crew about six months ago on the same topic, and he mentioned the example of a punch. 

What is a function exercise for punching power?

tyson1 What EXACTLY Is Functional Training? Part I

According the all the information above, the movement must fit the following criteria:  it must be in the same direction at the same speed as a punch,  it must follow the same motion and resistance as a punch, it must be as explosive as a punch (with deceleration at the end), it must take the same amount of time as a punch, and the body’s muscle’s must contract at the same time. 

What did I just describe???

A punch! 

So the functional exercise for punching IS punching.  It fits all the criteria for dynamic correspondence. 

What about a med ball rotational slams (video)?  It looks close to a punch, right?  Right, but it does not fit all the criteria, therefore the training effect will be different, even if slightly.  For one the medicine ball with produce a different resistance, causing the slam to take longer than a punch as well as a loading the exercise differently.

This DOES NOT MEAN that you should go out and punch only to be a better puncher.  The magic lies in selecting exercises that have a high degree of sport carryover.  Many trainers seem to agree that sledge hammer swings will carry over to punching power (which in fact it may).

 sledgehammer What EXACTLY Is Functional Training? Part I

SUMMARY:  I have been working on this post for a lot of hours, and there are a lot of words in it!  Let me summarize. 

Functional training is preparing the body for a specific role (ie playing a sport).   “Functional exercises” seem to be more of a marketing term than an actual exact exercise – a truly functional exercise would be that specific movement (for example a functional exercise for punching is punching). 

This post may leave you with some questions: 

Are there different amounts of exercise carry over based on the movement, which exercises are more valuable, how does this help me create a program and meet my goals? 

===> All those answers coming up in the next installment of function, real world training, and program development!

Here’s what I would like from you. 

COMMENTS!!!!!!!! (and lots of them!!!)

Once this post reaches 25 comments, I will put out the next edition.  This will help me gauge what information YOU want! 

- Joe Hashey, CSCS -

PS.  For you Garage Gym Empire members, I am going to release a HUGE FREE VIDEO that lets you watch  “over my shoulder” as I demonstrate one of the most powerful lead generation tactics EVER!  Get on the list for more info.

bullstrength strong enough w green What EXACTLY Is Functional Training? Part I

References:

  1. Siff, M.C., and Y.V. Verkhoshansky. Supertraining: Strength Training for Sporting Excellence. (3rd ed.). Johannesburg, South Africa: University of the Witwatersrand, 1998.
  2. Yessis, M.: General and Specific Exercises in Sport. Ultimate Athlete Concepts, 2006.
  3. Softball Performance.  Functional Training For Softball.  Bodybuilding.com, 2008.
  4. Twist, Peter. Balance Your Workout. Sports West Digest. Vol. 2 No. 1, February 2000.
  5. Smith, Jim.  Choas Training Manual.  The Diesel Crew, 2006.

35 Comments »

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  1. Nicely done, Joe. I can tell you put in a lot of time and research on this one! More people need to see this and get off the bosu-ball squat bandwagon (which I think is slowly dying off).

    Comment by John Cortese — October 14, 2009 #

  2. Joe

    You have picked a great subject here!

    I think you are correct when you say that the functional exercises have to have a high degree of sport specific carryover.

    You mentioned punching as an example. I am very interested in combat arts and have trained in them myself. Simulation of explosive strength is an excellent way to train functionally. Things such as shadow boxing with weights, is a variation on the same theme and a good one. I also use Isometric training for explosive strength too.

    e.g. placing your fist against a wall for a jab, you can alter the various distances to simulate the different hand positions. It is very important to do the isometrics in a specific way. The goal is explosive strengh not maximal strength and so the protocol would be accelerate to full force as quickly as possible (1-3 secs). This is efective for hand speed and punching power.

    It will be interesting to hear other peoples takes on various sports and their own functional development.

    Thanks

    Dean

    Comment by DeanCoulson — October 14, 2009 #

  3. This post is important. Please everyone continue to research Verkhoshansky, Siff, Zatsiorsky and others.

    You can start with the Chaos Training manual :)

    Comment by Smitty — October 14, 2009 #

  4. Joe,

    You hit the nail right on the head…must be with one of those sledgehammers.

    In the past month I have seen:
    1. A trainer take a client with a weighted hula hoop on a BOSU ball and call it functional. Perhaps, if you are training a circus act. However, that mimics nothing in real life, which meets NONE of the criteria for functional training.
    2. A trainer have someone “mimic” a golf swing with a medicine ball and golf handle — while on a reebok balance board. She said it would improve the client’s golf game. It must, because the only time you would be hitting a golf ball from a moving stance is if you were on a boat. And if you are on a boat, you must be a rotten golfer, so anything is bound to improve your game.
    3. A trainer call his 60-minute “abdominal class” functional because it “improves your core.” In reality, how many times do we do crunches in real life? Nuf said.
    4. Adding weight to a movement arbitrarily does not make it functional…i.e, a weighted golf club, tubing on a baseball, etc. If this truly worked, basketball players would train their shots with medicine balls.

    My definition of functional training differs, in that I train people to function better in their movements. If I can make my client move better, his overall function will be better. I don’t disagree with your definition. I think we both might be right in our own ways.

    Comment by Dave Clancy — October 14, 2009 #

  5. Dave,

    Excellent points, and right on the money examples. I think we are agreeing, but there is a sticking point in vocabulary.

    I’m constantly fighting to find a specific term that fits exactly what we do – ‘functional exercise’ doesn’t fit for me.

    At the end of the day its just words – its the training that is important!

    Joe

    Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — October 14, 2009 #

  6. Thanks Smitty!

    Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — October 14, 2009 #

  7. Dean, good comments. In the next edition (pending 25 comments :) ) I will get into the spectrum of exercises from general strength to sport specific.

    Joe

    Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — October 14, 2009 #

  8. John, I appreciate it – this post took a lot of time since I never have more than an hour to sit down and do one thing. I mentioned that it would be up Tuesday, but it wasn’t 100% right yet.

    Thanks to everyone for the patience!

    Joe

    Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — October 14, 2009 #

  9. Coach Hashey,
    Great start! I’m excited to see where this goes. I think that where people get kind of confused when it comes to dynamic correspondence (and I could be way off with my own idea’s here) is the fact that the biggest part that needs to be looked at is MOVEMENT. Let’s face it, as Buddy Morris has so famously quoted, “Weight training is GPP for the athlete.” Are there some things that are a better choice in a risk reward realm, or are their exercises that may fit or not fit in certain situations? Sure there are, but, in my opinion dynamic correspondence and bioenergetics are extremely indicative of the movement training involved with the sport. With that said I do believe, as Dr. Yessis has researched and brought back to the US in his books, that there are better selections for weight room exercises and training that will provide greater carry over to specific sporting demand (i.e. some exercises will help improve vertical jump better than others). I would also like to mention that the new

    Comment by Jay DeMayo — October 14, 2009 #

  10. I didn’t realize that was so long. Sorry for the rant.

    Comment by Jay DeMayo — October 14, 2009 #

  11. Jay,

    No apologies needed, I know that you are extremely well versed in training, so I appreciate you taking the time to reply. There are about a dozen crucial topics you mentioned in your reply, but you do some it up right on the money.

    “It

    Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — October 14, 2009 #

  12. Demayo, great point. Paralysis by Analysis. People forget to train. You have to train.

    It is true “correction” is the new “functional” because trainers try to isolate the idea. They take the important information from Cressey, Robertson, Sahrmann, Hartman, Cook and others and try and implement this analysis into their programs and it becomes a road block. A stalling point. It shuts down the individuals program.

    The athletes can still train, they have to train. This can be done with the introduction of corrective exercises. The corrective exercises ARE NOT the entire program.

    Many corrective exercises target and isolate a specific function, movement or muscle but integrated movement must still be trained to enhance this correction.

    And know when to refer out. Many things are outside your expertise. Remember that.

    I could have provided more details around functional training, but I’ll quickly summarize.

    http://www.elitefts.com/documents/TheChaosTheory.pdf

    Comment by Smitty — October 14, 2009 #

  13. Excellent share smitty – people should check out that pdf!

    Jay and Smitty’s comments bring me back to presenting at Strength Coach 101 a few weeks back with Tim Mosolino and Elliott Hulse.

    One of the first things that we were asked was about how we run a screening and how we hold people back / progress them based on the results.

    There is always something that you can train. Corrective exercises are just that – and if people only perform exercises that come from a rehabilitation setting, then their strength will falter or not be there at all.

    This also reminds me when I took a college visit to West Point and watched their spring football game. There were about 8 people injured and couldn’t play. The trainers had them working harder than anyone else.

    “The worst thing you can do here is get injured” a player said to me pointing to the 8 guys doing all kinds of exercises around their injuries.

    The limitations most strength coaches deal with aren’t as severe as what those players were exercising with.

    Bringing it full circle – there is a lot to creating a program (including this discussion on limitations and imbalances) and Ill bring this back around on part II!

    Thanks – Joe

    Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — October 14, 2009 #

  14. functional training trains you for life. Military, special ops, cops, firefighters are those who NEED functional training. Being a CrossFit trainer, an ex-strongman, ex-football and rugby player/trainer, I see the definitive need for functional fitness for all people, if they want it.

    sport specific training is just that, it is functional training for your sport and you go a step further and say position.

    but how far does “functional training” go? As trainers we need to ensure we are creating stronger and fitter clients and athletes and not just throwing any old random shit at them to get some semblance of result.

    Comment by Jay Ashman — October 14, 2009 #

  15. having said all that…. you won’t see me using bosu balls, moving bases for exercise or crunches.

    I love using the term functional fitness because people go ooooo when they see that, and then they train with me and love it. Its not your core shit, ab garbage, typical 30 minute workout… its hard, intense, sweaty and gets you moving and lifting.

    The ultimate functional exercise… pick it up from the floor and put it over your head.

    Comment by Jay Ashman — October 14, 2009 #

  16. You hit the nail on the head when you said people go “ooooo.” Like I mentioned, its a hot marketing term. I do not have at problem with the term “functional training persay, but if someone tells me that a rotational med ball slam is a functional exercise for punching, or if a cable rotation is functional for swinging a bat, then I’m going to have to disagree.

    They just don’t correspond dynamically to the actual movement.

    I’ll add to yours Jay – picking an odd object off the floor and moving it anywhere is good real world training – more on that next edition though!

    Thanks for the comments and support.

    Joe

    Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — October 15, 2009 #

  17. I have waited a long time for someone to provide a clear concise definition of what functional training is. Thanks Joe! You have one a really good job of defining the parameters of what functional training is, I am looking forward to reading your next installment. Good job!

    Comment by Miguel — October 15, 2009 #

  18. Miguel – Im glad you found it useful! There seems to be a lot of misinterpertations out there.

    Joe

    Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — October 15, 2009 #

  19. Joe,

    Great article as I to have argued with people over the role of the term “functional”. When people tell me that doing big, compound movements aren’t functional I simply ask them the very first movement they did in their life. They think about it and can never answer it right. The answer is the deadlift. When you come out of the womb, you are in a compact position and the first thing you do is extend your legs, ie in a starting position of a deadlift and stand.

    I then explain that the deadlift IS the most functional exercise you can do followed by the squat (I go into detail about sitting, standing, getting in a car, going to the bathroom etc…)

    So I like how you positioned this post. I just wish more people would start thinking like this.

    Comment by Chris Bartl — October 15, 2009 #

  20. Great post Joe!

    I have to agree with Smitty, “Paralysis by Analysis” is also the term I use as well… Forget the fact that these “functional” exercises are not training people, I’ll take it a step further and add they are DE-training people! The word “functional” has truely been bastardized. True Function to me are movement patterns/variations of (pushes, pulls, squats, lunges, bending, rotation and gait) prescribed into programs under tension.

    Corrective exercise is a necessity but to take a whole session for corrective exercise for the most part is a waste of valuable time. As Coaches and trainers it’s up to us to create programs that have the most “bang for the buck”… I do this by either using rest periods wisely, stretching hip flexors before each squat set or even better programming split squats or Bulgarian Split Squats getting the corrective effect(lengthening hip flexors) without losing the training effect.

    With all this Functional and Sports Specific talk I believe people forget the importance of getting STRONG! Progressive overload or over load in general is totally missing from programs… You can’t suffiently overload on a wobble board! Do wobble boards have there place? Of course,in rehab settings with the other rehab tools (bosu’s, dura discs etc…) I also believe that my job is not to mimic the sport, my job is to get people bigger, faster, stronger, leaner and less injury prone… My job is to create programs that will carry over to the required FUNCTION of the specific sport. I believe that athletes need to play there sport to get better at there sport. My programs compliment or enhance there talent in there prospective sport. Just my 2 cents!

    Comment by Matt Pack — October 15, 2009 #

  21. Thanks for the well thought out response Chris – I will be getting into the spectrum of baseline to movement prep exercises in the next post!

    Joe

    Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — October 15, 2009 #

  22. Matt – well said! Huge response.

    Joe

    Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — October 15, 2009 #

  23. Hey Joe,
    Great post… I’ve argued the definition of this term with other trainers as well. It gets thrown around alot because it sounds cool or trendy, but it is misunderstood. However, I do agree with you that there is a middle ground for the appropriate use of the term “functional”.

    But I so also believe one can get too rigid on defining it and become critical of a whole range of great exercises. I have been guilty myself of ‘incorrectly’ calling certain exercises functional (ie- hammer tire slams, lunges, squats, tire flip, etc) where they have a greater carry-over to the athlete’s sport (as you mentioned)… and guess what – it didn’t bother me one bit! (o:
    What do you think?

    But it DOES drive me crazy when I see people swinging bats with tubing attached, or training solely on wobble boards, BOSU’s, stability balls, and those little “whoopie cushions”, and calling it a functional workout!
    Josh

    Comment by Josh Hewett — October 15, 2009 #

  24. Great stuff Joe. Jay DeMayo said it perfectly. People just forget to train. Who cares if you can stand on a bosu and do jumping jacks and bicep curls. Train to get strong and a lot of the imbalances “function/corrective” training aims to correct will correct themselves.

    Comment by Jamie Sulc — October 15, 2009 #

  25. Jamie,

    Dead on correct. All that crap means nothing if you are weak. Strength is the key component for a real world fitness regimen for any athlete that isn’t a LSD runner.

    Comment by Jay Ashman — October 15, 2009 #

  26. hell, as an ex-boxer do you know what was a KILLER exercise I used to do for “functional training” for punching?

    hold a 45# bar up and bench press it while standing as fast as I could… simple, effective and burned you the hell out.

    Comment by Jay Ashman — October 15, 2009 #

  27. Well written and timely. As a professional firefighter and paramedic, I find that there are specific exercises that have been of great help over the years, some of which have gained me some nasty looks (the old stink eye) and at times chased out of gyms. Keep up the good work though! Little by little, people might just get educated!

    Comment by Ian Cruse — October 16, 2009 #

  28. I like the definition you came up with Joe.

    I like to think as functional training as something that has a strong potential to carry over to the sport.

    I’d also like to add that even though bosu balls and balance boards get a bad rap, I have done a ton of work standing on them and I always found it very fun.

    However, I do not think it should make up the majority of the training. De-load days, challenge days, extra workout days seem like good times to use them for athletes. Also, keep it within reason – if it’s unsafe, don’t do it!

    -Jedd-

    P.S. Keep posting everybody – I want to see part II!

    Comment by Jedd Johnson — October 18, 2009 #

  29. Sorry for the delay in my post! I’ve been CRAZY busy!
    I to hate the way functional training gets thrown around. I personally call it “Operational Training” meaning I will do exercises related to the job I will be doing in the near future i.e. a mission. Which can encompass a ton of stuff, like kicking down a door. Now I know most of you will not do this but I will tell you the development of the hips are key!

    Comment by Bill — October 18, 2009 #

  30. I’m no expert, but I think about this concept a lot, particularly related to fighting. I think people are missing a key aspect of ‘functionality’

    Comment by thefightgeek — October 19, 2009 #

  31. [...] you want to review what is a strength exercise and which lifts are sport specific refer to  Functional Training Part I and Continuum Of Exercise [...]

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  32. [...] What EXACTLY is Functional Training? [...]

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  33. Hi Joe,
    Good stuff. Its funny how people gravitate to the extremes and exclude the middle. ‘Functional’ probably started as a good idea to help people/athletes to fix imbalances but since it also helped trainers differentiate themselves from all the ‘non-functional’ trainers it was only natural that it became a fad where training devolved into balancing on a ball and not truly stressing the organism to promote new gains in usable ability. But one also has to remember why the functional stuff started in the first place- a lot of athletes were displaying imbalances that were robbing them of ability.

    I find Dan John’s ideas pretty good. Lift heavy things off of the floor, lift heavy things overhead, and move the body through space. Mind mobility and stability in the joints and its win-win.

    Basic, simple, inglorious, effective and hard to do. The results have to be impressive because ‘Basic, simple, inglorious, effective and hard to do’ is not very marketable to the general populace.

    Awesome stuff, look forward to future stuff.
    -Gabe

    Comment by Gabe — February 1, 2010 #

  34. Gabe – very insightful comments and including Dan John! Thanks for commenting on the site.

    Joe

    Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — February 1, 2010 #

  35. [...] There are 4 primary features of adaption that are important to real world and sport training. [...]

    Pingback by Synergy Athletics – Muscle and Strength Training For Athletes » Strength 101: The Basic Rule Of Training — February 8, 2010 #

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