You may have seen or heard the phrase “functional exercise” in the media lately. It’s certainly a hot topic right now. Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey are leading the way by telling the public of its many benefits. In reality functional exercise is not new….far from it. It’s actually just exercise that works your entire body in multiple planes of motion. The difference is today we are using stability balls, bands, medicine balls, foam rollers, and other fancy gadgets to replace what we used to do with our own bodies. The new equipment and training techniques are great and they’ve certainly created a “buzz” but it’s what they do that is really important. Somewhere along the line exercise changed from being something that worked the entire body to today being isolation movements on fixed, stationary equipment. The health club movement that started in the late 1970’s had a lot to do with our current perception of exercise. Let me explain…
But first, be sure to watch the video at the very bottom of this article to see the best functional exercise there is…for this time of year…it’s VERY FUNNY!
When it comes to exercise most people don’t have a clue regarding the type and duration needed to meet their individual goals. Unfortunately, the one place you think would be helping the most has actually created most of the confusion. Walk into any gym or health club in your community and you’ll see most people doing the same things…going from machine to machine, moving slowly, and only working one muscle group at a time. Whoever told them this was the best way to exercise? Probably nobody…but when there is a lack of education people will naturally just follow what they see someone else doing. The health club industry has done a poor job educating its members on how to reach their goals. The free personal training session or initial consultation is usually a joke. It’s typically conducted by someone at the front desk that has little or no professional experience. After you’ve been shown where the dumbbells are at, you’re turned loose to do it all on your own. Confused and embarrassed most people will just start watching and mimicking someone else. The end result is people getting frustrated. They’ll spend all this time working out without ever seeing results then one day they’ll quit. Such a shame….nobody ever shared with them the TRUTH.
The traditional gym or health club today is packed with exercise equipment to work every single muscle group in isolation. How we ever got to this point is really beyond me. I’m sure it has something to do with fitness equipment manufacturers looking to sell more equipment. I mean we have equipment for most every single movement imaginable. The problem with this is your body doesn’t work in isolation, it works with integration. Let’s look at four different movements you might do in everyday life and then break each one down in relation to functional and traditional exercise. After that you be the judge.
1) Picking up a small child from the floor.
2) Pull starting a lawn mower.
3) Lifting a heavy box from the floor
4) Pushing open a heavy door.
1) When you pick up a small child or most anything from the floor we do so in an asymmetrical form. In other words, you’re going to bend down with one leg in front of the other. When you bend over you’re going to use your low back, abdominals, and major leg muscles to get back up. This movement is going to use a lot of muscles in an integrated fashion. An exercise like a leg extension designed to isolate the quadriceps is of little use during this movement. But that’s exactly what you’d see most people doing to exercise their legs. A better alternative would be a functional exercise like a medicine ball reach which more closely resembles the actual activity. This exercise also improves balance, core strength, and motor skills. All things that are important with actual everyday activities.
2) Anyone who has ever pull started a lawn mower understands the demands this movement puts on the back, arms, and shoulders. The primary muscle group involved in any “pulling” movement is the latisimus dorsi of the back. Most machines designed to work the latisimus dorsi have you sitting down and pulling from overhead. Why? How often will that happen today? Chances are if you have to pull something you’ll do it standing up. You’ll also be using rotation from your hips to complete the movement. Two things you won’t find in standard exercise equipment. A better exercise to give you pulling with rotation would be a low-high chop with a resistance band or cable.
3) You won’t find many pieces of exercise equipment that will actually help you pick up something heavy from the floor. The reason is this is such a compound movement requiring the integration of the low back, abdominals, and legs. Low back problems rank number one for causes of lost work days in the US. Why? One reason has to do with the way we exercise. Traditional isolation equipment does little to prevent low back injuries that are commonly caused by muscle imbalances, usually due to a weak core. A good exercise to develop the muscles used when picking something up is called a “pull through.” This exercise really works the posterior chain, as you can see by the strain on my face!
4) Pushing exercises are some of my favorite examples. Typically when you push something you’ll do it standing up. Think about when you might push something today sitting down. I can’t think of too many instances. But let’s look at the number one exercise for most guys…the bench press. Now, I’m not knocking this exercise because it does have its purpose….but you need to look at the exercise objective in relation to your goals. The bench press is a great way to build hypertrophy or size for the chest. It’s probably the best way to add muscle mass if that’s your goal. But let’s look at the other 95% of the population that simply wants to look good, stay in shape, and improve their overall quality of life. There are some alternatives to the bench press that can work the core and the chest at the same time. Try a push up off a stability ball. I think you’ll be surprised!
Functional exercise is really nothing more than exercising the way you move in everyday life. Traditional isolation equipment does a poor job of simulating these everyday activities. Now before you go out and throw away your home gym…wait there’s more. I believe that people can benefit from traditional equipment if they combine it with functional movements. This concept is called “Three Tier Integration” and is the foundation for the workout routines we design and teach at Shaping Concepts. Combining functional exercise with different forms of resistance and cardiovascular exercise gives you the best total body workout. You’ll also be pleased to know that you’ll be able to complete your workouts in half the time.
Ever wonder who made the one-hour rule for workouts anyway? I’d like to know if you find out. I believe this unspoken rule has been handed down over time by new exercisers simply watching bodybuilders. But here’s the real problem….bodybuilders and the general population have drastically different goals. Individuals educated in exercise prescription know that hypertrophy periodizations (those designed primarily for muscle mass increase) require a minimum of one minute rest between sets. There is a physiological reason why the bodybuilder will take more rest between sets and thus more time with their workout. But that doesn’t mean their workout is best suited for an individual looking primarily to lose weight and get in shape.
Training routines and programs should always be individual specific according to a person’s wants, needs, and physical limitations. For most people, excluding athletes and bodybuilders, you can achieve your goals with 30 minute durations of exercise.
Most people don’t realize that the body starts breaking down after about 30 minutes of intense exercise. There’s little reason for the typical individual to exceed 30 minutes in a single session if they’re exercising properly. An hour in the gym can easily be replaced with 30 minutes of exercise done most anywhere….once you learn how. Years ago, people had a better idea on what exercise was really all about. Long before health clubs became nothing more than an endless sea of equipment and spandex. Back when a gym was actually a place where people went to break a sweat.
Old time fitness guru’s like Farmer Burns and Karl Gotch practiced bodyweight calisthenics and other exercises that focused on working the entire body. It was their teachings that made up the foundation for physical education classes in the public schools. Forty years ago you would’ve been taught that exercise included things like jumping jacks, push-up’s, torso twists, and knee bends. All examples of what today we call “functional exercise.”
I watched a documentary recently regarding physical education classes in our schools that just blew me away. At the time of filming, Illinois was the only state that had mandatory physical education classes in public schools. We’ve removed gym classes in order to spend more time on equivalency tests that determine government funding. Can you believe it? We’ve sacrificed our children’s health in order for better test results and government money. The one school they did show with physical education classes had 8-10 year old children working out on traditional weight equipment. When did this start? Not only is this impractical, it’s contributing to the misleading view our children have with exercise. When we do teach them PE, we teach them how to sit down and exercise! Whatever happened to dodge ball and relay races? Such a shame…the end result is a population that has never been taught the importance of real exercise. In fact, by removing it we’ve taught them it’s really not important at all. It should be no surprise that childhood obesity is at epidemic levels.
It’s time to get back to the basics! Time to get back to real exercise….the kind that actually helps improve your quality of life! The typical weight training routine everyone imitates focuses on aesthetic improvements instead of developments in motor skills, balance, flexibility, and overall strength. Remember, you want a body that you can use….not one that just looks good.
As we age, we’ll all lose things like balance, flexibility, motor skills, and strength. Now we can’t stop the aging process but we can change our quality of life. Whether you still want to be able to play 18 holes of golf or simply put on a pair of socks without sitting down…..functional exercise is for you.
Functional exercise should not be a new catch phrase in the fitness industry. Somewhere exercise became something we did without sweating and while sitting down! Give me a break! Bottom line is exercise should resemble how you move your body. It should contain in some way a form of pushing, pulling, reaching, squatting, and rotating. These are the pillars of human movement….for everyone from a pro athlete to a senior citizen. The movements don’t change…the way in which they are being used changes. That’s the reason we need different training programs. All in all, the exercises either population group should use will be very similar with only the intensity, progression and duration being different.
One of the great things about functional exercises is that they can be completed with very little equipment and space required. That’s why they’re great for home exercise routines. If you have an 8x10 open area you’re ready to exercise with functional exercise equipment.
At Shaping Concepts we’ve devised a workout series devoted exclusively to getting functional fitness in your own home. The “Trial” series can teach you the exercises needed to be done at home and are great for people of any age and fitness level. These workouts contain some of the very same exercises our clients perform in their private one-on-one workouts in our studios. You can purchase this program at any Shaping Concepts.
If you would like personal instruction on functional fitness please contact the studio at 843-757-8626 to schedule an appointment. We provide a totally FREE trial of our services and offer a complete 100% money back guarantee! If you want to get your very own FREE trial CLICK HERE NOW!
Ever wonder who made the one-hour rule for workouts anyway? I’d like to know if you find out. I believe this unspoken rule has been handed down over time by new exercisers simply watching bodybuilders. But here’s the real problem….bodybuilders and the general population have drastically different goals. Individuals educated in exercise prescription know that hypertrophy periodizations (those designed primarily for muscle mass increase) require a minimum of one minute rest between sets. There is a physiological reason why the bodybuilder will take more rest between sets and thus more time with their workout. But that doesn’t mean their workout is best suited for an individual looking primarily to lose weight and get in shape.
Training routines and programs should always be individual specific according to a person’s wants, needs, and physical limitations. For most people, excluding athletes and bodybuilders, you can achieve your goals with 30 minute durations of exercise.
Most people don’t realize that the body starts breaking down after about 30 minutes of intense exercise. There’s little reason for the typical individual to exceed 30 minutes in a single session if they’re exercising properly. An hour in the gym can easily be replaced with 30 minutes of exercise done most anywhere….once you learn how. Years ago, people had a better idea on what exercise was really all about. Long before health clubs became nothing more than an endless sea of equipment and spandex. Back when a gym was actually a place where people went to break a sweat.
Old time fitness guru’s like Farmer Burns and Karl Gotch practiced bodyweight calisthenics and other exercises that focused on working the entire body. It was their teachings that made up the foundation for physical education classes in the public schools. Forty years ago you would’ve been taught that exercise included things like jumping jacks, push-up’s, torso twists, and knee bends. All examples of what today we call “functional exercise.”
I watched a documentary recently regarding physical education classes in our schools that just blew me away. At the time of filming, Illinois was the only state that had mandatory physical education classes in public schools. We’ve removed gym classes in order to spend more time on equivalency tests that determine government funding. Can you believe it? We’ve sacrificed our children’s health in order for better test results and government money. The one school they did show with physical education classes had 8-10 year old children working out on traditional weight equipment. When did this start? Not only is this impractical, it’s contributing to the misleading view our children have with exercise. When we do teach them PE, we teach them how to sit down and exercise! Whatever happened to dodge ball and relay races? Such a shame…the end result is a population that has never been taught the importance of real exercise. In fact, by removing it we’ve taught them it’s really not important at all. It should be no surprise that childhood obesity is at epidemic levels.
It’s time to get back to the basics! Time to get back to real exercise….the kind that actually helps improve your quality of life! The typical weight training routine everyone imitates focuses on aesthetic improvements instead of developments in motor skills, balance, flexibility, and overall strength. Remember, you want a body that you can use….not one that just looks good.
As we age, we’ll all lose things like balance, flexibility, motor skills, and strength. Now we can’t stop the aging process but we can change our quality of life. Whether you still want to be able to play 18 holes of golf or simply put on a pair of socks without sitting down…..functional exercise is for you.
Functional exercise should not be a new catch phrase in the fitness industry. Somewhere exercise became something we did without sweating and while sitting down! Give me a break! Bottom line is exercise should resemble how you move your body. It should contain in some way a form of pushing, pulling, reaching, squatting, and rotating. These are the pillars of human movement….for everyone from a pro athlete to a senior citizen. The movements don’t change…the way in which they are being used changes. That’s the reason we need different training programs. All in all, the exercises either population group should use will be very similar with only the intensity, progression and duration being different.
One of the great things about functional exercises is that they can be completed with very little equipment and space required. That’s why they’re great for home exercise routines. If you have an 8x10 open area you’re ready to exercise with functional exercise equipment.
At Shaping Concepts we’ve devised a workout series devoted exclusively to getting functional fitness in your own home. The “Trial” series can teach you the exercises needed to be done at home and are great for people of any age and fitness level. These workouts contain some of the very same exercises our clients perform in their private one-on-one workouts in our studios. You can purchase this program at any Shaping Concepts.
If you would like personal instruction on functional fitness please contact the studio at 843-757-8626 to schedule an appointment. We provide a totally FREE trial of our services and offer a complete 100% money back guarantee! If you want to get your very own FREE trial CLICK HERE NOW!
Now make sure to watch this video to see the BEST FUNCTIONAL EXERCISE there is…for this time of year…it’s VERY FUNNY!
(This is not a real hurricane. It was only a dramatization)
Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts fitness studios in Bluffton, SC.
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