Over the past nine years of working as a personal trainer, I’ve gained valuable insights into the world of fitness and how different approaches impact performance, health, and daily activities. One method that has consistently stood out to me is functional training. Whether I’m helping someone improve their athletic performance or guiding them through exercises to enhance their quality of life, I’ve learned that functional training is highly adaptable and beneficial for a wide range of goals.
The Importance of Functional Training
Functional training has been at the core of my approach since I started working as a personal trainer. It’s a versatile method, and its meaning can vary depending on an individual’s goals. For instance, someone aiming to improve their golf swing will need a very different training plan than someone seeking to ease the discomfort of daily living activities due to arthritis or back pain. In both cases, functional training focuses on improving movement patterns that are essential to the person’s lifestyle.
For golf, rotational movements, hip flexion, and transferring power from one side of the body to the other are key elements. By breaking down these movements and training them individually, we can put them back together in a way that makes sense and optimizes performance. In contrast, when working with clients who face mobility limitations like arthritis or osteoporosis, the “no pain, no gain” mentality simply doesn’t apply. The goal is to work within a pain-free range while still maintaining and strengthening muscles. Movements are often modified—like shallow squats or limited shoulder flexion—to suit the client’s abilities and conditions.
Posture and Movement Technique
Another crucial aspect of functional training is correcting movement technique. Many people assume that good posture means standing upright, but posture plays a role in every movement you make. You can have perfect standing posture and still experience pain if your movement patterns are off. For example, improper squatting technique—like initiating the movement with your lumbar spine instead of a proper hip hinge—can lead to back, knee, or hip pain over time.
Through my years of training, I’ve found that the body sometimes needs to be “re-educated” on how to move properly. It’s about teaching the body to work in sync, ensuring that each joint and muscle is doing its job, and maintaining a neutral spine throughout all movements. This focus on alignment and correct technique can prevent injuries and improve overall strength and mobility.
The Value of Compound Movements
I also emphasize the importance of compound exercises—movements that involve two or more joints—because they’re more functional and efficient. These exercises mimic real-life activities, engage more muscles, and burn more calories. For example, while there’s nothing inherently wrong with bicep curls or tricep extensions, they’re single-joint movements that don’t offer the same overall benefits as exercises like squats or deadlifts, which involve multiple muscle groups.
In some cases, single-joint movements are appropriate, especially when there are specific limitations. If someone has a shoulder issue that makes push-ups or chest presses painful, we might work on tricep pushdowns to target the pushing muscles without exacerbating the problem. However, whenever possible, I aim to have clients perform compound exercises that improve both strength and functionality.
Conclusion
After nine years of personal training, I’ve learned that every client is different, and every goal requires a unique approach. Functional training is adaptable and allows me to help people improve their athletic performance, recover from injury, or simply live healthier lives. By focusing on movement quality, posture, and compound exercises, I aim to create training programs that are not only effective but sustainable. I’m grateful for the opportunity to guide others on their fitness journeys and look forward to continuing to learn and grow in this field.
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