WTF even is "Functional Training"??

In recent years, the term "functional training" has been thrown around like confetti at a wedding. But what does “functional training” actually mean?

Generally, when we talk about exercise or fitness being functional, we mean it either enhances athletic performance or makes it easier to perform everyday tasks. If we take a closer look though, it’s often plain to see that this term has been overused and misinterpreted to the point of absurdity.

So, to actually make training “functional”, it would need to be progressive, building towards an athletic goal or to improve tasks in day-to-day life. Many fitness professionals branding themselves as functional however, are simply defining their training as functional as it is “not bodybuilding”. And, I have even seen a coach programme a body building style push session and brand it as functional training just because it’s delivered from a small gym.

To improve performance at any task, their needs to be structure and progression towards defined goals. Thrashing yourself in random workouts or aiming to just get your Heart Rate in the “Red Zone” is not functional. Smashing out 30 reps of ugly Olympic lifts in-between sets of burpees or pushing a heavy sled in-between flailing yourself around on a ski erg set at random volumes by a coach who plucked the figures from the ether is not at all functional. Hybrid training whilst better than doing nothing, and potentially yielding some fitness results is not going to optimise results in any specific area of fitness compared to training fitness qualities in a separate, more focused manner. These Random Hybrid workouts also have a much greater injury risk as the exercise selection volumes and intensities are not likely building on any previous recently done work.

Even if your goal is to compete in a Hyrox or Crossfit event, actually spending 90% of your training time building real strength from dedicated strength work or building your conditioning from pure cardiovascular training through prescribed, progressive programmes, with a small dosage of “hybrid training” thrown in for fun, is going to yield higher potential for performance than hybrid training alone.

If you enjoy Hybrid training, great, it’s better than being sedentary, and if you want to include it in small dosages as part of your training, to keep things novel and interesting, that’s ok. However, I would implore you to also implement something that is actually functional, strength and conditioning.

Random training yields random results, Specific Training yields Specific results