Hello!
For my first post I have decided to illustrate the argument between traditional strength training and functional training. Many of us are so very confused with what type of workout style is right for us and we find ourselves reading magazines, books and countless Internet sites to determine which is the correct route to take. I'll start with the first secret...there is no "right" way.
You heard that correctly, there is no right way. You see, the only person that can determine which style of training is the correct one is none other than yourself. What seems to work for one person may not work for the next and one persons success could be another's failure. The right way can only be determined through trial and error of one's own training and deciding on which aspects of the workouts seem to yield the greatest results and which aspects do not. This could lead to an endless debate of personal experience and clientele testimonials, but we will save the philosophies of exercise and training for another day.
My point is, just as everybody is a unique individual, every body responds to a unique style of training and exercise. Following someones advice can be great to get started or perhaps to keep things fresh and new, but only we can decide what style/method/frequency offers us the best path to reach our goals. This leads us to a very hot topic; Functional Training.
Functional Training has been on the rise over that last decade or so and really booming these last few years. With kettle bells, suspension training systems and countless other multi-tasking equipment, functional training is becoming more and more prevalent. Let's face it with just four or five pieces of equipment you can travel from location to location developing unique and challenging workouts without the restrictions of waiting for machines and the advantages of making any place your training area. The other selling point to functional training is that it is the best way to deliver optimum results by; engaging the core throughout workouts, keeping heart rates to desired levels and multi-planar actions which have multi-muscle activation during most exercises. You would may be led to believe that functional training is the best way to train, based on the multiple benefits of it's style, but again I ask; which style of training is right for you?
The study I have posted looks into the results and effectiveness of functional training versus traditional training (machines/free weights). The overall conclusion is quite simple; both control groups had similar results when it came to increased strength, flexibility, balance and muscular growth. Functional Training vs Traditional Training (link)
Why post an article that seems to dispute the very style of training I base my philosophies around? When I told you earlier that there was no right way to train I meant every word. As this article illustrates, you may have been led to believe that functional training is the optimal training method from various articles and websites, but it seems the traditional training group yielded almost the same results as it's counterpart.What works for one person may not work for the next and vice versa, remember? The one thing this article left out were the goals and desired application of training results to the real world of the test subjects. If we view this study through the common eye then it is true, neither style of training seems to be the more efficient one, but without goals and the personal needs of said training we wind up back at square one. Even a personal trainer cannot just write up a workout for an individual and expect it to work without proper assessment, modifications and advancements such as periodization or simple trial and error. This happens more than you may think and as a trainer I avoid writing up workout plans and letting someone go free for the sake that I know what I feel is right for an individual at the start may not be in six weeks and thus, the never ending circle of modification begins.
Are you looking for weight loss? Perhaps preparation for a 5k or trying out for a sports team. Maybe you would like to be able to rock climb or or maybe just to be able to get up off the floor without help. How about, are the workouts fun and unique? Maybe your goals and needs change a few months into the program and then what? These are the types of questions that are the basis of starting most workout programs and begin the process of determining which style of workouts are the right one for you and from there deciding if/when/how to modify.
In my professional opinion, I will attest to the point that functional training has been a very effective method of training for myself and my clients because of not only meeting their personal goals with great success with enjoyment, but the results they gain through functional training are often applied to everyday tasks and activities more efficiently then traditional training, making tasks less challenging and lowering the chance of harming themselves performing the simple tasks. Will I say functional training is the be all end all method of training? Of course not, but with personal experience and the testimonials of multiple clients I feel functional training is the style that is right for myself and those who meet certain criteria based on their goals and needs. That's not to say I do not mix in aspects of traditional training, which I do, if I feel a particular set of movements is potentially the best method to achieve a goal, but there is no way to determine that without a hypothesis and testing. Let's put it like this, I probably wouldn't have a bodybuilder training solely with functional training based on their goals, however that is not to say that some functional training couldn't help them is certain areas, just as certain aspects of bodybuilding could very well help in my training, which I do incorporate into my workouts often.
Finding the method of training that will lead to achieving your goals is not an easy one. With so many styles out there and recommendations it may seem very daunting, but with proper goal setting, physical assessments(future blogs for sure to come) and a lot of trial and error you will be able to piece together the never ending "right" way to train, and yes I whole heartily feel that to properly train"right" is to always try new things and compare results.
As this blog progresses we will dig deeper into philosophies of training and many other aspects of the exercise/wellness industry. Although I will weigh in with my opinions, I will not leave out any research that I may find on the subject whether it supports or contradicts my views. Thank you for reading!
"Circumstances rule men, men do not rule circumstances" -Herodotus
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