Functional training is one of those trendy fitness industry terms that people like to use without understanding what it really means. Core is another one of those words, but that will be the subject of another blog post.
Functional training isn't just a workout with medicine balls and ropes. Functional strength is strength applied to or specified for a particular activity. In functional training one is training to be a better performer in a particular sport or even a day to day activity.
For example, are tailored to help women bend to lift, carry and hold the baby with ease. Making her life easier as a new mom would be a focus of her fitness program. Functional strength training is movement focused versus muscle focused. Although it is ok to include exercises that isolate the muscles in a functional training program.
An example of a functional strength exercise is the squat press with a medicine ball. (Imagine squatting to pick something up and lifting it over your head to place it on the top shelf).
Other examples are:
1) Simply walking around within your hands as an exercise. (Picture carrying grocery bags).
2) Squat wood chop
3) Walking lunge
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