"Functional Training" Or, What Your Trainer Actually Means When They Say That

"Functional training" isn't some new Instagram fitness trend...

You've heard it a million times. Your trainer posts about it on Instagram. It's plastered all over gym websites. That one CrossFit person won't shut up about it.

"We do functional training here."

Cool... but like... what does that actually mean?

Spoiler alert... Most coaches throwing around the term "functional training" couldn't give you a solid definition on it. It's become fitness industry word salad. Sounds impressive. Means nothing. Sells memberships.

So let's dig into what "functional training" actually is, where it came from, and why you should maybe roll your eyes a little when someone uses it as a marketing buzzword.

The Origin Story

"Functional training" isn't some new Instagram fitness trend. The concept goes way back to ancient Greece... because of course it does. They were obsessed with physical training. But the modern version we know today really took off in the rehab and physical therapy world.

Here's the actual history... Physical therapists and athletic trainers started using "functional exercises" to help people recover from injuries. The idea was simple. Instead of just making muscles stronger in isolation, they'd train movements that mimicked real-life activities the person needed to do.

For example... if someone hurt their knee and needed to get back to climbing stairs, the PT wouldn't just have them do leg extensions on a machine all day. They'd progressively train the actual movement pattern of stair climbing with various exercises that built up to the real thing.

Makes sense, right? Train the thing you actually need to do.

So What Does "Functional" Actually Mean?

Here's where it gets messy. There's no single, universally agreed-upon definition of functional training.

But the research gives us some general principles that most experts agree on:

Functional training typically involves:

• Multi-joint movements - using multiple joints at once, like a squat uses your ankles, knees, and hips

• Movement patterns rather than isolated muscles - think pushing vs tricep kickbacks

• Exercises that transfer to real-life activities - whatever real life means for that specific person

• Training in multiple planes of motion - not just moving forward and backward

• Integration of balance and stability - because real life is rarely stable and predictable

The key phrase here is "that specific person." What's functional for a powerlifter is different from what's functional for someone who wants to pick up their toddler without their back going into spasm. And that's different from what's functional for a 75-year-old trying to maintain independence.

The Problem With "Functional" As A Marketing Term

Here's where I get salty about the fitness industry.

Somewhere along the way, "functional training" morphed from a legitimate training approach into a buzzword that basically means "we're not like those other gyms with their scary machines and bodybuilding stuff."

Gyms started using "functional training" to mean:

• Lots of balance boards and unstable surfaces

• Standing on one leg while doing seventeen things at once

• Exclusively using kettlebells, TRX straps, and battle ropes

• Never touching a barbell or machine because those are "non-functional"

• Making simple exercises unnecessarily complicated

And here's the kicker: Standing on a BOSU ball while doing a bicep curl and juggling is not more "functional" than a deadlift. It's just harder to do. And potentially dangerous.

What The Research Actually Says

Multiple studies have looked at functional training and its effects. Here's what they found:

The Good News:

• Functional training can improve balance and coordination

• It can enhance performance in sport-specific movements

• For older adults, functional training helps maintain activities of daily living

• It can be an effective approach for injury rehabilitation

• Multi-joint compound movements are generally more time-efficient than isolation exercises

The Reality Check:

• There's no evidence that training on unstable surfaces makes you better at stable-ground activities

• "Functional" doesn't automatically mean "better" - it depends on your goals

• Traditional strength training... yes, even on machines... can be incredibly functional for many people

• The "functional vs. non-functional" thing is mostly made up

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Let's Get Real About Your Goals

Look... whether something's "functional" or not depends on what you're actually trying to do. That's it. That's the whole thing.

Want to get better at picking up heavy things? Deadlifts are functional as hell. Loading a barbell and lifting it off the ground is literally the movement pattern you're trying to improve.

Want to maintain independence as you age? Exercises that mimic getting up from chairs, reaching for things on shelves, and maintaining balance are functional.

Want to be a better powerlifter? Squats, bench press, and deadlifts are functional. That's literally the sport.

Want to play with your kids without getting winded? Conditioning work and exercises that build general strength and endurance are functional.

Want to look good naked? Then who cares if it's "functional" or not? Do exercises that build the muscles you want to develop. Bicep curls aren't saving you from a falling tree... but they'll make your arms look nice. That's a perfectly valid goal.

The Mental Health Angle (Because This Is SRG Fit After All)

Here's something the "functional training" crowd often misses: For people dealing with anxiety and depression, the most functional exercise is the one you'll actually do consistently.

If standing on a wobble board doing a single-leg overhead press with a light dumbbell makes you anxious because you're worried about falling and looking stupid... that's not functional for you. Even if some trainer insists it's "more functional" than a machine.

If heavy deadlifts make you feel strong and capable and help you manage your mental health symptoms... those are functional for your life. Even if they're not "sport-specific" or whatever.

The stress-reducing, mood-improving, confidence-building aspects of exercise are legitimate functions. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

So Should You Do "Functional Training"?

Here's my very professional, science-based answer... 🤷 Maybe?

Look... the principles behind functional training are sound. Training movement patterns, using compound exercises, working in multiple planes of motion... these are all good ideas for most people.

But you don't need to:

• Avoid machines entirely

• Make every exercise an unstable circus act

• Only do exercises that "mimic real life" (whatever that means)

• Buy into any specific "functional training" program or system

Instead, ask yourself:

• What are my actual goals?

• What movements do I need to be good at for my daily life?

• What type of training will I actually stick with?

• What makes me feel strong and capable?

Those answers will tell you way more about what's "functional" for you than any gym's marketing material.

The Bottom Line (TL;DR)

"Functional training" is a legitimate concept that got hijacked by fitness marketing and turned into meaningless jargon.

Real functional training just means: training the movements and capacities you actually need for your specific life and goals.

For some people that means Olympic lifts and plyometrics. For others it's just being able to get off the damn floor without needing a hand. For you? It might be building enough strength and confidence to manage your anxiety and feel capable in your body.

Both are valid. Both matter.

Don't let any trainer, gym, or Instagram influencer tell you that their specific approach is the "only" functional way to train. That's BS. You deserve better than that.

Train in a way that serves your actual life. That's functional enough.

Tired of fitness industry nonsense and want coaching that's actually honest about what works? That's literally our whole thing. Check out how we do coaching at SRG Fit.... where "functional" means "functional for your actual life," not "unnecessarily complicated exercises that look cool on Instagram."

References

Behm DG, Drinkwater EJ, Willardson JM, Cowley PM. "The use of instability to train the core musculature." Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 35, no. 1 (2010): 91-108.

Boyle M. "Functional training for sports." Human Kinetics (2004).

Kibele A, Behm DG. "Seven weeks of instability and traditional resistance training effects on strength, balance and functional performance." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 23, no. 9 (2009): 2443-2450.

Santana JC. "Functional training: Breaking the Bonds of Traditionalism." NSCA's Performance Training Journal 2, no. 1 (2003): 30-33.

Weiss T, Kreitinger J, Wilde H, et al. "Effect of functional resistance training on muscular fitness outcomes in young adults." Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness 8, no. 2 (2010): 113-122.