Exercise

May 24, 2014

Debunking the Myth of Functional Exercises

You pretty much can’t pick up a fitness magazine these days without seeing an article on “functional fitness.” The promotion of the “functional fitness” concept was basically a reaction to popular bodybuilding-type programs that focused on structuring workouts by muscle groups such as the chest, back, shoulders, and legs. Functional fitness proponents countered that such routines did not address the complex interaction between muscles during human movement, leading to the catch-phrase: “Train movements, not muscles.”

On the surface the premise sounds logical.

In reality it’s a gross oversimplification of motor learning principles.

As I’ve previously written about, functional transfer through exercise exists on a continuum. Bottom line is that we need to stop thinking about exercises as “functional” or “non-functional” and realize that for most practical purposes all exercises can produce functional improvements depending on task requirements and the individual.

In this video, Bret Contreras and I discuss the nuances of functional training. We review the science on the topic, dispel some of the popular myths, and delve into practical applications for exercise selection.