What You Need to Know About Functional Training

Functional training, by working different muscle groups in the body at the same time; are exercises that help develop strength, flexibility, coordination, mobilization and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Functional exercises that activate the movement of many joints at the same time constitute the basis of functional training, which is effective in correcting the posture, developing the core region muscles and mobilizing the shoulder. The formation of some known training activities such as various fitness currents and crossfit is based on working different muscle groups.

What Should We Know in Functional Training?

For functional training, one does not need to have an excellent sports background, but of course, it can provide easier training for those who have a background in sports. Functional training with adjustable difficulty, set repetitions and intensity; instant condition can be programmed in line with the person's sports history, muscle strength and flexibility level.

It will be the healthiest method for beginners to practice using their own body weight. People who have a previous sports background or who continue these trainings for a long and stable way can get more efficiency by adding extra weights such as dumbbells, bars or medicine balls to their training.

Another option for those who are advanced is to prefer unstable floors such as pilates balls to increase the degree of difficulty, instead of using a stable floor in training exercises. You can prepare a suitable training program for yourself from functional exercises with different difficulty levels and combinations.

Functional Training Alternatives;

Resistance band exercises aimed at increasing flexibility and general stabilization,

Weight-supported exercises such as dumbbells and kettlebells targeting specific muscle groups and applied to increase muscle strength,

Plank exercise and combinations to increase the strength and endurance of the muscles in the core region,

Enabling the strengthening of the myofascial tissue covering all the muscles; exercises that can work the whole body such as rope, rope, sandbag,

You can choose exercise movements that you can use your own body weight such as push-ups, pull-ups, dips and squats.

What Does Functional Training Gain Us?

It is very important for body flexibility to perform exercises such as throwing, pushing, squatting, jumping, squatting in different sequences and times. Functional training exercises that are effective in gaining functionality of your body, including in daily life; helps to gain speed, flexibility, balance and endurance.

Functional training that allows all your muscles, big and small, to work simultaneously and in the right order in the most natural ways; If done long and regularly, it will also change your posture positively by balancing the load on your tendons, feet and spine.

In your functional exercise applications; You should observe your body posture, increase the number of repetitions day by day, and pay attention to your training completion times. You will be able to detect the changes in your body most easily with these data. You should not finish the same work at the same time each time, you should see how far you have come.

Functional Training or Cardio?

In fact, the answer to this question is directly proportional to what kind of result you want to achieve and your purpose of training. If your goal is to look fit, spend the calories you take during the day or lose weight, you can choose functional training.

If your goal is to increase your sports performance rather than losing weight, you should turn to cardio training. Compared to functional training, cardio training; It affects the body's lactic acid and blood flow management, tests your mental endurance, and affects your body strength at a much higher level.

If you wish, you can make a program by combining these two training groups. You will have obtained an extremely effective training program for both your health and achieving your goals. Exercises based on muscle work can also be included in the training program, so you can work more efficiently.