The truth about functional fitness

You may get the best results at the gym with this approach.

Story: Rick Copley

Photos: Douglas Tyler

If you’ve been to a gym or spend time around people in the fitness industry, you likely have heard the term “functional fitness.” 

What is functional fitness and why is it a good way to get results at the gym?

Before I get to the definition, let me tell you that, based on my experience as a fitness coach for the past 25 years, it is the best method of fitness if your goal is to get results. 

A bold statement, I know, but it’s the truth. 

So, what is functional fitness? The simplest definition is that functional fitness is a workout regimen that focuses on movements and exercises that help you gain better function in life. 

Wait. What about losing weight? What about looking good in the mirror? 

The prevailing wisdom in the fitness industry is that we exercise to get the results that we see in the mirror. I believe that the best way to get results is to focus on FUNCTION (thus the term functional fitness), and what happens as a SIDE EFFECT is that you lose body fat, gain lean muscle mass and improve your overall physical health. 

So, what “functions” do we want to focus on? Here are the two most important: 

The metabolic (cardiorespiratory) system.At the simplest level, this is your heart and lungs and what your heart and lungs do for your body. Your heart and lungs bring nutrition to your entire body and they aid in eliminating waste. It all starts there. 

Strength (resistance) training. In essence, this is moving a load from where it is to somewhere else. 

How do we exercise so our metabolic system functions better? You guessed it! We get out of breath. The No. 1 reason that we exercise using functional fitness is to enhance our metabolic system, which creates and maintains better health in our bodies. 

What about the strength part? How do we exercise to get stronger? It’s not about being stronger or gaining more muscle just for the sake of strength and size. This is all about being stronger to function better and more efficiently in life. I’m not talking about strongman here. I’m talking about simply being able to lift and move everyday things without getting hurt and without discomfort. 

Examples are taking out the trash, moving a piece of furniture to clean, picking up your kid, throwing a football, doing the dishes, vacuuming the floor and any of the dozens of movements you make on a daily basis. 

Exercising in a functional manner consistently will create a body that is able to function efficiently on a daily basis for many, many years beyond the time of a person who doesn’t exercise functionally. Looking better and feeling better are amazing side effects! 

Now that we know why functional fitness is important and what it is in a very general way, let’s talk specifics. 

I want to share my three favorite functional fitness excises that I use not only with my clients but also have been using myself for the past few decades. 

Burpees

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A burpee starts from the standing position. To begin the movement, place hand on floor in front of you. Next, jump or walk your feet back and lower chest to floor. As you bring your chest off the floor, walk or jump your feet forward and stand tall. Move finishes with an optional jump from the standing position. 

Thrusters (aka
squat to press)

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Thrusters can be done with a barbell, a dumbbell, a kettlebell or a medicine ball. Movement begins with the load in your hands at your shoulders. Keep the weight in position as you squat, then as you stand tall, press the weight above your head extending your arms fully. Bring resistance back to front rack position to begin the next repetition. 

Cardio intervals

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Cardio intervals can be done on cardio equipment like a treadmill, rower or elliptical trainer. They also can be done by running/walking, swimming or any single movement that gets you out of breath! An interval workout is defined by a set work time followed by a set rest period. An example is one minute of hard work followed by one minute of rest that is repeated 10 times. 

About the writer→ Rick Copley has been an elite athlete, coach and fitness trainer since the late 1980s. He is the co-owner of No Limits Fitness in Tavares and The Fit Life Meals.