What Is Functional Training, Really? (And Why Kettlebells Nail It)
Hey Fit Fam!
"Functional training" is one of those phrases that gets thrown around a ton these days, and it's been used so much that it's kind of lost its meaning. So in this one, I'll break down what functional training actually means, because once you understand it, you'll never look at your own training the same way again.
What functional training actually means
So what's the real definition? Functional training is just training that carries over to real life. Not "does it look cool" or "does it give you a solid pump," but "does it make you better at actually living your life?"
Playing with your kids, carrying groceries, climbing a ton of stairs, getting off the floor without using your hands, catching yourself when you trip on the sidewalk: that's everyday function, and it should be one of the main reasons you train, especially after 30.
Why machines fall short
Most traditional gym equipment (mainly machines) wasn't built with that in mind. Machines lock you into one path of motion: you sit down, push or pull in a straight line, and everything stays nice, stable and isolated.
Look, machines aren't awful. They have their place. But your life doesn't happen in a fixed bar path or a straight line. You twist, you bend, you carry uneven loads, you catch your balance, and you react to stuff you didn't see coming. If your training only moves in a straight line, it never asks your body to do any of that. That's where full-body movement patterns come in.
Train your body as a system
Squats, deadlifts, carries, cleans: anything that trains your body as a whole system instead of one muscle at a time is functional training.
Your core isn't just your abs. It's your entire midsection, front and back, that keeps you stable while you do basically anything. Functional movements train that stability directly, instead of keeping you on a set bar or machine path for reps.
Why kettlebells are perfect for functional training
This is exactly why kettlebells work so well. The weight isn't centered like a dumbbell or barbell. It's offset. So swings, carries, and any movement loaded away from your center, or completely on one side, force you to work overtime to control the weight.
Functional training is more than building strength. It's also building coordination and balance, and those get really important the older you get.
Balance and coordination decline if you don't train them
Unfortunately, balance and coordination decline over time if you don't train them. Fall risk goes up, reaction time goes down, and a lot of that comes down to never training your body to move in more than one plane of motion.
With functional training, you're teaching your nervous system and joints to handle real, unpredictable movement, so when something crazy happens as you get older, you can handle it.
What it's done for me
I'm 43, and I can tell you right now, the training that's kept me moving well isn't the kind that isolates one muscle at a time. Since I started training with kettlebells, my old injuries (mainly my lower back) have gotten worlds better, and I'm moving and feeling better than I ever have.
If you've ever had a low back injury, you know how much it can affect your daily life, whether you live in constant pain or it just flares up now and then. Kettlebells have kept all of that at bay and made living the active life I want manageable and much more pain-free.
Ask yourself one question
So when someone says an exercise is "functional," ask yourself one question: does this movement make me better at living my life? If the answer is yes, and it's a movement or program you can see yourself benefiting from, give it a try!
And if you need a program built around real, functional movement that carries over to everyday life, I've got you. Start your FREE 7-day trial of the Kettlebell Training App, or check out my programs. All you have to do is show up and put in the work! For more on why this matters with age, read Train for Life, Not the Mirror.
– Adam
