If you’ve been living under a rock in Outer Mongolia recently you may not have heard of Functional training. Though if you are under said rock, then the process of rolling the rock, deadlifting it, squatting down to position it, shimmying underneath it, jumping on top of it to scan the horizon, and pressing it up and away occasionally to get some breathing space means that Functional training is exactly what you’ve unwittingly been doing…

I’m no trendsetter but even I’ve been dropping the F Word recently in my classes, and it’s resonating with members, from golfers wishing to improve their swing to grandparents hoping to be able to pick up and play with their grandchildren. When we see skills we learn in the gym transferring their relevance to our daily life it’s time to take notice. My entire career as a sports and movement therapist has been making relevant every exercise I proscribe in the gym to my clients’ movement patterns in daily life.
So, what is Functional Training and why should you include it in your workout? Rob Lee, a physiotherapist and Les Mills Technical Consultant, cuts through the hype: Functional training incorporates multi-joint movement patterns to keep us fit and strong for everyday life. ‘It uses exercises that replicate total body movements and patterns seen in sports and daily activities in general. Functional training provides strength and mobility that is transferrable to other tasks. Essentially, it’s training that doesn’t work muscles or movements in total isolation.’
Already certain Les Mills modules, such as BodyPump, Grit and LM Core are providing specific tracks in their releases to underpin their belief in the longevity of functional training. Yet it was always present in their classes: BodyAttack, for example, with its blocks of strength, speed and athleticism builds stamina, motor co-ordination and agility; BodyBalance, with its blend of yoga inspired movement, builds core strength, better breathing patterns and, naturally, better balance!
Want to give it a go? Aside from classes, change up endless strength reps on the gym floor for a more varied style of training once or twice a week to add range and depth to your functional fitness levels. I like to add an element of strongman training – heavy Farmer’s carries, rope slams, sled pulls and pushes, tyre flipping, etc plus some plyometric work consisting of squat jumps, burpees, box jumps and kicks, finishing off with co-ordination challenges such as lizard crawls, wall handstand push ups, Turkish get ups, boxing, agility ladder drills and single leg offset deadlifts. For sports specific training such as basketball or football this is also a no-brainer. If you train for what you love, you’ll always love your training.

The seven fundamental movement patterns we should all be training for life are:
- Squat
- Hip hinge (e.g., deadlift)
- Gait (running)
- Push (e.g., pushups, sled pushes)
- Pull (e.g., bent over row, kettlebell rope pulls)
- Lunge
- Twist (e.g., woodchop, Russian twist)

Another upside to this type of training is that its never dull and monotonous – ask your personal trainer to give you some tips!
Kathy O’Meara is a personal trainer specialising in cancer and cardiac exercise rehabilitation. She is a sports therapist, movement specialist, reflexologist and teaches a wide range of Les Mills classes at West Wood Club, Westmanstown www.powerdown.ie