The benefits of functional training compared with exercising on machines
In the previous article, we explained what functional training is, what training has to meet to earn the label functional, what its benefits are and so on. Now we’ll take a closer look at the advantages of functional training over training on fitness machines and various other exercise equipment.
The first major drawback is certainly that on most machines in a typical fitness centre, we sit… Many of us spend almost the entire working day sitting, then on the way to and from work we sit in the car or on public transport, and, tired from the whole day, we go and sit straight back down on the sofa. So is sitting, or rather sitting and exercising, really what we want to do in the gym? The human body was made for movement, and it is precisely this movement that we want to improve and support with functional training. Sitting and exercising according to how the machine was built, rather than according to how the human body is built, is not the best choice.
The human body moves through space three-dimensionally (forwards and backwards, sideways, around its own axis), not just in the single direction dictated by most machines and equipment. The exception is the various cable machines, where the direction of movement is determined not by an iron frame but by ourselves.
Another, very fundamental difference between training on machines and functional training, that is, training that uses complex training tools, lies in the number of muscle groups involved. While on machines we train individual muscle groups in isolation, with exercises such as lunges or squats we can effectively work several muscle groups at once and, at the same time, support the human body in its function. Since more muscle groups are involved, we can also expect higher energy expenditure, and therefore a better effect when burning excess fat.
The muscles in the human body work in loops and chains that engage in a certain order and with a certain intensity. The activity of these muscle loops gives us a wide variety of movement. Basic human movement patterns include walking, running, throwing, jumping, squats, pull-ups, push-ups, standing, rolls and many more… But not a biceps curl on a Scott bench, a squat in a Smith machine, the leg press and so on.
To be honest, I don’t see any compelling reason to prefer machines over the real movement of our body (the exception being special sophisticated equipment used, for example, in physiotherapy). Do you? So let’s rather use free weights (dumbbells and barbells), resistance bands, unstable surfaces and cable machines, which don’t restrict our movement in any way… Above all, though, let’s use our own body and make full use of its potential. These are also some of the reasons why, here at Cvičisko, we prefer functional training without machines, with a personal trainer.
The Cvičisko team (cvicisko.sk)
Try it in practice: functional training with a personal trainer or group functional training.
