Our trainers stick to our guns and stay within the parameters of our niche, that being evidence based resistance training. When you see us train clients you will here tons of research babble, you will not see anyone jumping around like circus animals, we simply do not cling on to new fads because it looks cool. We can perform the most dry resistance routine and still deliver results. Why am I going on about this? Well, functional training is just that, a fad, another term used to make the fitness industry seem more glamorous, more complex. It isn’t, it’s simple, we must defy gravity and make small progressions to force an adaptation within us whether it be cardiovascular, muscular, metabolic, etc. “Functional trainers” like to claim their specific exercises improve daily functionality of an individual. Unfortunately, there is no transference from the weight room to the real world, specifically focusing on skill transfer. If you want to improve your daily ability to function, standing on as many balls as you can is the exact opposite of what you should be doing. Instead, focus on progressive resistance training. Performing these resistance exercises will improve your RAW MATERIAL, that being muscle, as well as the signal pathways required to activate the tissue. As you perform these resistance exercises you create a more efficient pathway from your central nervous system to the muscle. This neuromuscular communication is much less efficient in those not performing resistance exercises. So, to improve balance, which is big today, sit on a machine and perform proper form, exercise control and attempt to progress each consecutive workout. This will be much safer and more beneficial to you. I like to cite sources in a lot of my writing, as should any health professional. A lot of this is anecdotal but backed by research. One of my favorite studies takes an in depth look at these topics, performed by James fisher and colleagues, titled Evidence Based Resistance Training Recommendations. If you would like a copy of this research, please send us an email and I would love to share this with you!
