Functional Training o Entrenamiento Funcional (English)

Welcome to our first post where we are going to talk about physical activity, specifically about Functional Training.

Acción Disruptiva takes physical activity as a tool without equation for the health of modern man and not for an aesthetic or performance purpose.

Functional Training.

I write this note inspired by the recent publications of @Santiago Vimo. CEO at KROPP 3D Training

"Functional Training".

In order to be able to speak about a concept I think we should refer to the creator of it.

In the case of "Functional Training" it seems difficult to find a single person as a precursor to the idea.

We must analyze all the possible origins and the context in which they occur.

Because we have the word training as "noun" and functional as " Adjective " of this expression (concept), we could say that it is a variant of the original concept of training, being the most widespread within physical education and sport, Sports training .

The principle of functional unity already exists. This would be a good starting point, and says the following:
"Our organism functions as a whole, so that all organs and systems are interrelated."

From this perspective, SR is considered a holistic and integrative approach, between these systems and bodies, to achieve optimal performance.

Then we could quote Manso (1996), when he says:

" Training has to be considered as a single whole that affects or applies to the person as a whole: physical, psychic, intellectual, etc. It is necessary to consider that the organism works as something inseparable. Each organ, apparatus and system are correlated with each other. Hence the importance of paying attention to the development of the different circulatory, respiratory, endocrine, feeding and movement systems. Given the unity of the athlete and the work to be developed, this will lead us to the other principles of training .

But this leaves us in an interesting place, the training itself is already functional, there would be no news!

What is the difference between sports training and TF?

What have I learned about the origin in the various Functional courses I have attended to date?

Functional training was actually created by the Russians in 1920 and was taken up again globally by a group of physiotherapists and physical trainers in the United States in the 80's with the idea of ​​mixing two aspects:

1-. Reduce the rate of injuries of elite athletes (High Performance).

2.- Prevent injuries even in intense training seasons and competitions.

BUT, this also existed for a long time !!

And it is a part of the goal of General Physical Preparation.
Summary of objectives:

1-Pre-enable 
2-Prevent. 
3-Rehabilitate

So let's travel a bit back in time. Where can there be an origin for this so-called New approach?

Neurophysiologist Hughlings Jackson said in 1889:

"The central nervous system knows nothing about muscles, only knows about movements".

"The Central Nervous System does not know muscles, the only thing they know is movements."

This would be the origin of the concept: Functional Movement.

Some contemporary authors such as Professor Luciano D'Elia proposes that the TF is:

"Purpose-oriented movement training, carried out in the context of a variety of methods, based on the basic principles of training, with a focus on making the body more intelligent."

In this perspective, it is sought as a fundamental aspect to train for the proper functions of body "design", with application to daily life (?).

D'Elia speaks for example of functional strength:

Train movements, not muscles.
Train the center before the limbs.
Build strength from the bottom up.
Incorporate push, pull and crouch movements to generate integration.
Application of the principles of overload and systematized variability.

Paradoxes:

If functional training aims to integrate a whole, and that whole is a particular organism, to optimize its functions of "design" (we understand this concept as ADAPTATIONS ), but in turn wants to achieve a greater specific performance sports or cultural life Daily), we propose an oxymoron:

1- We already know that sports performance is detrimental to different aspects of health.

2. It is also clear to us that "daily life" is not conducive to stimulating optimal epigenetics.

Conclusion:

I believe that EF as concept and approach actually refers to the use of various systems and methodologies to improve health, physical integrity, and to rehabilitate the individual from the various problems, whether: anatomical, motor and / or metabolic , Caused by the type of civilized life that exposes us to a nutrition, environment, activities (labor, sports, social, etc.), and cultural rhythm (opposed to biological rhythms) highly detrimental and discordant to evolutionary adaptations Characteristics to our species.

With the ultimate goal of reintegrating the individual with the true identity of being. But, there is no difference with any other training or fitness program, which have as their final goal, after all: AESTHETIC, PERFORMANCE AND CONSUMPTION.

Final note:
There will be those who say: "Functional is equal to specificity", or "depends on the objective", just to that I mean, the EF isSPECIFICALLY to Rehabilitate the Human being , and at best, Prehabilitate it to rejoin your Habitat Natural , so that it can recover the concordance between genome and lifestyle.

Santiago Terbalca
Creator / Creator at Evolution Strength Challenge - ESC