Functional Training In Real Life

“Functional training is important because you’re training muscles based on purpose. It just makes sense to do total body exercises that use the muscles in the way they are used in real life. What doesn’t make sense is to exercise sitting down on a machine. We spend too much time sitting as it is.” -Mike Boyle

Why do you exercise? Is it to become better at a chosen sport, look good or simply just to function better in everyday life. In reality there is only one answer to that question. We workout to help us improve our lives not inside the gym walls but outside of them.

How much do you do in the gym that’s actually useful?

Can what we do in the gym really help us in what we do in real life and not just get us stronger on a particular machine? Of course any gym time is better than sitting on the couch watching a Netflix show before it gets canceled (santa clarita diet. 😢). However, if you are going to spend precious time and effort at the gym for whatever reason, wouldn’t it make sense to train your body to become better and more efficient for your real life outside the gym? You should have a purpose in the exercises you do. Machines aren’t the devil but they definitely are not functional. If you like doing them now and then, by all means sprinkle them into your routine. But if you want the best bang for your time and exercises that have a purpose besides looking good on Instagram. Priorities your workouts with the 5 basic human movements of push, pull, squat, hinge, loaded carry and choose less machines that you just sit and move a weight. It feels great to get really freaking on strong on a leg press but if your squat isn’t worth shit than what was the point? The next time you have to carry groceries into the house, lift a laundry basket from the floor or even sit down to go the bathroom ask yourself if you’re doing the right exercises to help make that possible without hurting yourself.