Enough of the Functional Training bullshit. Strength is not "specific."

A nice article, and unfortunately still news to far too many. It made me think about the use of batting donuts by almost everyone at every level of baseball. A bit of googling found a WSJ article challenging the practice on similar grounds:

Why Major League Baseball Needs to Change its On-Deck Routines - WSJ

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Originally Posted by AEsg81

Judo, your teacher's comment is true, but what controls your joint position is also based upon proprio- and mechano- receptors around your joints that tell your central nervous system where it is in space. So he left a few other structures out. Maybe he meant "muscle tone" here, but that is not the whole picture. So a major part of our ability to maintain joint integrity and generate force is dependent on afferent input. I work with spinal cord injury and nerve damaged patients and they're inability to generate force is largely due to they just cannot "feel" what they are trying to move or they have CNS disruption.

I think this is where the functional training world has been trying to place they're efforts (but are failing). This is where good coaching comes into play. Many people just are weak not aware of their bad joint positions. So those "function trainers" have all these contrived pieces of equipment to decrease proprioception and drills to help coach poor movement. If someone doesn't have nerve damage they have no excuse, just getting stronger through full range will ensure they will have stable joints.

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Thank you, sir. It makes sense that training the body with functional, full range of motion, movement patterns seems to be the optimal way for people to gain awareness of the position of their joints through space, as a lot of muscles are working together to produce a coordinated movement, under a unique experience to the nervous system.

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Originally Posted by PhillyMike

I get done reading your article just shaking my head up and down because you are preaching to the choir with me. Well, today I log into Facebook and the NSCA has posted this "Selection and Design of Sport-Specific Resistance Training" article. I read through it and this is one of the few suggested "example exercises for specificity" for a thrower

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It's got some benefits though. Their method of progressing the movement - by closing first one eye, and then both eyes - is much less hard work than, say, adding 5 pounds every time you train. And then they'll also be able to throw in the dark effectively. Win win.

Love the article Rip. I've been trying to get my wife to see the light, but she is a "Beachbody coach" and thinks I have no idea what I'm talking about. I just realized most people have no idea what that is; the same guy who did P90x formed the company and they pay their "coaches" to sell DVDs and supplements.

So, your wife is a sales clerk who thinks that she is a "coach." She has lots of company.

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Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe

So, your wife is a sales clerk who thinks that she is a "coach." She has lots of company.

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Lol, that just made my day. Yes, that is literally what they are. The "coaches" on her team meet to talk about sales approaches and how to run challenge groups (they let them try free programs and supplements to get potential customers hooked). I suppose it's similar to the corporate gym model you've spoken of in the past especially with the automatic renewals they sign you up for with the supplements and online memberships.

It's more similar to drug dealers who give addicts their first taste free.

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Originally Posted by hank440

It's more similar to drug dealers who give addicts their first taste free.

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Yeah they pass around shakeology like it's a joint sometimes I swear...

Got an email yesterday that made me think of this thread. From my gym, apparently sent out to all members. (Typical commercial gym with tons of useless machines and treadmills and only one power rack, but unsurprisingly I hardly ever have to wait for it, and the gym is like 1/4 mile from my apartment so...)

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What is Functional Exercise Training?

Hello Tim,

Functional exercise training is a method by which you perform exercises that easily transfer to activities performed in daily life. For example: If you perform a compound (multi joint) exercise like the stiff leg dead lift, bicep curl, and overhead shoulder press all together while holding a medicine ball, the exercise would simulate lifting groceries off the floor and placing them into a cupboard or lifting something from the garage floor and placing it on a shelf. Another example might be performing deep knee bends by lowering your glutes to a stability ball placed behind your backside and returning to a standing position. This exercise simulates sitting in a chair or going to the toilet.

Functional exercises are important, especially as we age. The ability to perform daily tasks directly translates to one’s ability to maintain independence as they age. If you lose the ability to function you lose independence, functional exercise can reduce the likelihood of becoming less independent.

If you need additional guidance ask one of our certified personal trainers.


In good health,
The Staff & Management

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(emphasis added)

Actually got this on my phone while training. I chuckled and went back to squatting.

I'm glad you posted this. Lots of people think we're making this up.