Welcome to FunctionalTrainer.co.za

Func.tion.al
1. capable of operating or functioning, 2. capable of serving the purpose for which it was intended (Webster’s Encyclopedia 2 nd Edition, 1996 )

Functional training therefore refers to training the muscular systems of your body in ways that mimic the natural movement patterns that you do in everyday life or in a sporting situation. For example: reaching down to grab an object on the floor and placing it on a shelf, this action is suitably mimicked by a medicine ball woodchop.

Functional training has its roots in sports conditioning. The need to improve athletes ability in specific movements has led to coaches and trainers to analyse and separate movements into individual components and then combine the parts to form specific Kinetic chains.
This paradigm shift has come as a revelation to most sports professionals,  who could no further increase their Golf drive or javelin throw by the standard “bench press” philosophy. It needs to be mentioned that there is definitely a place for “Body Building” training within the exercise cycle, but so much more is accomplished when the elements of speed, balance,agility, flexibility, control and power are developed versus the one dimensional approach of traditional strength training. 

So what does this mean for you?
Although most personal training clients are not sports specific athletes, Functional training will benefit you because it allows you to work in an environment that is challenging, and where your progress can take place on so many different levels, including Lean Mass Gain and Body Fat reduction.

Performing Functional movements will force you to concentrate on the stability of your joints and strength of your core systems so that you can perform the exercise smoothly and with perfect control.

If you want to read more.. click on to the follow two sites ?
www.eliteathletetraining.com/articles/article_26.aspxhttp://
www.chekinstitute.com/articles.cfm?select=11

Kind regards

Jason Hough

Personal Trainer

Renaissance Body Science Institute

Mobile ( 27 ) 763 970 284