Training #4 - Functional Fitness

Functional fitness. Probably a term you've heard thrown around by Crossfitters, or other "functional" athletes. But what does it really mean? It's not just a phrase that sounds cool, although some people may throw the term around loosely. It is my belief that every human should strive for a certain degree of functional fitness.

Here is why.

The human body has been fine tuned through eons of biological evolution. Our biomechanics, our physiology, and our cellular biology... all of these things have been defined through years of surviving at the top of the food chain. What this means is that mother nature has literally designed us to be the most effective combination of resilient, powerful, athletic, strong, flexible, fast, mobile, agile, intelligent, crafty, resourceful, and superior. The body of the human being and all of its functions is the ultimate pinnacle of achievement for life on Earth.

And then there is the modern, average human. Over the past several centuries, humans have slowly "devolved". We have allowed ourselves to become reliant on technology. We have genetically modified food sources to produce massive amounts so that we can feed a nation of people who are struggling to figure out why they suffer from obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other "man-made" ailments.

We've placed less emphasis on being "functionally fit" and instead, media emphasizes the importance of big biceps, a muscular chest, and ripped abs. While all these things can be byproducts of a functionally sound and fit individual, they are not the deciding factors. What true good does a 56" chest and 400 lb bench press provide an individual when he has trouble holding his daughter for an extended period of time due to extra tight shoulders?

The ego is feeding these people's "fitness achievements" and society is positively affirming them .

So what does it mean to be functionally fit? In my eyes, this is a holistic and integrative designation. It does not mean Crossfit athletes, it does not mean Olympic Lifters or Powerlifters, it does not mean Football players, Rugby Players, Soccer plays or Basketball players. While there are all examples of a functionally fit athlete within all of those sports, we cannot generalize. To be functionally fit is a determination of the individual. It ties into the journey of their life. 

Functional fitness should have short-term and long-term goals. The human should strive to constantly seek improvement in as many avenues as time and resources may permit. An intelligent and critical eye should be placed on the current fitness status of each person and develop a plan to improve on all facets, based on that individual's goals. There should be a constant drive towards perfect balance and alignment within the body.

Functional fitness should mean that an individual looks good, feels great, and performs optimally. Being active is in our DNA. They should be strong relative to their bodyweight, being able to manipulate it as necessary. They should be able to move painlessly and without expending massive energy. Running, jumping, walking, climbing, swimming, and even crawling should all be pain free and natural.

A functionally fit human should be able to sprint a short distance as if to escape a predator, without dying by the hands of that modern-human-ailment-predator. They should be able to lift something heavy overhead without injuring their shoulder. They might be able walk on their hands, or pull their bodyweight up. They can carry and infant without shoulder tightness or upperback soreness. They have great posture and sound biomechanics. Their joints were designed to last 100 years, and they keep them healthy all 100 of those years, without getting replacement surgeries. They might be able to curl a jug of water to their mouth with bulging biceps, but they can still wipe their ass easily. And the functionally fit human will definitely have the hip mobility to squat to full depth comfortably.

The functionally fit human is agile, quick, robust, capable, durable, energetic, vigorous, hardy, tough, nimble, sharp, alert, and bright. To be functionally fit means you are striving to improve in all of these categories. You are not just a number of weight you can lift, or a speed at which you can run a mile, or your ability to red-line and conquer a benchmark Crossfit metcon. You maintain a balance of all of these things, personalized for yourself, and you are constantly seeking improvement. You understand your weaknesses and take steps on a daily basis to correct them. You are aware that you will live to see the ripe old age of 80 and still be able to play energetically with your grand kids. You consume food that will bring you closer to these goals and feed your soul with the right material, both in a literal sense and an abstract sense.

Most important of all, to be functionally fit, you follow sound principles and are guided by science based intuition. You treat your body as it is meant to be treated, and fine tune all the mechanics within. To be functionally fit means your physical and mental health are of utmost priority in your life, and you embody these characteristics with rigid discipline.

Good luck on your quest to achieve "functional fitness". Take care of your body and mind on the way, and most of all - enjoy the journey. Embrace the transformation. Celebrate progress and reward achievement. And, along the way, invite others to join you on your path. This is the most satisfying part of the experience.