Functional training is a buzzword these days. Gyms declare certain spaces the functional training area, certain classes are deemed functional. (Side note: does that make the other zones dysfunctional?) But what does it really mean?
Functional training typically describes anything that isn't hardcore bodybuilding: battle ropes, prowlers, odd objects, strongman kit, kettlebells, medicine balls, tyres. All great and valid tools. But what makes them functional?
Define the function first
Distil the dictionary definitions and you get: useful for a certain purpose, and actually does the job. It's impossible to judge whether training is functional until you've established what that purpose is.
Overarching functions could be winning the CrossFit Games, or picking up your kids without back pain. The specific functions within training that follow are drastically different for each.
Two examples
Athlete X wants their 1RM back squat up. Back squatting needs to be in the programme. Battle ropes probably don't. But is ankle mobility part of it? If their dorsiflexion is poor and blocks a good squat position, ankle work might raise the 1RM: functional for the goal. If dorsiflexion is adequate, that time is wasted. The functionality of an exercise depends on the athlete's context.
Athlete Y gets shoulder pain in kipping pull-ups; strict are fine. An assessment shows their shoulder stability works in strict but not kipping. Generic stability work (Turkish get-ups, waiter walks) doesn't look much like kipping, the movement that hurts. A more functional approach mimics the kipping pattern (swinging shoulder, pronated grip) while teaching stability. Yes, Turkish get-ups improve shoulder stability. But could we improve it in a way that more closely resembles the problem movement? Yes.
The Spectrum of Specificity
At The Training Stimulus we use a concept called the Spectrum of Specificity: a scale against which anything can be evaluated as it relates to the individual's goal. That could be a whole programme design, or how appropriate a corrective exercise is for a specific muscle in a specific movement, in a specific plane, over a specific time domain.
The point: begin with the end in mind, and the more clearly you can articulate the function of your training, the more effectively you can pursue your goals. Much of what's marketed as functional is only functional for a handful of people in specific circumstances. Get clear on your own function and make up your own mind.