What is your goal when you train? Would you like to build huge muscles or do you want to build functional strength? Let’s analyze what are the differences between functional training vs weight training.
You will discover that they are very different from each other, but this will allow you to better target your training based on the basic objective.
I will start by analyzing what functional training is and then I will go on to contrast it with weight training, in the end you will be able to decide what is best for your body.
What is functional entreitenement?
Many experts and researchers have diverse opinions on functional training, but most of them have a common definition of what it is supposed to achieve.
Functional training can be determined as: “the means, to carry out work against a specific resistance, so that the strength acquired directly benefits the execution of activities of daily life and movements associated with sports”. Is there a tongue twister?
Let’s keep breaking down the concept of functional training.
Functional training originated as a form of rehabilitation exercises for injuries most relevant to the movements of daily life.
Many traditional training programs limit performance in specific workouts, sports, or daily movements, but functional exercise develops basic motor patterns to work at increased capacity.
This depends, not only on the execution of the exercise itself, but also on many other factors, such as the execution pattern, the athlete’s characteristics, the number of repetitions, series, technique, the training phase, the interaction with another type of training, the physical and mental state of the athlete, the general training program, and several other variables.
Each functional exercise utilizes full muscle activation and an intentional movement pattern that allows for maximum strength development.
Now the term ” functional ” has taken the world of strength training to a whole new level.
Sadly, some trainers do these exercises because they just look cool and fashionable, beware of these “pros.”
However, in other cases, it is so correctly dictated that it can even supplant the more common traditional muscle building techniques.
Features of functional training
- It uses many muscles simultaneously.
- It generates the need for you to have to stabilize yourself in a certain plane.
- It also uses all three planes of motion.
- The core muscles are actively involved in virtually all exercises.
- Allows maximum strength capacity.
- Improves posture and body position when done correctly.
- There is a complete activation of all muscle groups.
- Muscles developed through functional training tend to look more natural.
Weight training
Traditional weight training often only trains one muscle or muscle group at a time which is inconsistent with the normal, coordinated effort used to complete most daily activities or sports in certain disciplines.
The traditional weight training technique is the most common among gym and fitness enthusiasts, and is the use of loads as the basis for muscle development.
The main focus of traditional weight training is isolating an individual muscle for aesthetic development through the system we know as muscle overload.
Bodybuilding or weight training has become a very popular word in the fitness industry, but it is also subject to broad interpretation with very little agreement as to all that it encompasses and its limitations.
That is why we highlight the characteristic of muscular isolation that it has, since in certain functional training loads are also used.
Characteristics of weight training
- It focuses on a single muscle or muscle group at a time.
- It can be done sitting or leaning.
- It is done using the back / front plane of the movement.
- It is generally performed at low speeds for movements that are developed as mechanical repetitions.
- It is not related to the movements of everyday life.
- Range of motion is usually limited.
- Build bigger muscles.
- There is a limited and controlled movement pattern.
FUNCTIONAL VS WEIGHTS: CONCLUSION
The truth is that now it is up to you to choose what type of training you prefer to do based on your goals, that is, on those results you want to obtain.
If you are looking for a massive body at the muscular level, go for weight training, now if you are looking for a balanced body prioritizing movement and muscle stability, as functional can help you.
As you will realize, there is not one type of training better than, another is simply different ways of training to achieve different results.