If you have heard the term “functional movements” and can’t quite picture it, you are not alone. It sounds like gym jargon, but the idea is simple. Functional movements are the movements we do in everyday life. This article walks through what they look like in a real class, how they get coached, and how they can be scaled to fit you.
What are Functional movements and why are they used in a fitness class
Functional movements are the things you already do all day: picking something up off the ground, sitting down and standing back up again, putting something on a high shelf in the kitchen, or falling and being able to get back up again.
In a class, we take those patterns and train them with intent. High intensity functional movements are dynamic and challenging, and they work multiple muscle groups at once while improving your overall functional fitness. Our view is that they can change you physically and mentally.
Picking things up: the deadlift in real life
The deadlift is a typical example of a functional movement. In the gym, when we say deadlift, we mean picking things up from the ground, whether that is a laundry basket full of clothes or a bag of dog food.
In class we may deadlift with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or med balls. We teach the proper way to do it in order to protect the back, with a focus on keeping a neutral spine, which means keeping the back flat. Start with the barbell against your shins and your shoulders slightly in front of the bar. Your hips and shoulders rise together, and the barbell is lifted to the waist.
We start with a light weight. As our athletes become proficient and can do the movement safely, the load can go up.
Carrying: from grocery bags to farmer carries
Carrying exercises in class mimic daily tasks like bringing in groceries from the car or hauling heavy bags such as suitcases. A farmer’s carry means holding a dumbbell or kettlebell at each side and walking for a set distance. It also trains your grip, and better grip strength has been associated with improved longevity.
We can also hoist something up to our shoulders with a movement called a clean, then hold it at shoulder level while we walk.
Getting up off the floor and standing tall
Most people think burpees are an evil fitness tool that trainers love to assign. In reality, burpees are functional. Think of your grandparents. If they fall in their own home, can they get up on their own? If not, the next step is usually a nursing home. A burpee is nothing more than falling on the ground and getting up again.
That doesn’t mean you have to flop to the floor, push up, then jump and clap. There are many ways to modify a burpee depending on health restrictions and age. You can do one without going all the way to the floor. You can step up out of it. You can jump your feet back from a box and then jump back to the box. All of these work fine and train a person to be able to get up if they fall.
How functional movements in a fitness class are coached and scaled
In our classes at CrossFit South Haven, a certified coach is with you at all times. They help you decide which movements you can do and which ones to scale or modify at first. You are not left on your own to figure it out.
Scaling can mean decreasing your weight, decreasing the prescribed repetitions, or changing the movement so you can still get a workout that keeps the stimulus of the original movement intact.
What a first class might feel like
Our classes are one hour long. We start with a general warmup to get the blood moving and the muscles limbered up. Then we warm up for the specific Workout of the Day, or WOD. This is where the coach works with every athlete to figure out what they should do for that day’s workout.
The workout starts with 3…2…1…go, and everyone in the class is doing the same workout. When it is finished, there is cool-down time and movements. You compare notes with your fellow classmates and promise to see each other the next day.
If you are in South Haven and curious, where to start
If this type of fitness class interests you, feel free to contact us. Click the Get Started button on our website and we’ll take it from there.
