Many coaches and athletes think that functional training consists of cute exercises done with stability balls and balance devices. This could not be further from the truth. True functional training revolves around body-weight training and progressive resistance exercise. Athletes should master body-weight exercises and then add progressively heavier external loads to these exercises. Watch a novice attempt to split-squat with just his body weight; the lack of balance is evident. What we call
balance is really stabilizer strength. In most cases, additional external resistance is not initially
needed as the athlete learns the patterns. What is needed is to master the pattern and then add resistance.
Think of functional training as being the opposite of dysfunctional training, or as physical therapist and Functional Movement Screen cofounder Gray Cook is fond of saying, adding strength to dysfunction. Essential to the concept of functional training is learning to move before you load. Evidence of dysfunctional training is seen in every gym in the United States as people attempt to simply move a load from point A to point B with technique that varies from questionable to unsafe.
Following is a brief overview of some key pieces of functional training equipment and some simple guidelines for how and when to use them.
Medicine Balls
One of the best tools available for power development, the medicine ball has enjoyed a huge resurgence in the past decade. Although medicine balls (see figure 4.1) have been around for centuries, they have become tools of the future. The medicine ball can be used for upper body power work through exercises such as chest passes, overhead throws, and slams, and it can be thrown for distance for total-body power work. The medicine ball, when combined with a masonry wall, is hands down the best tool for power training of the core and hip musculature. An entire section on training with the medicine ball is included in chapter 9.
Common sense must be used to prevent injury with the medicine ball. Athletes at our training facility do not perform partner drills that require catching the ball, nor do they perform any single-arm
overhead medicine ball movements. Catching a medicine ball can result in hand injury, while single- arm overhead activities may be too stressful on the shoulder joint. Balls come in bouncing and nonbouncing varieties and various weights and sizes. The most useful balls tend to be between 2 and 8 pounds (1 to 3.5 kg).
Figure 4.1 Medicine ball.
Weight Vests and Belts
There may not be a better tool for functional training than a weighted vest or belt. Weighted vests and belts are available in numerous styles and have come a long way from the old canvas fishing- style varieties. Some coaches may think that using a weighted vest or belt is redundant if athletes are already training with bars or dumbbells. However, a weighted vest adds an external load with minimal disruption of the movement of the body. Athletes do not need to change the position of the upper body to hold an external load; they simply need to put on a weighted vest or belt.
Vests and belts are excellent ways to add additional resistance to what were formerly viewed as body-weight exercises. Exercises such as push-ups, single-leg squats, and inverted rows can now be safely progressed well beyond body-weight resistance. In addition, for sports such as ice hockey and football, weighted vests and belts allow athletes to simulate the weight of equipment during conditioning workouts.
Foam Rollers
Foam rollers (see figure 4.2) have gone from a complete unknown to a must-have in the last decade. Rollers come in various colors, lengths, and densities but are all used for self-massage. The terms self-myofascial release, self-massage, and soft tissue work all apply to the act of foam rolling. Chapter 5 covers the use of the roller in great detail.
Figure 4.2 Foam roller.
Stability Balls
The stability ball (see figure 4.3) has unfortunately become synonymous with functional training, with books, videos, and classes all developed around this one piece of equipment. The overuse of the stability ball alone has caused many strength and conditioning coaches to view the entire area of functional training negatively. Coaches and athletes need to remember that it is simply one tool and may be inappropriate for many beginning trainees. The stability ball is excellent for a few specific exercises (e.g., stability ball rollouts, stability ball leg curls), but it is far from the training panacea it was initially viewed as, and it is certainly not a tool for squatting or for lifting loads heavier than body weight. Videos showing athletes standing on a ball are negligent. Athletes should never stand on a stability ball. The risks far outweigh any potential benefits. If you desire an unstable surface for additional balance training for the lower extremity, use another tool.
Coaches and athletes should also be cautious about sitting on a stability ball during barbell or dumbbell exercises or using the stability ball as a substitute for a bench for pressing movements. Stability balls should never be used for support when using dumbbells or a bar. Caution should even be used with so called burst-resistant balls. There have been reports of burst-resistant balls tearing in the same manner as conventional balls and causing serious injury. Our current policy is body weight only and no standing on stability balls for safety reasons.
Figure 4.3 Stability ball.
Slide Board
The slide board was initially developed as a training device for speedskaters, but its use is now widespread in other sports. The slide board allows the athlete to perform energy system work while standing and, by its nature, forces athletes to assume the bent-knee posture that has been dubbed the sport-specific position (see figure 4.4). It is the only piece of conditioning equipment that can provide energy system and muscular system work in this position. Athletes can develop conditioning while also developing appropriate muscle patterns, something that is usually not possible on a conventional piece of cardiorespiratory equipment. The slide board allows the athlete to work all the extensor muscles of the lower body as well as the hip abductors and adductors. From a functional conditioning standpoint, the benefits of the slide board may be equal to or better than running.
At our training facility, we require all our athletes to use the slide board, as it can enhance lateral movement and balance while also conditioning the difficult-to-train hip abductor and adductor muscle groups. No other piece of energy system conditioning equipment can provide all these benefits. In addition, the slide board can easily accommodate users of various heights and weights.
Figure 4.4 Slide board.
Mini Slide Board
The mini slide board has no bumpers but can be used for lower body exercises such as slide- board lunges and slide-board leg curls and for a wide range of core progressions. It is not a slide board in the conventional sense because you cannot perform energy system work on it, but it is still a great tool to have in the toolbox.
Valslides
Invented by L.A. trainer to the stars Valerie Waters, the Valslide allows for mini slide-board-type exercise on any carpeted or turf surface. Like the mini slide board, the Valslide can be used for lower body and core work.
Agility Ladder
The agility ladder may be one of the best pieces of functional training equipment available. It allows a dynamic warm-up that can emphasize any number of components, and it can be used to develop balance, foot speed, coordination, and eccentric strength (see figure 4.5). Until the advent of the agility ladder, there was no good way to work on foot speed. The agility ladder provides benefits to both the muscular system and the neuromuscular system while increasing muscle temperature.
Figure 4.5 Agility ladder.
BOSU Ball
The BOSU ball makes the list for only one reason: It is an excellent tool for adding upper body instability to the push-up and offers an excellent progression from feet-elevated push-ups. We keep BOSU balls in the facility just for push-ups.
Suspension Trainers
Suspension trainers have become very popular over the last decade. The TRX is the most popular commercial model, but there are many varieties. I have become a fan of rings for suspension training more than the TRX, and the reality is that like the BOSU ball, we use our TRX or rings for only one exercise, inverted rows. Suspension trainers make inverted rows better for two major reasons. First, the TRX and rings are adjustable so you can make a challenging row for athletes or clients at any level. Second, a suspension trainer allows the shoulders to begin internally rotated (thumbs down) and end externally rotated (thumbs up). This creates a very shoulder-friendly exercise.
AT Sports Flex
It’s rare that a piece of equipment this simple could so drastically affect how we do certain exercises. The AT Sports Flex (see figure 4.6) is a multifunction cable attachment that is great for presses, rows, and scapulothoracic work. Its design is so unique that I would consider it an essential tool. Developed by Chicago White Sox strength and conditioning coach Allen Thomas (hence the AT), this piece is a must-have.