Programming for Functional Training

The phrase ‘functional training’ is, of late, the new training catchphrase and / or concept. Unfortunately however, there is little to define this phrase and / or concept. In vague terms most people associate the phrase ‘functional training’ with training to improve everyday actions or movements and consider this form of training a means of improving everyday health (musculo-skeletal in general). In a generic sense this concept may be applicable, however the question that must be asked is ‘Functional for what?’
Consider sport and healthy lifestyle. Sport, by its nature, places stressors on the body (Hence get fit to play sport as opposed to play sport to get fit); Thus these stressors have the potential to contradict healthy lifestyle. With this in mind, ‘functional training’ for the sport may be ‘counter-functional’ to healthy lifestyle (This concept will be discussed in greater detail further on).
Further to this, little thought is given to ‘functional’ training programming and often the same programming principals for Traditional Resistance Training (TRT) are employed for a different training methodology.
Prior to delving too deeply into programming for functional training, in is pertinent to cover the following two generic programming practices, these being: Client aims and Previous History.