Athletic Functional Training Definition


The methodology of athletic functional training traces its beginnings to physical therapy where it was originally utilized as a rehabilitation procedure with injured and recovering patients. Recently, the application of the same principles to the development of peak athletic performance, including professional athletes, has found an increasingly growing interest and popularity across a wide range of disciplines. The primary idea behind an athletic type of functional training is the extension of its practical applications to the process of conditioning, which are also correlated with everyday body movements, life style related activities, and athletic competition.

Here’s a definition of functional training as formulated by Craig Burton:

‘All functional movement patterns involve deceleration, stabilization, and acceleration, which occur at every joint in kinetic chain and in all three planes of motion.’

However, the above quoted definition limits its scope solely to the specific manner of a physical movement performance and omits the very core essence of functional training – the functional movement itself – creation, recovery, or improvement of the structural movement, which finds its direct expression in daily life or athletic performance. The quintessence of the athletic functional training is expressed through a progressive exercise program that measurably improves motor functions (strength, speed, endurance, agility, and suppleness) and develops specific skills (functions) in relation to lifestyle activities or a particular sport discipline.