Original episode & show notes | Raw transcript
This document provides a detailed exploration of the concepts surrounding functional training as discussed in the Empirical Cycling Podcast. It’s designed for an educated audience seeking a nuanced understanding of its principles, applications, and limitations.
The podcast begins by establishing a foundational definition of functional training, which is crucial for understanding the subsequent discussion.
Core Definition: Functional training describes exercises that enhance your ability to perform everyday activities more easily.
Key Characteristics:
Whole-Body Integration: These exercises typically engage the entire body rather than isolating individual muscles.
Multi-Muscle Activation: They require multiple muscle groups to work in coordination.
Emphasis on Core Strength and Stability: A central tenet of functional training is the development of a strong and stable core, which is essential for almost all movements.
The hosts agree that this formal definition is sound. However, they note a significant disconnect between this definition and the public’s perception, which is often shaped by social media trends.
The podcast explores several reasons why individuals might gravitate towards functional training over more traditional forms of strength training.
Job-Specific Fitness: For professions that demand a high level of physical readiness (e.g., military, firefighters), functional training offers exercises that mimic real-world physical challenges. Activities like sled drags and loaded carries have more direct applicability than traditional lifts like the bench press.
Accessibility and Reduced Intimidation: Traditional weightlifting environments (powerlifting, bodybuilding) can be intimidating for newcomers. Functional training, often utilizing lower weights and more varied movements, can seem more approachable.
Reaction to Traditional Training Styles: Some view functional training as a more “holistic” or “practical” alternative to what they perceive as the rigid, non-applicable movements of bodybuilding or powerlifting.
The Influence of CrossFit: CrossFit has been instrumental in popularizing the concept of “functional fitness.” It promotes a well-rounded athleticism that appeals to those who want to be more generally capable, rather than specializing in lifting the heaviest weight possible in a few specific movements.
A central theme of the podcast is whether functional training can, or should, replace traditional strength training (e.g., squats, deadlifts, presses). The consensus is a firm no.
Supportive, Not a Replacement: Functional exercises are best viewed as a supplement to a solid foundation of traditional strength. The main strength exercises build the raw force production capacity that functional movements can then teach the body to apply in more complex, dynamic ways.
The CrossFit Example: High-level CrossFit athletes are not just products of “functional” workouts. They build their capabilities on a strong base of traditional Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting. For instance, top CrossFitter Mat Fraser had a background as a high-level Olympic weightlifter. Their “Metcon” (metabolic conditioning) workouts are often preceded by sessions focused on traditional lifts like squats.
Case for Cyclists and Other Athletes: Similarly, for athletes in sports like MMA or cycling, functional training serves as a conditioning tool or a way to address specific needs, not as a complete substitute for their primary sport-specific and strength-building workouts.
The podcast introduces a critical concept for evaluating any exercise: the continuum of stability. This spectrum helps to categorize exercises and understand their specific benefits.
Least Functional (Most Stable): Single-joint, isolated movements, like a leg extension machine used in a lab to measure quad strength. These are excellent for isolating a muscle but lack real-world applicability because they remove the need for stabilization.
Highly Stable: Exercises performed in a Smith machine, which locks the movement into a fixed plane. This reduces the neural drive required for stabilization, often allowing a person to lift more weight.
Moderately Stable (The Foundation): Traditional free-weight exercises like barbell squats and bench presses. These require significant core strength and stabilization but are still performed in a relatively predictable and stable manner. The hosts argue that a squat is, in itself, a highly functional exercise.
Increasing Instability: As you move along the continuum, instability is introduced. Examples include:
Single-Leg Movements: A single-leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL) introduces a significant balance component.
Unstable Surfaces: Performing exercises on a BOSU ball.
Unstable Loads: Using weights hanging from bands on a barbell.
The Trade-off: As instability increases, the amount of weight you can use decreases. The body’s neural drive shifts from activating the primary moving muscles to activating the smaller stabilizing muscles. Therefore, highly unstable exercises are excellent for improving coordination and stability but are less effective for building maximal strength and muscle mass.
This is a key takeaway. The Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) can be misleading in functional training.
The Decoupling Effect: An exercise can feel extremely difficult (high RPE) because of the balance and coordination challenge, not because it’s placing a high tension stimulus on the primary muscles.
The Goal Dictates the Method: If the goal is to get stronger (i.e., increase the force-producing capacity of your muscles), you need high tension. This is often achieved more effectively with heavier, more stable exercises. An unstable exercise with light weight might feel harder, but it won’t provide the same stimulus for strength adaptation as a heavy, stable squat.
The podcast provides actionable advice on how to integrate functional training effectively.
In-Season Maintenance: During the competitive season, when heavy lifting can cause excessive fatigue, functional training with lighter loads is an excellent way to maintain neural engagement, core strength, and overall health without compromising recovery.
Warm-ups: Functional movements are perfect for warming up before a heavier lifting session. Exercises like monster walks, clamshells, and planks activate the core and stabilizing muscles, preparing the body for the main lifts and improving technique.
Addressing Weaknesses: For cyclists, who are often weak in their upper body, functional exercises like presses, pulls, and carries can improve quality of life (e.g., carrying groceries, lifting a suitcase) without the risk of adding unwanted bulk. The key is to keep the intensity moderate (RPE 4-5) and focus on movement quality.
Sport-Specific Applications: For disciplines like mountain biking, where balance and dynamic body positioning are crucial, functional training that challenges stability (like the work Kate Courtney does) has a very direct and necessary application.
The hosts conclude with a warning about the extreme and often misguided forms of functional training popularized on social media.
The Algorithm Rewards Extremes: Outlandish, dangerous-looking exercises get clicks. This creates a feedback loop where trainers are incentivized to post increasingly bizarre “functional” movements to gain attention.
The “Fast & Furious” Analogy: Watching an Instagram fitness influencer for training advice can be like watching a “Fast & Furious” movie to learn how to drive. It’s entertainment, not sound instruction.
Context is Key: You are only seeing a curated highlight reel. You don’t see the foundational strength work that an athlete (hopefully) does, nor do you know if the exercise is for a specific, valid reason (e.g., rehab) or just for show.
The Litmus Test: When evaluating a method or a trainer, ask: “Do they produce good results with their athletes?” Be wary of selection bias (e.g., a coach getting lucky with a genetically gifted athlete like Brad Wiggins), but a consistent track record is a good indicator.
In summary, the podcast presents a balanced and intelligent view of functional training. It is not a magical replacement for traditional strength work but a valuable and versatile tool. When applied correctly—as a supplement, for maintenance, as a warm-up, or for sport-specific needs—it can significantly enhance overall fitness, health, and performance. The key is to understand its purpose and not be swayed by the social media-driven trend towards instability for instability’s sake.