Functional Fitness for the Everyday Athlete: How Functional Training Can Improve Athletic Performance

In the realm of fitness, there exists a dynamic approach that transcends the confines of traditional gym workouts. This approach, known as functional fitness, revolves around movements that mimic real-life activities and enhance the body’s ability to perform daily tasks efficiently and safely. Yet, its benefits extend far beyond mundane chores, as functional fitness holds the potential to revolutionise athletic performance for individuals across various sports disciplines. [1]

Whether you’re a weekend warrior, a seasoned marathoner, or a passionate soccer player, integrating functional training into your regimen can unlock a new level of prowess. Let’s delve deeper into how functional fitness can transform the everyday athlete into a powerhouse of performance.

Strength for Endurance-Based Sports

Endurance-based sports, such as long-distance running, cycling, and swimming, demand exceptional muscular endurance and stamina. While traditional strength training might seem incongruent with these pursuits, functional fitness offers a nuanced approach to building strength tailored to endurance athletes.

Central to functional strength training for endurance sports is the principle of specificity. Instead of isolating muscles with machine-based exercises, functional movements engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, mimicking the demands of the sport. Incorporating exercises like squats, lunges, deadlifts, and kettlebell swings not only fortifies the legs, core, and back but also enhances overall stability and balance—crucial elements for maintaining form and preventing injuries during prolonged efforts.

Moreover, functional fitness emphasises movement patterns that replicate the biomechanics of endurance activities. For instance, exercises that involve dynamic lunging or single-leg movements mirror the repetitive motion of running or cycling, promoting muscular endurance and neuromuscular efficiency.

By integrating functional strength training into their routines, endurance athletes can bolster their ability to sustain effort over extended durations, stave off fatigue, and maintain optimal performance even as the miles accumulate.

Mobility for Contact Sports

Contact sports, characterised by explosive movements, sudden changes in direction, and physical collisions, place immense demands on the body’s mobility and agility. In this arena, functional fitness emerges as a potent tool for enhancing flexibility, range of motion, and injury resilience—vital attributes for contact sport athletes.

Unlike static stretching, which primarily focuses on elongating muscles, functional mobility exercises prioritise dynamic movements that target multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously. Incorporating exercises like hip rotations, shoulder circles, and dynamic stretches into warm-up routines not only primes the body for action but also enhances proprioception and kinesthetic awareness—key components for executing precise movements and reacting swiftly to opponents’ manoeuvres.

Furthermore, functional mobility drills address common areas of tightness and restriction prevalent in contact sports, such as the hips, shoulders, and thoracic spine. By promoting optimal joint alignment and tissue suppleness, athletes can move more freely, execute techniques with greater efficiency, and mitigate the risk of overuse injuries associated with repetitive impact.

Plyometrics for Sports with Explosive Components

Explosive sports, such as basketball, volleyball, and sprinting, hinge on the ability to generate maximal force in minimal time—a hallmark of power and athleticism. Enter plyometric training, a cornerstone of functional fitness that specialises in cultivating explosive strength, speed, and reactive ability. (Note: Plyometric training should only be performed by experienced participants or through the guidance of an exercise professional)

Plyometric exercises, characterised by rapid, concentric-concentric muscle actions followed by swift eccentric lengthening, exploit the stretch-shortening cycle to amplify muscular power output. Movements like box jumps, depth jumps, and medicine ball throws not only enhance the recruitment of fast-twitch muscle fibres but also refine neuromuscular coordination and proprioceptive sensitivity, enabling athletes to unleash explosive bursts of energy with precision and control.

Moreover, plyometric training fosters a potent physiological response, stimulating adaptations at both the muscular and neurological levels. Over time, athletes experience improvements in rate of force development, reactive strength, and overall athletic explosiveness—attributes that translate seamlessly to enhanced performance on the court, field, or track.

Functional Exercises for Golf, Netball and Touch Footy

Check out these exercises for Golf, Netball and Touch Footy player that they can incorporate into their training program to help support their performance for their chosen sport and provide that functional crossover with their more traditional workouts.

Golf

Here are five functional fitness exercises designed to improve mobility, stability, strength, and rotational power, essential for excelling in golf:

1. Rotational Medicine Ball Throws:

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a medicine ball with both hands.

Rotate your torso to one side, loading the back hip and shoulder.

Explosively rotate your torso in the opposite direction, driving through the hips and shoulders to throw the ball against a wall or to a partner.

Perform 8-10 reps on each side, focusing on smooth, controlled movements and engaging the core throughout.

2. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts:

Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand.

Hinge at the hips while keeping the back flat, extending the free leg behind for balance.

Lower the weight towards the ground while maintaining a straight line from head to heel.

Return to the starting position by engaging the glutes and hamstrings. Repeat for 8-10 reps on each leg.

3. Golf Club Windmill Stretch:

Hold a golf club with both hands, shoulder-width apart, in front of your body.

Keeping the legs straight and the core engaged, hinge at the hips and lower the club towards one foot, allowing the opposite shoulder to rotate towards the sky.

Hold the stretch for a few seconds, feeling the stretch in the hamstrings, lower back, and thoracic spine.

Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Perform 5-8 repetitions on each side, focusing on smooth, controlled movements.

4. Plank Rotations:

Start in a high plank position with hands directly under the shoulders and feet hip-width apart.

Engage the core and glutes to maintain a straight line from head to heels.

Rotate your torso to one side, lifting one arm towards the ceiling while keeping the hips square to the ground.

Return to the plank position and repeat on the other side. Aim for 8-10 repetitions on each side, focusing on controlled movements and maintaining stability throughout.

5. Hip Mobility Exercises:

Perform exercises such as hip circles, leg swings, and hip flexor stretches to improve hip mobility and range of motion.

Incorporate dynamic movements that mimic the rotational demands of the golf swing, focusing on fluid transitions and full range of motion.

Aim to include hip mobility drills in your warm-up routine before hitting the course or engaging in golf-specific training sessions.

Netball

Here are five top functional fitness exercises tailored specifically for the demands of netball:

1. Lateral Plyometric Lunges:

Start in a standing position with feet hip-width apart.

Take a large step to the side with one foot, lowering into a lunge position, keeping the knee aligned with the ankle.

Explosively push off the ground and return to the starting position.

Immediately repeat the movement to the other side.

Perform 10-12 repetitions on each side, focusing on quick, explosive movements and maintaining proper form.

2. Agility Ladder Drills:

Set up an agility ladder on the ground.

Perform a variety of drills such as ladder hops, lateral shuffles, and in-and-out drills.

Focus on quick footwork, coordination, and agility, moving through the ladder with precision and speed.

Perform each drill for 20-30 seconds, aiming for 2-3 sets with brief rest intervals in between.

3. Single-Leg Squat Jumps:

Stand on one leg with the knee slightly bent.

Lower into a squat position, keeping the weight on the heel and the knee aligned with the toes.

Explosively jump off the ground, extending the hips and driving the knee up towards the chest.

Land softly on the same leg and immediately lower back into the squat position.

Perform 8-10 repetitions on each leg, focusing on explosive power and balance.

4. Medicine Ball Rotational Throws:

Stand perpendicular to a wall or partner with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a medicine ball with both hands.

Rotate your torso away from the wall or partner, loading the back hip and shoulder.

Explosively rotate your torso towards the wall or partner, driving through the hips and shoulders to throw the ball.

Catch the ball or retrieve it from the wall and repeat on the other side.

Perform 8-10 repetitions on each side, focusing on generating power through the core and upper body.

5. Crossover Step Lunges:

Start in a standing position with feet hip-width apart.

Take a large step forward and across the body with one foot, lowering into a lunge position.

Push off the front foot and return to the starting position.

Repeat the movement on the other side, stepping forward and across with the opposite foot.

Perform 10-12 repetitions on each side, focusing on smooth, controlled movements and maintaining stability throughout.

Touch Footy

Here are five top functional fitness exercises tailored specifically for the demands of touch football:

1. Sprint Intervals:

Find an open space or track and mark out distances for short sprints (e.g., 20-40 metres).

Sprint at maximum effort from one point to another, focusing on explosiveness and speed.

Allow for adequate recovery between sprints (approximately 30-60 seconds).

Perform 6-8 repetitions, gradually increasing the distance or intensity as fitness improves.

2. Multi-Directional Cone Drills:

Set up a series of cones in a grid pattern, spaced a few feet apart.

Perform drills such as shuttle runs, T-drills, and 5-10-5 drills, weaving in and out of the cones while changing direction quickly.

Focus on maintaining proper form, staying low in the athletic stance, and reacting swiftly to directional changes.

Perform each drill for 20-30 seconds, aiming for 2-3 sets with brief rest intervals in between.

3. Plyometric Push-Ups:

Begin in a push-up position with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

Lower into a push-up, then explosively push off the ground with enough force to lift the hands off the ground.

Land softly and immediately lower back into the next repetition.

Perform 8-10 repetitions, focusing on explosive power and maintaining control throughout the movement.

4. Lateral Shuffle with Touches:

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hips back in an athletic stance.

Shuffle laterally to one side, touching the ground with one hand.

Quickly shuffle back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Continue shuffling from side to side, maintaining a brisk pace and light footwork.

Perform 10-12 repetitions on each side, focusing on agility, speed, and coordination.

5. Agility Hurdle Jumps:

Set up a series of hurdles or cones in a straight line, spaced a few feet apart.

Jump over each hurdle laterally, focusing on quick, explosive movements and minimal ground contact time.

Maintain proper form, keeping the knees bent and landing softly on the balls of the feet.

Aim for continuous jumps with minimal rest between hurdles.

Perform 8-10 repetitions, gradually increasing the speed and height of the hurdles as proficiency improves.

Conclusion

In the realm of athletic endeavour, functional fitness stands as a beacon of innovation, offering a holistic approach to training that transcends conventional paradigms. Whether you’re an endurance enthusiast, a contact sport aficionado, or an explosive athlete, the principles of functional training hold the key to unlocking your full potential.

By integrating functional strength training, mobility drills, and plyometric exercises into your regimen, you can fortify your body against the rigours of competition, elevate your performance to new heights, and embark on a journey of athletic excellence that knows no bounds. Embrace the power of functional fitness, and discover the transformative impact it can have on your athletic journey.

Please Note: The information provided in this article are the opinions and professional experience of the author and not all activities are recommended for the beginner or participants with underlying health conditions. Before following any advice or starting any fitness, health and wellbeing journey please consult with an Allied Health Professional and / or General Practitioner.

REFERENCES

1. Effect of Functional Training on Physical Fitness Among Athletes

• Bio

Steve Irwin

Steve has spent the last 19 years in the Australian Fitness Industry as a Group Fitness Instructor, 1-1 Coach, State Manager, Business Owner and is currently an Educator for the Australian Institute of Fitness. A lifelong fitness enthusiast he started his working life in the Military which guided him into the fitness industry where his passion for helping others on their health and fitness journey has been realised. Steve believes that for anyone thinking about getting fit or healthy they should “just get started” as “doing something is better than doing nothing”.