Unlocking Everyday Potential: The Power of Functional Training
by Lynne Kammer
Functional fitness helps us perform better in daily life by engaging our core, working across multiple joints, raising heart rate, improving balance, and moving through different planes of motion. It can also be efficient and a lot of fun. Ultimately, we want to prepare our body to move and brace outside of our exercise sessions without getting injured.
For example, carrying heavy kettlebells mimics carrying bags of groceries from your car. The goal is to carry all of them at once, right? Flipping a tractor tire increases lower body strength and balance while improving core strength which helps you to lift your large dog into the back of your car. Tossing heavy sandbags from the floor and swinging Bulgarian bags prepare you to lift your suitcase into the overhead compartment or mount your bike onto the wall.
All of these exercises develop core strength without doing a lot of boring sit-ups. Repetitive movements help to build muscular strength and endurance, but functional fitness helps you to move in real-life ways.
New ways to train at Gregory Gym
RecSports has expanded functional training opportunities with the addition of more functional training tools in the FIT Studio, located in the basement level of Gregory Gym. The space footprint has been expanded to include racks with the following equipment, all available for drop-in use by all current UT students and RecSports members:
- Battle Rope
- Escape Barrow
- Slamballs
- Speed Ladders
- Power Bands
- Punchbag
- Resistance Tubes
- TIYRs
- Torpedo Bags
- Total Grip Medballs
- TRX Suspension Trainer
Each rack of equipment also features a Multi Activity Resource Station (MARS) Screen, offering digital coaching 24/7. The touchscreens have a diverse library of high-quality fitness content from individual exercise and equipment demonstrations to full-on workouts.
In addition to this brand-new space at Gregory Gym, you can also pursue functional training workouts at the Recreational Sports Center both at The Turf and FIT Studio outside the Weight Room, and through our F45 Training classes included in the TeXercise program. You may also consider working with one of our certified personal trainers for individualized instruction and guidance as you explore functional training.
About the Author
Lynne is a personal trainer at RecSports and holds a variety of fitness industry certifications. She is an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist and Mobility/WOD Movement and Mobility Specialist, holds an M.A. in Exercise Physiology from The University of Texas at Austin, and is certified in Spinning®, indoor rowing, and TRX®.
