Functional Bodybuilding: What is it & How to incorporate it
Introduction
So you want to look great with your kit off AND do whatever life throws at you physically? Well Functional Bodybuilding is for you! This article will explain what functional bodybuilding is, as well as its benefits. It will discuss how to structure your functional bodybuilding sessions, as well as the best ways to select exercises for your programme. It will present the key components, provide a sample workout, and discuss the best methods for injury prevention.
What is Functional Bodybuilding?
Functional bodybuilding is a style of training incorporating functional movement patterns, energy system development (cardio) and bodybuilding all together within one training program.
Firstly, anything can be functional depending on who or what it is for but when we say “Functional training” we are talking about movement patterns that mimic everyday life such as pulls, carries, squats etc. So, if we combine a functional training style to build muscle whilst also developing cardiovascular fitness, we get functional bodybuilding.
The goal of bodybuilding is to build as much muscle as possible but as a result, this can lead to poor range of motion and limited cardiovascular fitness (minus 30 minutes on the stair master), because more time and resources are put into building muscle. If you only care about being as muscular as possible, then 100% bodybuilding is for you. But, if you are willing to sacrifice some of the size for more physical function and fitness then keep reading.
The Benefits of Combining Strength Training and Functional Movements
Having muscle is functional, being strong is functional, having cardiovascular fitness is functional and being flexible and mobile is functional. But, it’s hard to combine all of them. That is the goal of Functional Bodybuilding.
If we combine all of these elements, not only will we be strong, fit and healthy, but we will look amazing at the same time. It’s cool to look strong and fit but it’s even cooler to be as strong and fit as you look.
Functional Bodybuilding Breakdown
Functional training has been around for a while now. CrosFit was the first style of training that moved away from your typical bodybuilding splits and looked to combine elements of strength, muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness all together at once. But, as Crossfit as a sport has developed, its application to the general population in my opinion has moved further away.
This is where functional training comes in. Taking out some of the more complex elements of CrossFit such as Olympic Weightlifting and high-skill gymnastics makes it more applicable to the general population and reduces the risk of injury, increasing the likelihood of long-term consistent training. But what if your goal is to be functional for everyday life AND look unreal at the beach? This is where bodybuilding comes in.
There are a few methods we can use to incorporate more bodybuilding-style training into a functional program.
Method 1 - Session Structure
The first is by manipulating the structure within a session. How I like to program this is by doing heavy compound strength work at the start (squat, bench, deadlift etc.) before isolating muscle groups to create as much of a muscle-building response as possible. This might look like the following:
Where some bodybuilders might opt for a Hack Squat or Leg Press, we might opt for a Back Squat or a Zercher Squat. There are greater demands for stability using the latter two movements which is why we might deem them more functional than a Hack Squat or Leg Press.
That doesn’t mean a Hack Squat isn’t functional but I would argue a Back Squat has more carry-over to everyday life.
We know that to maximise muscle growth, we want a stable environment. This allows more force production leading to a greater muscle-building response so something like a Hack Squat is perfect because the movement is fixed in one path and these machines in bodybuilding gyms have been carefully engineered to create the best possible response for something trying to build muscle.
But, in our day-to-day life, we would rarely move in a completely fixed or stable environment which is why performing a barbell, DB or KB squat variation has more of a functional carryover because we have to create our stability using our core to stop ourselves from crumbling into nothing.
So in terms of gym decisions for a functional bodybuilding program, we want to use free-weight variations of compound lifts like squats, presses and pulls to get strong rather than choosing fixed machines for our main strength work.
Once we have performed some of these more functional strength movements at the start of the session, we can target specific muscle groups or areas of the body we want to create a muscle-building response and to the point I just made above, we want a stable environment to get the most out of that exercise.
Using the example session above with this single arm Lat Pull Down, we are creating as much stability as possible, creating a fixed path for the load to move which will allow for the Lat to take all of that load and therefore cause the biggest muscle building response. We might also use straps here to take the grip out of the equation to maximise the work the Lat is doing.
Method 2 - Exercise Selection
The second is by taking exercises and making them more “functional” through their execution. An example of this might be a Standing Military Press. Much the same as the Hack Squat vs Back Squat example, we might take a movement like a Seated High Incline Smith Machine Press and swap it out for a Standing Military Press.
A Seated High Incline Smith Machine Press is an excellent exercise to build the Delts, Upper Chest and Triceps due to the fixed nature of the bar and the ability to go very close to failure safely. But, how likely is it for us to be pressing something over our head sitting down on a bench with a perfectly fixed path of motion…..unlikely if you ask me?
Whereas a Standing Barbell Press requires more stability demands and recreates positions we might experience in everyday life.
So for some of our accessory movements, we might opt for some of these more “functional” movement variations as they still allow us to build strength and muscle whilst also miming everyday positions.
Getting Started with Functional Bodybuilding
So you want to get stuck into a Functional Bodybuilding Programme but don’t know where to start?
Following a well-structured program is the key to bringing all the elements of Functional Bodybuilding together. Alongside this, you need to make sure your execution of that programme in terms of movement quality, form and technique are to a high standard.
This is where the Marchon Gain Programme can help you. We take the guesswork out of your training to get you the best results possible in the shortest amount of time. Not only that but you have access to coaches and the community to help guide you every step of the way.
Components of Functional Bodybuilding
- Strength Training: Prioritising compound exercises, particularly at the start of the session means we get the greatest response from them. This might include things like squats, deadlifts and pressing exercises. These movement patterns are also very functional as they require multiple joints, muscle groups and a high level of coordination
- Bodybuilding Accessories: Alongside large compound lifts, a functional bodybuilding program will include a lot of single-joint exercises where the goal is to isolate just a few muscle groups at a time. Things like bicep curls are a great example of this where just the elbow joint is moving in the movement.
- Functional Movements: Incorporating functional movement patterns we use in everyday life is another essential part of Functional Bodybuilding. This might include things like odd object training and variations of typical strength movement patterns like sandbags, carries, kettlebells etc. We can train strength through a variety of positions and planes of movement to get strong and enduring in all areas of our body.
- Aerobic Capacity: Unlike typical bodybuilding programs that incorporate cardio purely for calorie burning, we incorporate conditioning (aerobic capacity training) to ensure your cardiorespiratory system is also strong. Being fit is important from a health perspective but it also allows us to recover faster from our strength work and can also increase our strength as well. Doing a set of 10 reps for example on a back squat will use a lot of your aerobic system and if that’s the limiting factor, you’re leaving kilos on the table
Sample Functional Bodybuilding Workout:
Here is a sample Functional Bodybuilding workout taken from the Marchon Gain programme.
- 5,3,1 Back Squats (Increasing weight with each set
- 3x8 45-degree Back Extensions
- 3x8/8 Front Heel Elevated DB Split Squats
D1. 3x15 Standing Calf Raises
D2. 3x15 Roller Hamstring Curls
E. Conditioning:
4x500m Row 1min rest between intervals
2min rest
Repeat
Recovery and Injury Prevention
Training multiple areas of fitness all at once is challenging and requires a lot of effort both inside and outside the gym to get results, therefore recovery is key! It is tough for your body to adapt to strength work, hypertrophy (muscle building) and conditioning all at once but it is possible if you get these steps right.
Nutrition
Firstly, eating enough calories to support your training is essential if you want to see results, particularly in your strength. Regardless of the quality of your nutrition, if you aren’t eating enough to support your training, you won’t see the results you want. Once you are eating adequate calories to support your goal you can focus on your Macronutrients (Protein, Carbs and Fats) but we can save all of that for another blog.
Sleep
Are you getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night? If the answer is no then tick that box. Sleep is essential to optimise recovery both in terms of length and quality.
Stress Management
If you are highly stressed physically, mentally or emotionally it’s going to be very hard for your body to adapt to the training you are giving it. Find out where the stressors are in your life and look to make changes to either accept, avoid or change those stressors.
Autoregulation
This means listening to your body when you are feeling good vs when you’re feeling rubbish. Don’t try to push through a heavy deadlift session when your back is in pieces from what you did in the last session. Accepting where you are at on that day and making adjustments in intensity or session details will pay dividends massively in the long run.
Warm-Ups
Effective warm-ups will not only reduce the risk of injury but also improve your performance so ensure to include warm-ups into your routine if your programme includes them. Fortunately for you, the Gain programme has warm-ups for every workout so you can take the guesswork out of your training.
Conclusion
To summarise, Functional Bodybuilding is a new and exciting way to build strength, size and fitness all at the same time in a fun and novel way. Gone are the days of Push, Pull, Legs rest and repeat. Get strong, fit and jacked all at the same time.
If you’re thinking about where you can find a Functional Bodybuilding programme that ticks all of these boxes as well as becoming part of an amazing community with an easy-to-use app to log and track everything, read coaches’ notes and view exercises within the exercise library then look no further than the Gain programme.
The Gain programme includes 3 Strength and Bodybuilding days (1 Lower, 1 Upper, and 1 Full Body) and 2 Conditioning days (1 Slow conditioning session and 1 faster interval-based session). This structure allows our athletes to get an optimal balance of strength, bodybuilding and conditioning over the week without having to do any double training days or unnecessarily high-volume sessions whilst still getting results.
If you would like to try the Gain programme for yourself we have a 7-day free trial. Be sure to also check out our functional training programme, Train.
