I have made a lot of mistakes in my training career. It would be a big fat lie to say that all of my movement programs and workouts have been without flaw.I think the people who have the ability to evaluate their own actions (both successes and losses) and turn them into new learning opportunities, are the ones who eventually become great experts in their fields.
I hope to develop this quality in myself.
I have learned a lot through my own experiences with functional training and it's effects on my clients and myself. Step by step I feel like I understand more about it.
"FUNCTIONAL OVERTRAINING"
Every once in a while I hear a comment that functional training leads to overtraining easier than other types of training.
It would be pretty simple to just ignore these comments and move forward...
However, what if it was true? What if functional training will cause you to overtrain faster than for example... traditional training methods?
Before anything else, here are a few definitions of overtraining:
1. Overtraining, also described as chronic fatigue, burnout and staleness has been defined as an imbalance between training/competition, versus recovery. Alternatively stated, it is too much training or competition combined with tool little time for regeneration. (Overtraining - Proposition for a debate. Angela Peterson.)
2. Budgett (1998) defines the overtraining syndrome as a condition of fatigue and underperformance, often associated with frequent infections and depression that occurs following hard training and competition. The symptoms do not resolve despite two weeks of adequate rest, and there is no other identifiable medical cause. (Budgett R (1998)
Fatigue and underperformance in athletes: the overtraining syndrome. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 32:107-10.)
As you notice, the definitions of overtraining reveal the severity of the state and in most cases, the overtraining is confused with overreaching, that is a milder form of overtraining. Nevertheless, the performance is impaired due to these states.
The experts have concluded that overtraining or overreaching is often a result of frequent high-intensity training with not enough recovery in between.
SO, does functional training cause overtraining easier than other types of training?
"Functional training" typically involves compound, total body movements and often in a form of a circuit.
Everyone knows that a functional training circuit can combine the effects of resistance-, movement- and cardiovascular training.
I think the big benefit of a functional training circuit is the combination of different modalities, “more bang for your buck”-effect, but at the same time I believe that the same effect is also the biggest RISK in functional circuit training, if not harnessed properly.
What if combining cardiovascular and resistance training requires a compound recovery time as well? If you train both modalities at once, should you then also rest for the both of them before doing the next workout?
Functional training, especially in a circuit format, causes a moderate-to-high heart rate response and a metabolic effect that involves a hormonal response and elevated post-exercise oxygen consumption. These factors can lead to overtraining if not properly progressed and followed with recovery and regeneration.
This is a weekly training regimen, that I have used lately as a system in order to gain long-term success and to avoid overtraining:
DAY 1: Functional Circuit – Metabolic /high-to-moderate heart rate/ Total Body
DAY 2: Traditional Strength moves/ 2 min recovery between sets
DAY 3: Functional Movement Training/ 2-3 min recovery between sets
DAY 4: Regenerative Day/ Preferred 2+ hour hike, bike ride etc./Fun
I believe that functional training methods are still looking for their places in the overall regimen for training athletes. Without a plan even a good idea is unable to produce results. If training leads into decrease in performance, it becomes dysfunctional.
I think monitoring the heart rate and learning more about the need for recovery is crucial in order to reap all the potential benefits of functional training.
I certainly have made a mistake of looking at Functional Training only as a type of training "style" and not as an approach and mindset or a strategy, if you will. Anything can be functional in its proper place and nothing is functional if it is misplaced.
Challenging stuff for me…a lot to learn!
Tommi
PS: Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming.
