Traditional weight-lifting depends on muscle-specific program-design with the goal of muscle-specific hypertrophy. For example, a concentration biceps curl attempts to isolate the biceps. Although by gripping the weight one also engages the core muscles. These exercises tend to be the most far-removed from functional movement, due to their attempt to micromanage the variables acting on the individual muscles.

Functional exercises, on the other hand, attempt to incorporate as many variables as possible (balance, multiple joints, multiple planes of movement), thus decreasing the load on the muscle but increasing the complexity of motor coordination and flexibility.

Fred Samorodin, Physical Therapist & Wellness Consultant

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