A Beginner’s Guide to Functional Trainer

Functional training targets the way your body moves by making everyday actions, sports and recreational activities easier and more natural. It’s all about putting together movement patterns to create overall fitness that translates to daily life.

Ready to give functional training a try? A functional trainer is a great place to start!

What is a Functional Trainer?

A functional trainer is a versatile exercise machine that provides a wide variety of exercises. Unlike isolation machines at the gym that have you perform the same motion over and over, functional trainers offer dynamic workouts that keep you moving.

Functional trainers typically feature weight stacks like traditional strength training machines, but they also have a cable or pulley system, usually with handles attached. Many models come with a variety of pulley bars (thin, regular and thick), wrist or ankle cuffs and other attachments to mix up your routine.

Because of the cable system, you can manipulate your range of motion to target specific areas of your body. Instead of swinging a golf club, you can mimic the motion on a functional trainer. Instead of throwing a baseball, you can work on your pitching motion. Functional trainers are perfect for sports-specific training.

Functional trainers can also mimic free weight movements, which is helpful for rehab patients who need to target specific muscles without putting excessive strain on joints.

Functional Trainer vs. Home Gym: What’s the Difference?

Functional trainers and home gyms are not the same thing, but they’re related! When you’re setting up a home gym, you might automatically think of kettlebells, barbells or resistance bands. But a functional trainer can handle many of those exercises and more at a fraction of the cost of buying each piece of equipment separately.

If you’re set on isolating specific muscles, traditional equipment like free weights or machines might be a better fit. Functional trainers are designed to work multiple joints and muscles at once with compound exercises.

While functional trainers are great for strength training, they usually don’t offer cardio options like a treadmill or exercise bike. If you need to burn calories and improve cardiovascular health, you’ll want to add a cardio machine to your home gym.

Level Up Your Fitness

Looking to level up your workout? A functional trainer is a great choice because it allows you to create a progressive strength training routine. With hundreds of exercises to try, it’s a great anchor piece for your home gym.

At Fitness Town, we offer functional trainers tailored for home workouts. Explore our selection to find the perfect fit for your strength training needs!