Jil Hogan: Why functional fitness is more fun than a run

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This was published 9 years ago

Jil Hogan: Why functional fitness is more fun than a run

Functional Fitness, or Func Fitness, will leave you sore but that's because you're moving parts of your body you need to be moving regularly but probably don't.

By Jil Hogan

Func Fitness is all about getting your body moving the way it's designed to. Sitting at a computer all day is doing all sorts of bad things to our bodies, so functional fitness works to reverse it. While it's not crossfit – expect everything you would with crossfit. Training is in a big shed, with lots of equipment and WODs (workouts of the day). And burpees.

But it's training that well and truly works, if the shirtless guys in the class before me are anything to go by. If that eye candy's not motivation to get out of bed in the morning, I don't know what is.

Feel hardcore: Training starts with body-weight movements, including assisted pull-ups.

Feel hardcore: Training starts with body-weight movements, including assisted pull-ups.

Turning up can be daunting initially, but from the coaches to your fellow trainers, everyone is incredibly welcoming. And there's no judgment whatsoever about your level of fitness - at the end of the day, you're there and that's enough for them.

Training starts with a combination of body-weight movements, including assisted pull-ups. While I do have incredibly strong bands assisting me, being able to do real-life pull-ups leaves me feeling pretty hardcore.

Next up is some weightlifting practice, and groups are kept small so the coaches can help you out and make sure your form is spot on. The final part of the workout is the WOD. These change daily, but it's fair to say all of them will annihilate you. Our particular combination of burpees, thrusters and rowing left me wanting to collapse into a sweaty mess on the floor - but also addicted and excited to get back in there and do it all again as soon as humanly possible.

Funchas also expanded its training to include kickboxing, Olympic lifting, parkour, gymnastics, boot camp, strength training and nutrition training.

FACT FILE

What: Functional fitness training

Where: Func Fitness, Mitchell and Woden, funcfitness.com.au

Next day soreness factor: Depending on what sort of training you've done beforehand, you're going to be pretty sore. You'll use muscles you probably don't use day-to-day – but they're the muscles we should be using.

Get started: Beginners get a free introduction session that explains all the basics, plus a free week trial. If you mention this column, they'll give you a second week's trial for free.

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