Gym exercise: function vs capacity

In general, there are two schools of thought when it comes to training for sport in the gym. The first school sees a gym environment as a place to train capacities that a person may utilise in a sports-specific context. The second school of thought sees a gym environment as a place to mimic the movement patterns of their chosen sport in an attempt to be “representative” of their needs and/or be more “functional”.

For athletes feeling like they’ve stepped into a circus with their physio, it might be time for a change! 

Okay, I’m just going to come right out and say it, the primary goal of working out in a gym environment is to increase the capacity of the tissue to tolerate load or perform work. The gym environment is best used to increase capacities, and sport-specific tasks can utilise those capacities.

The most “functional” task a sports person can perform is – you guessed it – the sport itself!

Attempting to mimic sports-specific tasks in the weights room is not functional – there is very little carryover from a motor-learning perspective. The pattern of motor unit recruitment is very task-specific. The best way to improve your skill is by actually performing the skill! Again, the gym environment is most effectively utilised to enhance capacities, which can then be harnessed in the sporting arena. And the most “functional” exercise an athlete could do would be the sport itself. 

So, we’ve said gym training serves primarily to increase tissue capacity rather than improve skill. If an athlete’s muscles lack the capacity or strength to perform a given sport-specific task, then clearly they can’t perform the task! On the flip side, possessing the requisite tissue capacity but lacking the sporting skill will equally result in poor performance.

Consider the basic skill of jumping. There are many elderly people who cannot leave earth, no matter how hard they try to jump. This is not simply a skill or coordination issue. They lack the requisite tissue capacity to perform the task. Conversely, a young adult playing tennis for the first time may possess the requisite muscle capacity, but lacks the technical skill to competently play the sport.

A brief digression: Swiss ball use and abuse

Let’s think about exercises aimed at the abdominals. (I don’t use the word “core” exercises because I still have memories of my old professor saying to us, “repeat after me: you are not an apple!”). Many of these abdominal exercises have been adapted to accommodate the use of Swiss or exercise balls:

• Crunches / reverse crunches –> can be done on Swiss balls
• Abdominal bridge –> ball rollouts & walkouts etc.

Which is better: a stable or unstable base?

Despite the hype, there is no evidence that the trunk muscles of healthy people are better trained on Swiss balls than on stable bases of support. Swiss balls also tend to limit the degree of resistance that can be applied (eg. reverse crunch on a ball vs. a steep sloping bench, or plate twists with 20 kg on a bench vs. 5 kg on a ball etc.).

Goodness me.

Activation of limb muscles decreases when performed over unstable bases of support – these muscles receive a reduced stimulus in these circumstances. For example, DB chest pressing on an exercise ball will not optimally work the abdominals or the pectorals.

Now, exercise on an unstable base of support may involve greater activation of the transverse abdominals, however this doesn’t seem to matter at all!

• These muscles become active during almost all movements and will be effectively trained during any exercises performed in a standing position! And this is especially true when loads are supported on the shoulders or held over head.

Swiss ball can be used for variety but should not be seen as panaceas for all ills.

I’ve treated many who have been told their low back pain will be cured with an exercise program aimed at their “core”. This is simply not borne out of the evidence.

Okay, where were we…

Of yeah, function vs capacity. There’s nothing more “functional” about unstable bases of support – there is not improved transfer into sporting contexts.

More nonsense!

Why, then, do many physios and coaches blur these concepts? Some may lack awareness, while others might intentionally complicate matters to project an image of expertise, foster dependence, or line their pockets!

Are “functional” exercises entirely futile? Not necessarily. While performance may see improvements with “functional” exercises in the gym, optimal gains are unlikely. From this perspective, the most effective way to enhance skill is through skill practice itself, while muscle capacity is best improved through appropriate loading.

If you are attaching three or more cables to your body you’re definitely doing something wrong. 

Training to optimise a biomotor ability (strength, speed, etc.) can still be difficult. So, athletes may benefit from consulting with a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist to devise an individualised and periodised program tailored to their specific needs and goals.