Advances in Functional Training

Advances in Functional Training
Michael Boyle
Santa Cruz, California
On Target Publications, 2010
315 pages

Authored by one of North America's pioneers of strength and conditioning, Advances in Functional Training is a book written primarily for coaches, trainers, and athletes. With an obvious emphasis on function, one would be hard pressed to withhold this text from the rehabilitation professional as well, since many of the concepts discussed look at applied movement as it pertains to sport.

Advances in Functional Training is divided into eleven sections:
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1. Advances in Functional Training (the introduction)
2. Mobility and Flexibility
3. Injuries
4. The Core
5. The Hips
6. Cardiovascular Training
7. Developing Athleticism
8. Equipment Choices
9. Exercise Choices The Basics and Single-Leg Training
10. Program Design
11. Sample Progressions

While many of the above chapters pertain specifically to strength training and athletic development, there is certainly no shortage of crossover to the field of sport medicine. Touching on specific topics such as core stability and sports hernias, among others, Boyle provides the reader with sound strategies for training around injuries. In fact, his "sports hernia" section really opened my eyes to effective rehabilitation and I've been treating hockey players for quite some time. Regardless, many of the training principles incorporated in this text can easily be applied in the rehab setting, even those principles surrounding periodization.

Now many of you in the field of sport medicine may be quick to ignore this text simply because of its title, but I can assure you that many of its concepts are relevant to your everyday practice.  For those of you unaware, prior to full time strength training, Boyle previously worked an athletic trainer so he certainly understands the nature of injuries sustained in sport. Now I, myself, am a big believer of training heavy in rehabilitation but for those of you comfortable with yellow resistance bands and heat packs, you're more than welcome to forego this text. And for those of you interested in taking your rehabilitation skills to the next level, I highly suggest you get your hands on a copy. Think about it, how fun would it be to differentiate yourselves with the next clinic by using kettlebells, the TRX and valslides/slideboards in your practice? You really don't need much to rehab your patients effectively and efficiently and you certainly do not need a large budget for useless exercise machines that take up enormous amounts of space. If you are doubtful, just ask my interns.

But you do have a great opportunity to change the way your current rehabilitation programs are being implemented and Advances in Functional Training is but one important resource to help you do so.  Better yet, get yourself a membership to strengthcoach.com

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