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What Is Functional Bodybuilding and Its Benefits for You?

Published 03/15/2024, 8:05 AM EDT

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Functional bodybuilding is a new-generation fitness routine buzzing over the internet. It is a trend started by the internet sensation Marcus Filly. Functional bodybuilding is a concept that includes merging a fitness training approach with a bodybuilding and strength training approach. 

This technique promotes longevity and enhances health benefits while supporting athletes throughout the injury and recovery phases. Functional bodybuilding’s sole focus is aesthetics. Therefore, it helps in building muscles with a purpose. The discovery of functional bodybuilding is a story in and of itself!

Discovery of Functional Bodybuilding

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The former CrossFit athlete Marcus Filly, who has over 942k followers on Instagram, discovered functional bodybuilding. His journey to the discovery of functional bodybuilding is unique. According to Filly, he began his spiritual awakening at the age of 21. Filly used to be a soccer athlete in his college days, and after completing his college education, he wanted to follow an alternative path and see life through a new lens. Later in life, he enrolled in medical school, which turned out to be rewarding.

The genuine struggle was to train like an athlete and be informed like other students. He dropped out of medical school and followed his passion.

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The discovery of functional training took eight years. Filly started as a coach and then opened a cross-fit gym, where he shared his creative training methods. Filly became an athlete in the sport himself. He scored significantly high marks in the sport. The coach pushed his limits, and at one point in the sport, he realized he could not continue this sport forever. He didn’t want to be like one athlete who retired and got out of shape. In fact, that is the point where the idea of functional bodybuilding arose. 

He used to share his transformation journey on his social media account, and due to this, he grabbed attention and carved out a cult. He evolved the old training methods and increased the longevity of those workouts. Filly created a hybrid version of all the methods from his past decade as a cross-fit athlete with bodybuilding strength training. He suggests some rules to follow for functional bodybuilding. 

Rules for functional bodybuilding 

Firstly, focus on technique over tons of reps. The rushed and push reps can increase the chances of injuries in shaky form. Following Filly’s advice, you need to hold for three seconds in the lowering part of any exercise and pause for one second at the bottom of the exercise. Then lift quickly, as it keeps each exercise focused on the muscle you are drilling. 

The second rule of Filly emphasizes balance and wanting to challenge all the muscles in your body through your workout. His method focuses on lifting weights with one hand or a leg at a time. His primary focus is to challenge the offset-loading muscles. The coach developed a new exercise called “Filly Press” using one dumbbell for shoulder presses and one kettlebell at your shoulder with your other arm. 

He wants everyone to follow cardio and advice to take small intervals weekly thrice. He explained the three-day workout. Spend 10 minutes stretching, 10 minutes building your strength with dumbbell rows, 10 minutes of filly press, and then hit your cardio. The cardio shouldn’t be mindless. Instead, he recommends running for 500 meters and resting for 45 seconds, then running for 350 meters and resting for 45 seconds. Repeat this for three sets for the best results! Even scientific research has showcased the benefits of functional bodybuilding.

Benefits of functional training

Studies have showcased that the idea of functional bodybuilding significantly contributes to an individual’s health and longevity. Published research in the American Journal of Medicine found that resistance training, a core component of functional bodybuilding, decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death. There is much more to the benefits of functional bodybuilding than this.

This idea improves the overall functioning of your body by building muscle strength and endurance. It enables you to perform day-to-day activities with ease while also increasing muscle stability.

Functional bodybuilding is ideal for any fitness enthusiast, regardless of age, because of its scalability factor. By focusing on your movements, you can enhance your physical abilities with minimal stress on your joints and body. This low impact makes this training ideal for older adults, helping them to maintain good health.

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This training stresses a wide range of motion and increases your flexibility. Resistance and flexibility produce mobility as you train and boost your functional strength and coordination. The movements of functional bodybuilding help decrease the risk of having chronic pain in your joints. 

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Making your body cope with physical stress much better than before through functional training reduces the risk of injuries. Since this approach is only based on your daily life movements, This approach focuses on the fact that each muscle group offers significant growth. Functional bodybuilding offers a better understanding of your body. Allowing you to tune your body as you need but in a more responsive manner. Functional training makes your movements more comfortable and encourages you to stay active while improving your metabolism.

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Functional bodybuilding is designed for your daily life to improve your longevity. It is a revolutionary approach by Marcus Filly. This approach has many significant scientific benefits and provides better growth than the traditional gym approach. What are your views on functional bodybuilding? Will you follow this approach or stick to the old-school gym technique? Let us know in the comments. 

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Written by:

Karan Yadav

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Karan Yadav is a Bodybuilding writer at Essentially Sports. His journey to the bodybuilding realm started during the lockdown, where he found inspiration and dedication from those engaged in the sport. A stickler for fitness tips, Karan keenly follows his idols Chris Bumstead and Mike O’Hearn for covering the information they give out through their social media.
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Edited by:

Jacob Gijy