Functional training: what it is, what a session looks like and who it is for.

• It trains movement patterns (squat, hinge, push, pull, carry, locomotion), not isolated muscles.
• It differs from bodybuilding by muscle group and from steady cardio in what is trained and how it is measured.
• A typical session has a warm-up, a technique or strength block, the WOD and a cool-down.
• The WOD is the part against the clock; functional training is the whole approach.
• It scales to any level: change the load, the movement or the volume, not the idea.

It is an approach that organises training around movement patterns: squatting down and standing up, hinging at the hips to pick something off the floor, pushing, pulling, carrying a weight and moving. Each exercise involves several joints and a lot of muscle at once, which is why it is called "functional": it resembles what the body does outside the gym.

The equipment is varied and secondary: bodyweight, barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, rings, jump rope, rower or bike. What defines the session is not the tool but the pattern being worked and the intensity, which is almost always measured with a clock or a number of rounds.

Bodybuilding by muscle group

Isolates a muscle or group (chest, biceps, quads) in sets and rests you decide. In functional training the exercise is global and the format sets the pace.

Steady cardio

A single cyclic movement (running, cycling, rowing) at a steady pace. In functional training endurance is built by mixing movements and loads, with changes of intensity.

Choreographed classes

Movement follows the music or a fixed sequence. In functional training the pattern comes before the rhythm and the score is logged.

Hybrid training

Combines strength and endurance in the same weekly plan. Functional training is often one of its pieces, not the same thing; it is explained in the hybrid training guide.

None is better in the abstract: they are different tools. What sets functional training apart is the combination of whole-body movements, measured intensity and a comparable score.

Warm-up

Mobility and the day's patterns at an easy pace, so you reach the main block with joints and technique ready.

Technique or strength

A block focused on one movement (for example the squat or the deadlift), with set rests, where you learn or load.

WOD

The part against the clock: AMRAP, EMOM, For Time or Tabata, with few movements and a score that gets logged.

Cool-down

Bring the heart rate down, stretch what was loaded and note the score and how it felt.

How long each block lasts is set by whoever programmes the session; this guide does not prescribe it. What matters is the order: technique before fatigue, and the clock at the end.

The WOD ("workout of the day") is the final block of the session, the one done against the clock or for rounds that gives a score. It is the most visible part of functional training, but not all of it: the warm-up and the technique block are what let you do it with good execution.

How to read a WOD, what Rx and scaled mean and the AMRAP, EMOM, For Time and Tabata formats are in what is a WOD and in the formats glossary. The named WODs repeated to measure progress, such as Fran or Cindy, are in the benchmarks guide.

For anyone who can scale the movements to their level: the pattern is the same, the load, the variation and the volume change. A beginner does air squats and knee push-ups; someone with years of training does the same with a barbell and at a faster pace. How to adapt it is in the guide to scaling a WOD.

It suits people who train in a gym and want short sessions with a score, people preparing for fitness racing and people who combine strength and running. If you have an injury or a medical condition, check with a professional first: this guide does not replace that advice.

1. Learn the basic patterns without load first: squat, hip hinge, push-up and row.
2. Add a technique block with a single movement per session and a load that lets you do it cleanly.
3. Finish with a short, scaled WOD using movements you have mastered, and log the score and the version.
4. Repeat the same WOD from time to time to see whether the score changes, instead of changing everything every day.
5. If you are unsure about technique, ask a coach to watch you move before adding load.

If you have no gym, bodyweight movements are enough to start: there are seven examples in no-equipment WOD.

Zoku Athletics is built for people who train in a gym, do functional training, fitness racing, natural-movement training or running: a multimodal timer (For Time, AMRAP, EMOM, Tabata and mixed), benchmarks to repeat and compare, and Rival Live to compete with athletes in your category. The app is in closed testing on Android; the online WOD timer on this website works without it.

The app is not public on the stores yet. It is in testing and there is no launch date.

The Free plan is free, with no card and no expiry. Pro and Elite are paid; what each includes is shown in the plans section of the home page.

Who is behind the website and the app: About Zoku Athletics.

• What is a WOD? Formats and meaning: What a WOD is and how to read one: AMRAP, EMOM, For Time and Tabata, what Rx and scaled mean and how to log the result to compare it.
• WOD formats glossary: RFT, chipper, AFAP: Glossary of WOD formats: For Time, RFT, chipper, AFAP, AMRAP, EMOM and Tabata. What each one means, how they differ and which guide to read next.
• How to scale a WOD: Rx vs scaled: What Rx and scaled mean, when to scale a WOD and how to adjust load, movements and volume without losing the stimulus or your technique.