Advances in Functional Training

In the seven years since the publication of his first book, Functional Training for Sports, new understanding of functional anatomy created a shift in strength coaching. With this new material, Coach Boyle presents the continued evolution of functional training as seen by a leader in the strength and conditioning field.

"We would be hard-pressed to find someone who has contributed more to the science and practice of keeping athletes healthy and performing at high levels than Michael Boyle. In this new book, he'll make you question what you've done in the past, re-evaluate what you're doing now, and motivate you to think for yourself in the future." --Eric Cressey, Cressey Performance

"Mike Boyle is the Godfather of performance training, and he's influenced countless others to become efficient and effective strength and conditioning coaches over the decades. He's a real-life practitioner, one with the experience of literally thousands of clients over the years." --Robert dos Remedios, CSCS, SCCC, 2006 NSCA Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Professional of the Year

"Mike Boyle is a pioneer in the strength and conditioning field. While he's been at it over 25 years, he's never afraid to consider new ideas or to change his thought process in regard to training. Quite simply, Advances in Functional Training should be a staple in every coach and trainer's library." --Mike Robertson, Robertson Training Systems

Coaches and athletes are always looking for training programmes that not only improve performance, but also reduce the incidence of injury. Many exercises that are done, however, have little relevance in making the highlighted body area either stronger or more efficient, writes David Lowes. Advances in Functional Training by US writer and coach Michael Boyle illustrates which exercises are least and most functional with the categories broken down into specific body parts. Exercises are separated into lower-body, upper-body and torso or core strength exercises. These are then broken down further into knee-dominant, hip-dominant, upper-body pushing and upper-body pulling. The exercises progress on the continuum from machine-based exercises to those done primarily in the standing position and from a stable system that does not stress stabilisers or neutralisers to exercises designed specifically to do so. Many coaches use ground-based exercises, but fail to think a step or two ahead. A natural progression should be to work on one leg for example, and the book emphasises that from a functional anatomical standpoint athletes only run on one leg at a time. The muscles that support the lower leg in a single-stance are not nearly as active in double-leg exercises. Every chapter in this 300-page book covers everthing in great detail: Mobility and Flexibility, Injuries, Core, Hips, Cardiovascular Training, Developing Athleticism, Equipment Choices, Exercise Choices, Programme Design and Sample Workouts. These are described and illustrated in an easy-to-understand format that will help the coach and athlete gain an insight into what will be of benefit and what will not and ultimately allow them to develop fully. --Athletics Weekly

This text combines theory and practical exercises to give readers an understanding of the physiology and programming of strength and conditioning sessions. Clear and concise photographs throughout aid understanding of how to undertake the specific functional training exercises. In Mike Boyle's update of his seminal book, he explains the concepts that have evolved since the first publication and how he currently trains elite athletes and PT clients alike. This book is really about improving athleticism and real world strength. Boyle deals thoroughly with selection and coaching of the major lifts, providing awesome insight into training for strength, speed, conditioning, injury prevention and running, with a library of quality programmes. The straight talking style cuts through the window dressing to address the most effective strategies to improve clients' results. It's a big book, bursting with information, but there's hardly a word wasted. Our field is constantly evolving - every year new research challenges and refines the concepts we base our training on - and you could certainly do a lot worse than follow Boyle's lead. --FitPro magazine