Functional Range Conditioning - The Missing Link In Your Training

In many fitness communities, there’s an unspoken belief that flexibility and strength are mutually exclusive fitness goals. “Sure,” many strength-focused athletes agree, “stretching before a workout can reduce the chance of injury, but significant strength gains are often made at the expense of flexibility.” The same is true for those who focus primarily on increasing flexibility - their goal may be to touch their toes or do the splits, but they don’t care so much if they can stabilize and engage in those positions. The truth is strength and flexibility are two sides of the same coin, and one without the other can lead to serious injury. That’s where Functional Range Conditioning comes in.

Functional Range Conditioning, or FRC, is a system used to create functional range of motion, or mobility. While most programs designed to increase flexibility do so without increasing strength and control throughout the range of motion, FRC uses tension and isometric strength-building to decrease risk of injury. FRC is designed to slowly release the protective stronghold the mind has on the tissues of the body. According to a study published in “Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise” in 2004, stretching before a workout is not associated with fewer injuries. Furthermore, increases in range of motion are mostly the result of changes in the central nervous system, not the actual structure of the muscle tissue. FRC systematically combats these blockages of the central nervous system that prevent our muscles of releasing tension.

“Increases in range of motion are mostly the result of changes in the central nervous system, not the actual structure of the muscle tissue.”

In addition to reducing muscle tightness, FRC can increase range of motion, joint health and safety, and overall athletic performance. The FRC system is relatively young, but is quickly gaining popularity in the fitness community, being employed by personal trainers, rehabilitation specialists, and manual therapists alike. 

Evolve Fitness Chicago trainer Sam Hagen is a certified FRC® Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist, and his clients rave about their work with him. Sam’s, “…greatest satisfaction is seeing someone reach outside their comfort zone and really go for it!” His goal is to, “…inspire, educate, and challenge you every single day.” To book your Functional Range Conditioning session, contact us here today.