Functional Strength Training in Austin: Stand Right Before You Add Load

Functional strength training builds strength that carries over to the four things the body does: standing, walking, running and throwing. Kinetic Blueprint is a Functional Patterns movement and biomechanics training studio in Old West Austin. We check how you stand and move before we add load, train that base, and re-measure it, so the strength you build shows up outside the gym too.

Adding weight to a misaligned base just loads the misalignment. That's what a stall often looks like from the inside: the numbers stop going up, something starts to ache, and more effort doesn't fix it.

What is functional strength training?

Functional Patterns defines functional training as training that optimizes four functions: standing, walking, running and throwing. Functional strength training is strength built for those four things.

That's the difference from strength that only lives on one lift. A bigger squat is a fine goal. If the way you stand, walk and run doesn't change with it, the strength stays in the squat rack. We want the strength to show up when you sprint, carry, climb and play.

What we look for

Before we add load, we look at the base it goes on:

• how you stand, front and side, and where the weight sits over the feet,
• whether one side of the body does more of the work,
• how the trunk holds position when you move,
• and what your body is made of: lean mass, fat mass and how they change.

That last one matters for anyone chasing strength. An InBody scan shows lean mass and fat mass, so we can see whether the training is building what you want it to build.

How we measure it

We run one method: Measure, Map, Move.

1. Measure. Posture analysis, front and side, and an InBody scan.
2. Map. We connect how you stand and move to where your strength stalls or starts to ache.
3. Move. We train the base, then load it, and re-measure both how you stand and what you're made of.

For the longer argument, read our piece on why Functional Patterns differs from traditional training.

Who this is for

Lifters, CrossFit and HYROX athletes, and anyone doing strength and conditioning in Austin who has stopped getting stronger, or who gets stronger and then gets hurt. People who want the strength they build to carry into the rest of their life.

Frequently asked questions

What is functional strength training? Functional Patterns defines functional training as training that optimizes four functions: standing, walking, running and throwing. Functional strength training builds strength that carries over to those four things, instead of strength that only shows up on one machine or one lift.

Is this the same as CrossFit or HYROX? No. CrossFit and HYROX are sports and training styles. We train the body you bring to them: how you stand and move under load. You can keep your CrossFit or HYROX training and add ours underneath it.

Do I have to stop lifting? No. We check how you stand and move before we add load, and we train that base. Heavy lifting stays on the table. It just goes on a base that holds.

Where are you located? 507 Pressler Street, Suite 100, Austin TX 78703, in Old West Austin. You can reach us at (512) 215-8106.

See every sport we train on our performance page.