Body By Design, Inc. (2025)

19/12/2025

Functional Strength: Complex Made Simple – Part 4/5
A Practical, Functional Definition of Strength Training

“Strength training” is often equated with simply increasing maximal force output. In practice, that definition is too narrow to guide functional or sport-specific programming.

A more useful, context-aware definition is:

Strength training is coordination training with the right amount of resistance—
so you can:
• Control your own body mass in all three planes
• Move or resist another person’s mass
• Project or decelerate an implement (ball, bat, kettlebell, sandbag, etc.)
• Work effectively against gravity
• Optimize the use of ground reaction forces

“Right amount of resistance” is task dependent:
• Handle bodyweight – prioritize relative strength and control at various percentages of body mass (e.g., single-leg patterns, hops, landings).
• Project an implement – match resistance to the required speed, trajectory, and pattern (e.g., medicine ball throws, kettlebell swings/snatches).
• Move or resist another body – consider direction, duration, and type of contact (grappling, boxing, basketball, soccer).
• Resist gravity – emphasize eccentric and isometric qualities for controlled lowering, landing, and posture.
• Optimize ground reaction forces – train reactive strength and rapid transitions through the load–transform–explode sequence.

This definition automatically pushes programming toward:
• Task specificity (what does your sport or life actually demand?)
• Movement quality (how well do you organize force, not just how much?)
• Contextual overload (challenging the system in ways that mirror real function)

In Part 5, we’ll consolidate this into 10 guiding principles for functional athletic development that you can use as a practical checklist.

18/12/2025

Warming Up the Foot and Ankle

The foot is a dominant component of functional activity. Yet conventional warm-up protocols fail to address the tri-planar motion demands required for optimal performance.

Applied Functional Science demands understanding Chain Reaction biomechanics—how proximal body drivers create integrated distal foot motion across all three planes.

ANATOMICAL & BIOMECHANICAL FOUNDATION:

• Twelve multi-joint muscles of the lower leg send tendons across ankle and subtalar joints, creating integrated motion patterns
• The foot and body function as a continuous feed-forward and feed-back system
• Body drivers cause tri-planar foot motion; gravity and ground reaction forces (not muscle action alone) create subtalar eversion
• The ankle functions primarily in sagittal plane with frontal and transverse plane components
• Plantar flexion and dorsiflexion are driven by gravitational and ground reaction forces
• Transverse plane motion occurs within and above the foot, driven by gravitational forces

THE CRITICAL ASSESSMENT:

Do you possess true tri-axial motion in your foot and ankle?

Without tri-planar foot and ankle mobility, proximal kinetic chain function is compromised. The knee, hip, and entire kinetic chain cannot achieve optimal functional efficiency.

OUR APPROACH:

We leverage gravitational and ground reaction forces to activate the foot's functional capabilities, establishing the Chain Reaction biomechanics necessary for integrated body function. Through 3DMAPS assessment, we identify restrictions in tri-planar motion and create individualized programming to restore optimal foot and ankle function.

Result: Enhanced kinetic chain efficiency and improved movement quality.

Schedule your 90-minute Biomechanical Evaluation.
📞 914-260-8216 | 📧 bbd@bbdinfo.com | 🌐 www.bbdinfo.com

17/12/2025

Functional Strength: Complex Made Simple – Part 3/5
The Time & Speed Problem in Traditional Strength Training

A major limitation of conventional strength training is the mismatch between the time course of force development in the weight room and the time constraints of real-life and sport actions.

Research and practical observation show:
• Maximal voluntary strength in traditional lifts often requires ≈0.8 seconds to fully express.
• Most athletic and functional tasks—cuts, landings, changes of direction, reactive reaches—occur within ≈0.2–0.5 seconds.

If the neuromuscular system is primarily trained to generate force slowly, under highly controlled, single-plane conditions, we should not be surprised when that strength only partially transfers to:
• High-velocity deceleration and re-acceleration
• Multi-directional footwork
• Unpredictable perturbations (uneven surfaces, contact, awkward loads)

Barbells and fixed-path machines are valuable tools for developing general force capacity, but they:
• Constrain movement options to narrow, often sagittal-plane patterns
• Under-challenge tri-planar control and reactive stabilization
• Rarely replicate the temporal demands of competitive or real-world tasks

Functional strength requires a broader "movement vocabulary":
• Multi-directional loading and unloading
• Variable speeds, including submaximal but rapid force application
• Integration of acceleration, deceleration, and stabilization within realistic time windows

In Part 4, we'll use a more precise definition of strength training to help you select and progress exercises that better match these demands.

16/12/2025

You've heard it before: "Tennis elbow comes from overusing your arm." But Applied Functional Science tells a different story. Tennis elbow is a symptom. The real culprit? Missing motion everywhere else.

Here's the biomechanical breakdown of a right-handed backhand stroke:

**THE LOAD (Preparation Phase)**
Your body loads energy across three planes of motion:
• Sagittal Plane: Right hip flexes, thoracic spine flexes, right shoulder flexes
• Frontal Plane: Left hip adducts, thoracic spine right laterally flexes, right shoulder abducts
• Transverse Plane: Left hip internally rotates, thoracic spine left rotates, right shoulder horizontally adducts

**THE EXPLODE (Power Phase)**
All three planes reverse—hips, thoracic spine, and shoulder drive the stroke with coordinated force.

**Here's the Problem:**
If your hips, thoracic spine, and shoulder don't have full mobility and stability in all three planes, your elbow has to compensate. It tries to initiate the stroke instead of just going along for the ride. That's when breakdown happens.

Most movement professionals see this as elbow overuse. But the elbow should never be the engine—it should be a passenger in a coordinated chain reaction.

**The Real Solution:**
Restore full 3D motion at the hips, thoracic spine, and shoulder. Retrain your body to load and explode from the right joints. Your elbow will thank you.

This is Applied Functional Science in action—looking at the whole system, not just the symptom.

Ready to move pain-free?
Link in bio 🔗

15/12/2025

DEFINING "FUNCTION" IN APPLIED FUNCTIONAL SCIENCE®

The term "function" pervades the movement industry, yet remains poorly defined—often based on theory rather than scientific principle.

Applied Functional Science demands rigor: Function must be scientifically defined and individually applied.

Why? For understanding. Then application. Then impact.

FUNCTION EMERGES AT THE CONVERGENCE OF THREE SCIENCES:

PHYSICAL SCIENCES
• Environment: Natural vs. Unnatural
• Gravity & Ground Reaction Force: Used vs. Confused
• Mass & Momentum: Leveraged vs. Neglected

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
• Motion: 3-Dimensional vs. 1-Dimensional
• Reaction: Chain vs. Link
• Proprioceptors: Facilitated vs. Inhibited
• Muscles: Reactor vs. Actor
• Joints: Integrated vs. Isolated
• Task: Subconscious vs. Conscious
• Specificity: Transformation vs. Stagnation
• Mobility/Stability: Combined vs. Segregated

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
• Encouragement: Success vs. Failure
• Empowerment: Internal vs. External Locus
• Engagement: Relevant vs. Irrelevant

THE INDIVIDUALIZATION PRINCIPLE:

Like fingerprints, what is functional for one individual may differ from another. Function is simultaneously scientific AND individualized.

This convergence allows us to distinguish functional from non-functional movement. The deeper we understand these principles, the more precisely we can assess, treat, and train based on what is scientifically sound and optimal for the individual.

That is Applied Functional Science.

Learn more: www.bbdinfo.com | 914-260-8216

15/12/2025

Functional Strength: Complex Made Simple – Part 2/5
Strength = Coordination Under the Right Resistance

In authentic human movement, muscles do not operate as isolated "prime movers" on command. The central nervous system (CNS) is task-focused: it organizes whole-body strategies to accomplish an outcome (stand up, cut, jump, decelerate), not to "activate" a single muscle.

As Enoka observed, "The function of a muscle depends on the context in which it is activated." Context includes:
• Joint position and angles
• Direction and magnitude of external forces (gravity, ground reaction, implements)
• Speed and timing demands
• Previous loading history and current fatigue state

In Applied Functional Science, we view strength expression as emerging from a chain reaction:
• Movements create joint motions in three planes.
• Joint motions load soft tissues and stimulate proprioceptors.
• Proprioceptive input drives context-specific motor patterns—often ECONCENTRIC (simultaneous lengthening, shortening, and relative "holding" across different planes and joints).

From this lens, "strength training" is better understood as:
Coordination training under appropriate resistance,
where the goal is to improve how efficiently the neuromuscular system organizes force production, force reduction, and stabilization in realistic conditions.

This perspective shifts emphasis from isolated muscle capacity to integrated, task-specific motor control.

In Part 3, we'll examine why time, speed, and direction—often ignored in traditional programs—are critical variables for truly functional strength.

12/12/2025

Training Truths in Movement
Real life doesn’t ask you to “squeeze your glutes” or “fire your quads”—your body naturally activates the right muscles by solving movement challenges. That’s why smart training isn’t about micromanaging muscles, but about designing exercises that create the joint motions your body needs.
Instead of giving cues like “use more dorsiflexion,” we change the task—like adjusting the direction of a squat or adding a reach—so your body naturally recruits the right muscles. The exercise itself becomes a question, and your body finds the answer.
This task-driven approach not only improves training and rehab, but also helps us assess how you move. If your movement solution isn’t ideal, we tweak the task—not your body’s instincts.
Science shows your body adapts in real time, combining different motions and muscle synergies to achieve your goal. As practitioners, we guide this process by changing the movement challenge, not by prescribing rigid instructions.
Example: To lengthen your left glutes, we use movements like lunges with flexion, adduction, and internal rotation—plus arm reaches to drive even more activation.
Ready to train smarter and move better? DM me for personalized movement advice or book your assessment at www.bobfanelli.com!

11/12/2025

🌟 It’s Not Just the Shoulder! 🌟
Shoulder pain isn’t always just about the shoulder itself. In reality, it’s the whole chain—from your hip, through your trunk, scapula, and arm—that plays a role. Applied Functional Science (AFS) shows us it’s all about the Chain Reaction. 🔗
The scapula alone has 17 major muscle attachments, connecting your shoulder to your rib cage, spine, clavicle, and more. This complex network means that true shoulder health depends on how well all these parts work together in three dimensions. When we lose that full-body movement and stimulation, problems develop. ⚠️
To build a resilient shoulder, we must load the muscles in all planes—using gravity, ground reaction forces, and momentum to eccentrically stretch and then powerfully contract the muscles of the scapula, back, and hips. Your shoulder’s strength is a reaction to what your trunk and the rest of your body are doing.
Effective training and rehab require understanding how the entire chain—shoulder, scapula, humerus, and every muscle—works together. Turn that knowledge into better movement, injury prevention, and lasting strength.
👉 Want a healthier, stronger shoulder? DM me for personalized advice or visit www.bobfanelli.com to book your assessment today!

Bob Fanelli, MSc, FAFS

Fellow of Applied Functional Science | Exercise Physiologist | Kinesiologist | Applied Biomechanics

10/12/2025

Training to keep the knees over the second toe is often emphasized, yet this isn't part of normal function. Here’s why this approach can be problematic:
🔹 Non-functional Movement: In real life, our knees don’t naturally stay over the middle of the foot during activities.
🔹 Unnatural Control: This technique requires conscious control, impractical for dynamic sports.
🔹 Loss of Hip Activation: Keeping the knees over the toes reduces essential frontal and transverse plane movements, hindering hip muscle activation.
🔹 Restricted Subtalar Joint Motion: Limiting knee movement alters natural foot and ankle biomechanics.
Applied Functional Science® (AFS) emphasizes that the body moves in all three planes of motion, with the knee's function relying on the foot and hip. Key dependencies include:
Flexion: Foot dorsiflexion and hip flexion.

Extension: Foot plantarflexion and hip extension.

Abduction: Foot eversion and hip adduction.

Adduction: Foot inversion and hip abduction.

Internal Rotation: Foot abduction and hip internal rotation.

External Rotation: Foot adduction and hip external rotation.
Injury Prevention:
🏃‍♂️ Dynamic Stability: Enhance stability through all planes to prevent knee injuries.
🏋️ Functional Exercises: Mimic real-life activities to prepare the knee for sports and daily demands.
Remember, Applied Functional Science® (AFS): Chain Reaction® recognizes that the body moves in all planes and that knee motion, indeed all motion, is task-specific and context-dependent!
Ready to train smarter and protect your knees with a science-based approach? Book your personalized assessment or learn more at www.bobfanelli.com.

10/12/2025

Functional Strength: Complex Made Simple – Part 1/5
It’s Not About the Numbers

In traditional strength training, progress is often defined by external load: higher 1RM, more volume, heavier sets. Those metrics matter—but they only describe capacity in a controlled, linear environment.

From a functional and biomechanical perspective, the more important question is:
Does your strength transfer to the complex, variable, and often asymmetrical demands of real life and sport?

If you can deadlift 400 pounds in a sagittal-plane, bilateral stance, but experience lumbar strain lifting an asymmetrical load (like a bag of dog food), there is a mismatch between:
• The context in which strength was developed, and
• The context in which it is required to be expressed.

Functional strength emphasizes:
• Task specificity – strength expressed in the actual movement patterns and environments you care about (work, sport, daily life).
• Variability – the ability to produce and control force across different joint angles, planes of motion, and loading strategies.
• Transfer – robustness of performance when conditions are less predictable (uneven surfaces, awkward objects, fatigue, time pressure).

In other words, the real outcome is not “How much can you lift in the gym?” but “How effectively can you produce, reduce, and stabilize force in the situations that matter to you?”

In the next post, we’ll look at why the nervous system and coordination—not just muscle size or isolated strength—are central to truly functional strength.

09/12/2025

💡 The Science of Abdominal Muscles 💡
The abdominal muscles are often underutilized in functional movement, despite being a complex system of four layers positioned to operate in all three planes. These muscles serve as the critical link between the pelvis and the rib cage, connecting the upper and lower body through the spine, back, and connective tissue.
Functionally, the abdominals coordinate and control the transfer of motion between the pelvis and rib cage—decelerating movement in one direction and accelerating it in another. Their activation is fundamentally proprioceptive: motion stimulates proprioceptors, which in turn activate the muscles subconsciously. Abdominals are not consciously “turned on” by thought, but by three-dimensional movement, gravity, ground reaction forces, and momentum.
Importantly, the abdominals are often among the first muscles to become inhibited when dysfunction exists elsewhere in the kinetic chain. This is why functional assessment and intervention are critical.
Effective abdominal training relies on eccentric lengthening—priming the muscles through stretch and load before concentric contraction. This “load to explode” principle is essential for developing true strength, dynamic stability, and optimal performance.
🌟 Key takeaway: To truly strengthen your core, focus on functional, three-dimensional movements that eccentrically load the abdominals and activate them proprioceptively.
Ready to optimize your core function and move beyond traditional training? Book your science-based assessment or learn more at www.bobfanelli.com

08/12/2025

The Truth About Hamstrings
The hamstrings are one of the most misunderstood muscles in the body. It’s a huge oversimplification to say they just shorten when you bend your knee and lengthen when you straighten it. Viewing them as simply “sagittal plane movers” misses their real power—they work dynamically in all three planes at both the hip and knee.
Did you know?
🔹 Quads and hamstrings aren’t enemies—they’re actually teammates, working together for smooth movement.
🔹 During walking, gravity, ground reaction forces, and momentum drive knee flexion—hamstrings act to decelerate and stabilize, especially in the sagittal plane.
🔹 In gait, it’s the hip flexors—not the hamstrings—that create knee flexion during the swing phase.
🔹 Hamstrings activate in the terminal swing to decelerate your body in all three planes.
🔹 The trunk drives hamstring action by controlling the pelvis and creating motion through the spine.
🔹 The foot’s position and movement influences hamstring function across all planes.
🔹 Tight hip flexors can cause hamstring issues.
🔹 Compensation for tight hamstrings often shows up as hyperextended knees or a rounded upper back.
Here’s the kicker: Traditional hamstring exercises that flex the knee against resistance only train the hamstrings in one plane, often with the pelvis and trunk locked in place. That’s “far from function.” Real-life movement—and true hamstring strength—demands lengthening and shortening in all three planes, with the hip and knee moving together.
To truly improve hamstring health, focus on dynamic, three-dimensional movement, eccentric loading, and proprioceptive training. Effective rehab and training must address mobility, stability, and how the hamstrings react in real life—not just on a machine.
Ready to train smarter and move better? Book your science-based assessment or learn more at www.bobfanelli.com
— Bob Fanelli, MSc, FAFS

Fellow of Applied Functional Science | Exercise Physiologist | Kinesiologist | Applied Biomechanics

Body By Design, Inc.

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