Why Most LA Trainers Don’t Understand Real Functional Training
Walk into any gym in Los Angeles and you’ll see it — trainers running their clients through “functional” workouts that look more like circus acts than athletic training.
Bosu ball squats with dumbbells. Battle ropes on balance discs. Random HIIT circuits that do nothing but burn calories and wear your joints out.
This is what passes as functional training in LA right now.
And honestly, it’s why so many people are getting injured, plateauing, or simply quitting.
Real functional strength has nothing to do with how sweaty you get.
It’s about how well your body moves, stabilizes, and produces force through natural patterns.
That’s where calisthenics comes in — because bodyweight strength is functional strength.
1. The Problem With “Functional Training” in LA
Los Angeles has turned fitness into entertainment.
Trainers compete for views instead of results — posting wild “functional” drills that look impressive on video but destroy form, load management, and safety.
The problem isn’t just the exercises. It’s the intent.
HIIT circuits that change every day don’t build foundations — they build fatigue.
If your body never gets time to adapt to a pattern, you’re not getting stronger; you’re just getting tired.
That’s the opposite of functional.
2. Real Function = Control + Longevity
True functional training means your body can handle anything life throws at it: lifting, sprinting, climbing, landing, balancing.
That’s what calisthenics develops — joint integrity, coordination, and power through controlled movement.
Every push-up, pull-up, or lever teaches your body to move as a unified system.
You learn to engage stabilizers, coordinate tension, and generate strength from your core — not from machines or unstable props.
When you build that kind of strength, you don’t just look athletic — you are athletic.
3. Client Spotlight: Andrew’s Transformation
One of my clients, Andrew, came to me frustrated.
He was lifting heavy, looked good in a shirt, but couldn’t perform.
Rock climbing felt harder, his shoulders ached, and his balance was off.
He realized bodybuilding workouts were giving him size, not function.
When we switched to calisthenics and addressed his foundational issues — mobility, joint loading, scapular control, and body awareness — everything changed.
Within months, his climbing performance improved, his posture opened up, and his physique looked sharper than ever.
That’s what real functional strength does — it transfers into everything.
4. Calisthenics: The Original Functional Training
Before the term “functional fitness” got hijacked by influencers, calisthenics was it.
Gymnasts, martial artists, and soldiers have used bodyweight training for centuries to develop balanced, adaptive strength.
You’re not isolating — you’re integrating.
You’re not burning out — you’re building control.
Every rep you do teaches movement awareness that carries over into life — whether that’s rock climbing, sprinting, or just moving pain-free into your 40s.
No gimmicks. No “core burners.” Just intelligent strength that lasts.
5. Why LA Needs a Reset
LA doesn’t need another flashy “functional” trend.
It needs coaches who understand biomechanics, movement progression, and joint health.
It needs results — not reels.
Because the truth is, anyone can make you tired.
Very few can make you better.
That’s what I do through my 1:1 coaching.
I don’t just hand out programs — I rebuild how you move, perform, and train for life.
If You’re Ready to Train With Purpose
If you’re done chasing quick calorie burns and want to actually move better, feel stronger, and look athletic year-round — this is your moment.
We’ll fix the fundamentals, build real function, and transform how your body performs — not just how it looks.
