Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Why natural, high-power movements are essential for health and performance
Backstage at the 2011 CrossFit Games, Coach Glassman spoke with Fast Company about the importance of functional movement in training. He describes functional movements as natural, universal motor-recruitment patterns—actions such as squatting, lifting, pulling, and climbing that are deeply rooted in human biology. These movements typically operate from “core to extremity,” transferring force from large, powerful muscle groups to smaller, faster ones, which allows them to produce far greater power than isolated exercises commonly found in commercial gyms.
Glassman contrasts these movements with non-functional exercises like curls or leg extensions, which have little real-world application and generate significantly less power. Developing competency in functional movement, he argues, has practical benefits far beyond the gym. The ability to squat, lift, and move effectively supports everyday activities such as standing from a chair, climbing stairs, or picking objects off the ground, and maintaining these capacities is critical for preserving independence, preventing frailty, and improving long-term quality of life.
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The Glassman Archive is a comprehensive repository of Greg Glassman’s work during his leadership of CrossFit.
This collection preserves his original material and the foundational ideas he shared. We believe these insights are worth promoting and protecting. These lessons continue to inform his ongoing work with the Broken Science Initiative and MetFix.
Why natural, high-power movements are essential for health and performance
Backstage at the 2011 CrossFit Games, Coach Glassman spoke with Fast Company about the importance of functional movement in training. He describes functional movements as natural, universal motor-recruitment patterns—actions such as squatting, lifting, pulling, and climbing that are deeply rooted in human biology. These movements typically operate from “core to extremity,” transferring force from large, powerful muscle groups to smaller, faster ones, which allows them to produce far greater power than isolated exercises commonly found in commercial gyms.
Glassman contrasts these movements with non-functional exercises like curls or leg extensions, which have little real-world application and generate significantly less power. Developing competency in functional movement, he argues, has practical benefits far beyond the gym. The ability to squat, lift, and move effectively supports everyday activities such as standing from a chair, climbing stairs, or picking objects off the ground, and maintaining these capacities is critical for preserving independence, preventing frailty, and improving long-term quality of life.
------------------------------
The Glassman Archive is a comprehensive repository of Greg Glassman’s work during his leadership of CrossFit.
This collection preserves his original material and the foundational ideas he shared. We believe these insights are worth promoting and protecting. These lessons continue to inform his ongoing work with the Broken Science Initiative and MetFix.
