Functional Fitness article in the Patriot Ledger

Popular training method for athletes spreads through New England with expansion of CATZ gyms

In recent years, fitness trends have burst onto the scene with the frequency of fashion trends. Each new workout brings its own set of jargon, videos and fancy equipment, then fades in time for next year’s hot new regimen to take hold.  As spinning, kickboxing and belly dancing take their turns in the spotlight, an age-old approach to working out is getting attention and has made its way to the East Coast.

Functional training, a more bare-bones approach to full-body fitness, aims to develop a healthier, more well-rounded athlete without the use of typical workout machines.

Unlike traditional weight lifting or sports training, functional training does not focus on working a specific muscle. Instead, it uses movement to work groups of muscles and joints, giving athletes a solid foundation that will help them excel in any sport.

Previously a staple of gyms and health clubs on the West Coast, the functional training philosophy has reached New England with the expansion of the Competitive Athlete Training Zone, or CATZ.

Recently recognized by Men’s Health magazine as one of the top gyms in the country, the California-based chain has received attention for its unique spin on functional training. The gym aims to make workouts more effective yet satisfying.

“This is about really enjoying fitness,” said Todd Ducharme, executive vice president and general manager of CATZ. “It’s not the drone of going to the gym, riding the treadmill and watching CNN.”

Since opening its first test facility in Canton two years ago, CATZ has introduced its approach to athletes in five New England locations, including in Needham, where it opened a facility last month.

While CATZ follows the functional training philosophy, several new elements have been added to the traditional approach, many of which have proved appealing to New England athletes.  Among its attributes, CATZ boasts extremely focused attention from trainers, as well as a five-level achievement scale based on both athleticism and character.

“We are not just a factory for super-athletes,” said Ducharme. “The program uses both physical training and a holistic view of athletes.”

Founder Jim Liston developed the CATZ fitness program after years as a trainer for elite athletes and professional sports teams. Much of what makes the tailored approach unique is the workout environment.

In a typical session, a group of fewer than six athletes is joined by a fitness coach for an hour-long workout. At the Canton facility, coaches Kevin Brochu and Meredith Stewart work with athletes in the 5,000-square-foot training space.  Split into three sections, the area allows athletes to work on agility, speed and strength in a high-intensity environment with almost no downtime.  Constantly moving between the artificial turf and breakaway speed tracks, the athletes take part in speed drills and CHAOS training, a technique that prepares athletes for the unpredictable nature of the playing field through reaction to visual and verbal cues.  Agility drills are performed using free weights and medicine balls, generally the only equipment used at CATZ.

“Most of what you do when you are starting out is working with your own body weight,” Ducharme said.

Working alongside the athletes, trainers are a vital part of the workout.

“When a young athlete comes in, we look at a number of factors and put a program together,” said Ducharme. “Having different workouts for different bodies is crucial.”

While the programs are developed and designed in California, coaches are responsible for tweaking them to meet the needs of each athlete. With backgrounds in athletic training, sports science or physical therapy, the coaches also hold advanced certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

“The coaches are on the front line, dealing with the kids on a daily basis,” he said. “It doesn’t do much to put someone down on a machine. We don’t have much equipment so we have to be creative.”

For most athletes at CATZ, special attention means a harder workout, as coaches often know how to work athletes’ deficiencies after just a few visits.

“The second time they saw me (work out), it clicked. They knew exactly what I needed,” said Mike Orlando, 14, who plays hockey for Hanover High School.  Since starting at CATZ several months ago, Orlando has seen his speed, agility and strength drastically improve, making him more of an asset on the ice.  After a groin injury kept him from training for several weeks, Orlando discovered another side of CATZ that he found beneficial - its rehabilitation powers.  Thanks to the physical therapy backgrounds of many of the program’s creators, CATZ has become a leading facility in rehabilitating sports-related injuries while training.  “At first I could do absolutely nothing,” said Orlando. “But they know what they are doing and they push you hard until you’re back into it.”

While CATZ typically attracts middle school and high school athletes, the program appeals to athletes of all ages and levels. Several adults find the challenging atmosphere a perfect way to stay in shape and fight middle-age bulge.

Steve Bowen, 42, of Pembroke, joined CATZ more than a year ago after watching his son play hockey in the facility’s ice rinks.  Having never been to a gym or played sports, Bowen would have found any fitness program to be a challenge. But he said the physical strain of CATZ was offset by the coaches’ enthusiasm.

“They aren’t yelling from the sidelines,” said Bower, who lost 30 pounds in his year at CATZ. “They make it hard, but you have to think that if they can do it, you can do it.”

While many fitness programs work the specific muscles utilized in an athlete’s sport of choice, CATZ’s approach aims to prevent overuse injuries.

“The way many people approach sports-specific training is exactly wrong,” said Wayne Westcott, fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA. “In terms of injury prevention, you need to strengthen the muscles that aren’t used. It is the weaker muscles that are always getting injured.”

Achieving that overall sense of balance and strength means that CATZ athletes must approach the exercise from a sound mental and physical place, said Ducharme, the trainer.

“The focus isn’t necessarily to be the next Tom Brady,” said Ducharme. “A lot of the foundation requires building character. Our motto is prepare to be great.”

Young athletes must be sure to condition entire body

One of the most drastic changes to youth athletics in recent years is the growth of sport specialization.

Rather than participate in a different sport each season, young athletes who are gifted will play in one sport year-round, honing their skills and opening doors to college scholarships.

As a result of this trend, professionals in the field of sports medicine have seen a rash of sports-related injuries caused by habits and training that neglect what is best for the athlete’s body.

Muscles used in the athlete’s sport of choice are overworked, and the repetitive stress on growing tissue can cause serious injury.  Likewise, muscles that are not being utilized in training or play become weak and more vulnerable to injury.

“If you want to be an athlete at the competitive level, whether it is junior high or high school, you need to be making sure you are taking care of your body the entire year,” said Jen Logan, a clinical exercise physiologist at South Shore Hospital.

“That means conditioning the entire body, creating balance and letting injuries heal,” Logan said.

While sport-specific training can lead to overuse injuries such as tendonitis, the overall approach of functional training aims to prevent these injuries by training all of the muscle groups and strengthening the entire body.  “For a total-body approach to being healthy, you need to have the symmetry to be healthy your whole life,” Logan said.

Creative approaches to training are vital to keeping the body balanced and healthy, particularly for those athletes who plan on specializing in one sport throughout the year. Logan recommends methods that work opposite muscle groups in order to both strengthen weaker muscle groups and improve performance.

Those players who run for the majority of their training, for example, could try water exercise to address other muscles.  It is also important with any fitness regimen to make sure that young athletes are not being overtrained. As young bodies grow, periods of rest and healing are crucial.  “Its important to realize that most people are not conditioned to be elite athletes at 8 or 9,” Logan said.

Kaitlin Keane, Patriot Ledger, 2006

www.southofboston.net/livingwell/cover.shtml