Functional Range Conditioning FRC®

The Benefits of FRC:

Mobility & Flexibility

Flexibility can be defined as the amount of passive movement available across an articulation. This range of motion is passive in that the body in unable to achieve it without the help of an externally induced force.

Despite the historically overwhelming focus on its acquisition in health and fitness realms — flexibility in and of itself, does not improve function, or human movement — as it represents joint positions that the nervous system is unable to control.

Mobility on the other hand, (defined as flexibility plus control), represents the amount of usable motion across an articulation under the direct control of the central and peripheral nervous system.

It is the main focus of FRC to both improve flexibility, as well as to simultaneously teach the nervous system how to control the newly acquired ranges.

Further, the FRC system provides strategies not only for the development of control, but also for developing the ability to generate power, strength, and co-ordination, in said ranges.

All of the aforementioned results allow any new ranges of motion to be integrated and utilized in functional movement patterning.

Joint Strength

Well known to the strength and conditioning community are the physiological benefits of physical training on the muscular system.

However, the benefits can and should far exceed enhancements of this one tissue. Progressive loading also leads to cellular adaptations in the connective tissues of the body.

Connective tissue — one of the four types of human biological tissues — includes the following types: Fascia, bone, ligaments, capsules, tendons, vessels and 80% of nerves.

With every bout of physical conditioning, each of the aforementioned tissues is affected, a fact forgotten by the majority of health and training professionals.

With proper programming, and keeping this concept in mind, the benefits of training can and should be inclusive of each of the tissues on this list.

The FRC system considers each of these subtypes as targets during training and ensures the attainment beneficial tissue adaptations and strength in each.

FRC thus improves tissue quality and resilience in ALL of the components making up the joint complex.

Articular Health & Longevity

The benefits of utilizing the Functional Range Conditioning mobility development system extend beyond athletic development, rehabilitative, and performance goals.

In the process of developing mobility, all articular connective tissue components are strengthened, and neurological control of said tissues enhanced.

These are two factors well known in the scientific literature to enhance joint health, prevent injury, and improve longevity.

FRC has therefore been safely, and effectively utilized with several patient populations and ages to preserve movement and function, optimize joint health, and slow the progression of the degenerative process.

Some of the components of the system — Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs) for example — were specifically created with this goal in mind.

Performance Enhancement

As FRC improves one’s mobility by increasing the functional ranges of motion across articulation, it allows improved utilization of potential to kinetic energy transfers.

Put another way — the more active motion that can be achieved across a joint, the more potential there is to store potential energy during a lengthening cycle, which can then be transferred into usable force during a shortening cycle.

Thus improvements in mobility unlock greater ranges of motion with which to develop force output.

Improved mobility is also a vital component of agility — defined as the ability to rapidly respond to change by adapting its initial stable configuration.

Agility can be thought of as utilization of ones mobility. Thus — just as with mobility itself — the acquisition of agility is a goal common to all sports and functional activities.

Rehabilitation and Prevention

Utilization of Functional Range Conditioning is not limited to performance enhancement. Many of the techniques inherent to FRC were originally developed for utilization in a clinical setting for injury rehabilitation and prevention.