Naudi Aguilar, the CEO of Functional Patterns, undoubtedly has had a massive influence on the fitness industry over the last decade. If you’ve come across his Instagram page or that of his company, Functional Patterns, it is apparent that the content is substantially different from any other fitness page. On Naudi’s pages, you will see seemingly unorthodox exercises and life-changing results from all types of people.
While at first glance the results displayed from Naudi’s practices may seem too good to be true, his highly intentional movement system based on human biomechanics can make these substantial changes in humans. Human biomechanics is simply the study of how physics applies to the human body while in motion.
Early on, Naudi recognized that, as humans, we evolved to be a well-adapted species at standing, walking, running, and throwing. By combining the principles of human biomechanics with how we were designed to move from an evolutionary standpoint, Naudi has been able to get results with people unseen anywhere else in the industry.
From banishing chronic pain to improving function in those with neurodegenerative conditions to improving sports performance – Naudi’s functional approach to working out has changed countless lives and steered the fitness industry in a new direction.
As evidenced by his Functional Patterns YouTube Channel, Naudi has been adamant about pushing functional training since early 2011 but he created FP and its method as early as 2006. On his page, you can see him showcasing early renditions of functional exercises like single-arm kettlebell swings, land-mine step presses, and various dynamic activities with cable machines, all practices that earned Naudi a substantial amount of criticism at the time.
Take a look online today, and his influence on the fitness industry becomes apparent as various reiterations of these same functional movements make their way through social media. People are starting to embrace functional training in large numbers.
While there is no shortage of “functional fitness” workouts available online, these exercises were almost unheard of only a decade ago before the influence of Naudi Aguilar and Functional Patterns. Until recently, people mostly prioritized traditional lifts in the gym without much consideration of how we evolved to move as humans.
Early on, Naudi not only emphasized the importance of improving running in humans, but he also documented before and after footage of the changes he was making in everyday people.
By improving people’s running through targeted corrective exercises, Naudi could help people get out of pain while becoming athletic and fit at any age.
This apparent display of life-changing results ignited the shift towards biomechanics and gait-based training within the fitness industry. As a result, the fitness industry is evolving, and there is a growing interest in sustainable fitness practices. It is apparent that people not only want to get fit, but they want to stay fit for life without pain and injury.
Given Naudi’s accomplishments thus far and the results displayed through Functional Patterns, it is safe to say that he will continue to pioneer in the field and redefine what we know as functional fitness.
