Functional Patterns Texas — Attraction in Austin

Functional Patterns Texas. A life changing experience for me. This is a long review, but it has a lot of nuggets to really tell you what FP is like. Give it a read.

I spent 6 months after my herniated disc injury seeking the help of physical therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, and surgeons and I was losing all hope. I went in for an initial evaluation with Brandon. Having seen five different PT’s, I learned about 8 different dysfunctions in my gait and posture, with each PT individually pointing out only 1-2 issues. Not Brandon – he was able to identify all 8 dysfunctions in the first 10 minutes of meeting me. I took the leap of faith and began my training with Brandon.

After 2 months, I have achieved an 80%+ reduction in pain. I have learned a tremendous amount about proper biomechanics and about my own body. FP has changed the way I move forever. The exercises and training work.

What makes FP Texas stand out to me is not so much just that the modality works. That’s important. However, it’s the quality of the practitioners and the way this gym is run that complements a working modality and optimizes its effectiveness and efficiency for its clients.

The standard of excellence with the practitioners here is what separates FP from any competition: -------------They have a deep desire to help and that’s demonstrated by their willingness to listen well. They really listen to you closely and intently, looking for a deep understanding of your condition and symptoms. The exercises and progression is all very intentional and grounded in logic. -------------They do not take shortcuts, both in the exercises and as practitioners. There is a culture of not cutting any corners. They say it as it is, no sugar coating. I get called out on mistakes or incorrect tendencies all the time. That has helped me to improve quicker and understand right from wrong with maximum clarity. -------------They are extremely professional – always on time, never a cancelation, reliable and operating at 100% focus and attention on you. They also perfectly blend professionalism with a friendly and personal touch. They find the right balance of progress, constructive criticism, and encouragement, all creating an atmosphere where you just want to succeed.

The sense of community at FP has been significant for me as I fight the mental battle of a debilitating injury. Constantly being surrounded by like-minded individuals who are working on health and wellness has given me a sense of community and has pushed me to work harder. You are not alone, and we’re all in this together as we make progress every day that we show up. A traditionally labeled “degenerative disease” like spinal disc issues by medical doctors sounds hopeless. Here, it is never addressed that way and approached with a much more positive take like “just get jacked and stacked” 😊.

Now, FP takes a lot of work too. It’s not a quick-fix solution. I see it more as an investment in your health and future. You get out what you put in. You need to take notes. You need to watch videos on repeat. You need to use a lot of brain power and fight body dysfunctions and tendencies. The work is in breaking out of those poor habits. But the practitioners are there the entire way to help you. They do it in an encouraging way and even help instill correct movements when your session has already ended. For example, as a lighthearted joke: “You are shrimping your body again, the girls aren't into that” or as I’m walking around the gym: “Hey! Drop your phone back on the floor and pick it up properly, this time with a hinge, let’s go!”

*If you want to take your health to the next level, this is a no brainer. Just go for the initial evaluation and you will be blown away by the practitioners. I have recommended them to my friends and family already and I hope you read this and...

I started training with Ben in 2017, before the existence of Function Patterns Texas. The fact that I can now take unlimited group classes and have all the equipment I need in one place is amazing.

About Me: I had spent years doing sports, martial arts and weight lifting. After years of heavy training, my body became stiff and inflexible. Further, I was never able to actually improve my athleticism.

So I was looking for a way to increase my body awareness, offset the effects of sitting, fix my lower back pain, and ultimately be a better mover. As a life philosophy, I always found it important to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of my movement. But the truth is, I never really knew HOW - I only found pieces of puzzle here and there. Functional Patterns was the only comprehensive training that was both accessible and effective in terms of rehabbing years of dysfunctional postures and movement patterns, so I could become a better mover.

Pros Cognitive and physical benefit - It's one of the more mentally and physically challenging types of training I've done. Increased range of motion, mobility and strength. Less pain. Body awareness - It'll completely change the way you think about your body. You'll learn to make the inner connections from one part of your body to another. (For instance, I had no idea I could fix my back pain by addressing tightness in my legs.) You'll learn a lot about MFR (myofascial release) and will be doing it a lot (think self-massage + stretching). Your FP coach will be able to tell you what areas of your body are causing mobility issues and how to address them with MFR. You'll regain feeling and control of areas in your body that you had previously lost. You'll learn how to release tensions in areas that are tight. You work on activating muscles that are weak from disuse You'll re-pattern your nervous system to move more efficiently and fix your dysfunctional ways of moving. If you do it right, you feel incredibly strong and powerful in your movements.

Cons The training can be very slow and methodical at times - and rightly so. But it's easy to get overwhelmed if you're coming in with a lack of knowledge of how the human body works (99% of people). Sometimes my trainer would tell me to do simple movements and when I couldn't do them, it would be very de-motivating. Progress may plateau beyond beginner gains, if you do not spend the time to self-educate and if you're not serious about correcting your own problems. You learn how most people's knowledge of training is completely wrong and misguided. You'll hear people speak jargon that doesn't make any sense to most people, and that can get confusing and complicated (again, self-education is key) Just like anything in life, you have to be open-minded to learn an entirely new thing. And when learning anything new, it takes time and repetition - most people aren't willing to put in the work. But if you are a grinder like me, then you will get more results here than any other discipline or type of training because you are learning to address the root causes of your pain and lack of mobility. Beyond correcting dysfunctions, if you can build a solid foundation with all your muscles completely integrated from the ground up, you will be able optimize your movements like you never thought possible (At least, that has been my experience).

5 stars - Because there's no other...

This review is long overdue. FP Texas, the team (Brandon, Jarrod, Ben, Kristie, and Katy), and the functional patterns method of reorganizing your body/muscles to be structurally integrated and move efficiently is the best thing I've done for my body in 40 years. I came from a swimming and endurance triathlon background and between two gnarly cycling accidents and a slipped disc (L4-L5, S-1) that resulted in sciatica and chronic pain in my right scap/trap/rhomboid, FP unlocked capacity in my body I had lost for nearly a decade. I'm still blown away to this day how much relief I got and how much more conscious I am about the mind body connection and muscle integration when I'm active or even sitting.

This is the type of programming I wish every child would learn at a young age and every aging parent would start ASAP as a preventative measure for injury and for bodily awareness. It's an incredible tool to correct and prevent the compounding of poor recruitment of muscle systems especially when our body adapts/compensates to injury by over relying on one muscle. From my slipped disc injury, I hadn't been able to recruit my left glute to it's true capacity in half a decade. FP completely changed that for me. The strength gains are also incredible.

Here's what you should know about Functional Patterns... You should get 1:1 private sessions to properly get your biomechanics assessed and movement adjusted. Learning often means spending 5-20 minutes on one movement correctly, parsing the movement to subparts that requires recruitment of multiple muscle groups. It's not uncommon to spend 5 minutes doing 1 rep. This time is critical to get your body to build muscle memory, get the nervous system to connect the dots, and rewire your overall movement.

This requires A LOT of your mental presence. This isn't a fitness/wellness modality that says just do X exercise and you'll be better. You really have to be consciously present to activate muscle groups correctly and have body awareness when you're under extreme tension. I'd often leave mentally exhausted but on an endorphin high. (Side note: Shout out to Brandon for being so patient with me on day's my mental focus wasn't there and creating adaptations for my mental state.)

Patience: This won't transform you overnight. It takes consistent practice and intentionality. If you're going to give it a try, I'd say the minimum you should give it a go before considering stopping is 3-4 months.

Do the Classes too: They're great reinforcement of your 1:1 individual sessions. Also, there's a primary focus on technique ALWAYS vs other fitness systems where people prioritize max weight.

It's not cheap, but it's well worth it. It's the equivalent of spending good money on a pricey bed because you're spending 1/3 of your life in it. Same with movement. You're likely spending 2/3 of your life in some type of structural pose that requires good biomechanics (even if you're just sitting or standing)

Thanks to the FP Texas team! Shout out to Brandon for all your help and...