New trends in the fitness industry come and go quite often as they reach the pinnacle of their popularity and then proceed in another direction. The latest craze, however, is staying put as more and more people weigh in on the subject. This trend is the fascination with functional training.

In this entry of the Cybex Arc Trainer series on training programs, we're going to get out of the scientific/sports performance world for a second and look at functional capacity. But what exactly is functional capacity and how does it apply to the Arc?

The patented Progressive Stabilization system adjusts for height and horizontal position, offering maximum stabilization (like selectorized equipment) partial stabilization, or free movement (like most functional trainers). Research shows Progressive Stabilization allows users to lift more than three times the load, offers nearly three times the core activation, and a 38% strength gain over free standing machines. Simply put, this patented feature gives users a greater variety of effective training options.