Functional fitness workouts are part of the training method called Functional Training this term is used to describe the exercises that help you perform easily everyday life activities. These exercises typically engage the entire body and have the goal of increasing strength and improving core stability.
By doing daily life movements, such as squatting or carrying heavy objects, functional workouts can help increase quality of life and reduce the risk of injury.
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Functional Workouts VS Non-functional Workouts
Let’s make an example : With bodybuilding, we often focus on training only one muscle group.
For example, a biceps curl targets the biceps, but a biceps curl plus a combination of reverse lunges moves the whole body, thus improving stability and strength at the same time.
Each exercise has the potential to be functional in some way, but multimuscular and multiarticular movements provide the maximum result for the effort.
How to maximize functional workouts
Thanks to our trainers we decided to create this super guide on functional workouts, so that you can safely train using every moment of your day.
Beginner’s routine
Our team of coaches has created this training routine for beginners, if that’s you, start here with these simple floor sessions.
With exercises like squats and push-ups, you will focus on some fundamentals that will help you maintain your functional strength.
Work through this circuit of 5 exercises, completing 3 sets of 12 reps before moving on to the next. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds between each set and 1 to 2 minutes between each exercise.
Glute bridge
The chain of muscles in the back of your body is full of powerful muscles that are essential for daily movement. The Glute bridge is a good excercise to strengthen them.
Muscles affected:
- glutes
- hind leg muscles
- abs
How to perform the exercise:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
- Place your arms at your sides with your palms on the floor.
- Inhale and start lifting your hips to the ceiling, pushing through the soles of your feet and engaging your core, glutes, and back thigh muscles.
- Stop at the top, then slowly return to the beginning.
Squat
From sitting in a chair to shopping, you squat all day without even realizing it.
Adding squats to your workout routine will help you maintain your functional strength.
Muscles affected:
- quads
- hind leg muscles
- glutes
- abs
How to perform the exercise:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, leaving your arms straight at your sides.
- Tighten your core and start pushing your hips back, bending your knees as if you were sitting in a chair.
- Make sure your knees don’t give out and your chest stays open. Take a break when your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Push up all the way up to the starting position.
Push-ups
One of the fundamental whole body exercises that you need to know how to perform, push-ups are the key to upper body strength.
Muscles affected:
- pectoral
- front deltoids
- triceps
How to perform the exercise:
- Place yourself in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Your body should form a straight line from head to toe and your gaze should be slightly forward.
- Rotate your shoulders down and back.
- Bend your elbows and lower yourself, keeping them at a 45-degree angle until your chest touches the ground.
- Push back to start again, making sure your lower back stays straight.
Lateral lunge
We always move back and forth in everyday life: walking, climbing stairs, stretching to grab something in front of us.
Lateral movements are not so common, but it is still an important element of any functional fitness routine.
Muscles affected:
- glutes
- quads
- hip adductors
How to perform the exercise:
- Start standing with your feet together and your arms at your sides.
- Take a large step to the side with your right foot, bending your knee and returning to sit on your hip as you proceed. Keep your left leg straight and your chest up for all the movement.
- Push up with your right foot and go back to the beginning.
- Repeat the same steps on the other side.
Plank
A plank works on the whole body, but focuses much of its attention on the core. A strong core is an integral part of a healthy daily life.
Muscles affected:
- deltoid
- pectorals
- spinal erector
- rhomboid
- anterior dentate muscle
- quads
- abs
How to perform the exercise:
- Place yourself in a plank position on your forearms and toes.
- Rotate your shoulders down and back, make sure your hips are not bent or drooping.
- Your body should form a straight line from head to heels.
- Breathe, hold on from 30 seconds to a minute. Repeat 2 to 3 times.
Conclusion
Maintaining your functional strength is vital. With this first article we wanted to show you that starting to move is possible even without equipment. Now that you have mastered your functional workout routine you are ready to train with new exercises, this time with some equipment to take your workout to the next level.
Do not miss the next article where we show you our intermediate routine to train at home with little equipment such as kettlebells, dumbbells and much more.
