Functional workouts | Intermediate routine with exercises

Here we are and welcome back to our functional fitness workouts guide. If you missed our beginner routine, we invite you to read our article on Functional workouts | Beginner routines with exercises

Very well! If you have successfully completed your beginner training routine it is time to move on to intermediate routine exercises with equipment.

For this set of exercises we will need some training tools like the ones listed here. Once again, the advice of our coaches is to aim for 3 sets of each exercise trying to go for 10/12 reps.

The last repetitions of the set should be challenging, but you should still be able to complete them with a good technique: you can adjust your weights if you must.

Alternate shoulder press

This exercise will give you huge benefits, strenght development in training will allow you to use your progress in everyday life. We have always used the movement of lifting things, think about putting away heavy boxes in the upper shelves of the closet.

Well, the muscles affected are the ones we will train with this exercise, allowing us to develop the muscles functional to the activity we do every day in real life.

Muscles affected:

1. glutes
2. quads
3. abs
4. deltoids
5. triceps

How to perform the exercise:

• Grab a handlebar in each hand and bring it to shoulder height.
• Step forward with your right foot, pushing through the heel and push the dumbbells over your head until your arms are fully extended.
• Return the dumbbells to shoulder height and step back.
• Repeat for 10/12 times

Type of equipment needed:

For this type of exercise we need a Hex dumbbell or dumbbells here is where to buy them.

Deadlift

One of the best strength training exercises. The detachment from the ground makes the muscles of the entire back work very intensively and offers important benefits for strength. The results will improve your everyday life. Some examples?

Lifting your child off the ground, raising a water crate or shopping bags. Thanks to this exercise we  improve the strength of the back muscles, thus enjoying enormous benefits.

Muscles affected:

1. rhomboids
2. spinal erector
3. quads ricipide
4. glutes
5. hind leg muscles
6. abs

How to perform the exercise:

• Place a barbell or dumbbells on the ground in front of you and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Keeping your back straight, bend your knees slightly and hold the barbell or dumbells.
• Try to keep your eyes fixed forward.
• Rotate your shoulders down and back, inhale and straighten your legs.
• Lift the barbell or dumbells off the ground.
• When the legs are straight and you have lifted the weight, move backwards and bring the weight back into position.

Type of equipment needed:

For this type of exercise we need bumpers and Olympic barbells or a Hex dumbbells or dumbbells

Goblet Squat

In case you have back problems and you don’t want to load the back too much, we recommend that you try this exercise. The goblet squat is very effective and aims to effectively train the quadrs and glutes without the additional tension of the weight during the ground squat.

This way you will get all the benefits of leg strength without involving the muscles of the lower back.

Muscles affected:

1. quad recycle
2. glutes
3. abs

How to perform the exercise:

• Hold a Kettlebell vertically with both hands at the top of the weight.
• Place the handlebar against your chest and keep it in contact with your body throughout the movement.
• Stand with your feet slightly wider than the width of your shoulders and your toes slightly facing out.
• Breathe in and start squatting, sitting back on your hips, bending your knees and keeping your core tight.
• Let your elbows move between your knees, stopping you when your thighs are parallel to the ground.
• Push up through your heels to the starting position.

Type of equipment needed:

For this type of exercise we need a kettlebell or dumbbells

Dumbbell Row with single leg

Muscles affected:

1. abs
2. lateral quadriceps
3. biceps

How to perform the exercise:

• Hold a handlebar in each hand with the palms of your hands facing your body.
• Lean slightly forward at the waist and raise one leg behind you, letting your arms dangle.
• Keeping your barbell, pull your elbows up and back and tighten your shoulder blades when you reach the top.
• Release your arms to begin.

Type of equipment needed:

For this type of exercise we need a Hex dumbbells or dumbbell

Dumbbell Woodchop

Improving your fitness by increasing your overall strength is the foundation of functional training and the woodchop dumbbell is one of the best exercises to improve your own strength. Moving things with the help of the core is crucial to not get injuries to the muscle chain. Here is one of the best core training exercises.

Muscles affected:

1. deltoid
2. abs

How to perform the exercise:

• Hold a handlebar at each end on the right side of your body.
• Crouch slightly, turning your trunk to the right.
• Start standing up and, with your arms stretched out, bring your handlebars up and through your body by rotating your torso.
• Allow your right foot to rotate as you go. The handlebar should end up over your left shoulder.
• Turn your torso back and return the handlebar to the starting position.

Type of equipment needed:

For this type of exercise we need a Hex dumbbells or dumbbells

Conclusion

That concludes our second functional training guide, in this intermediate version we learned to do some essential exercises with basic equipment. As you have seen, even with a very low budget, we can start training effectively.

But if you want to go to the next level and start thinking about a real home gym, we suggest you visit the section dedicated to home gyms where you can find many solutions to immediately start training in a professional way.

Come back soon on our blog because the third and last part of our functional training guide is coming soon. We will discover many advanced routine exercises.