9 functional exercises (and how to do them)

The functional exercises are those that work all the muscles at the same time, unlike what happens with the exercises of musculación, in which the muscle groups are worked in an isolated way. In this way, functional exercises improve body consistency, motor coordination, agility, balance and muscular strength.

Functional training can be carried out by all people, as long as they are accompanied by a physical education professional or a personal trainer. This type of training is dynamic and involves several muscle groups.

The functional exercises are mainly carried out with the use of the body’s own weight, however, they can also be carried out using some accessories such as: cuffs, elastics, pulleys, Russian weights, Swiss balloons, among others; that are simple and low cost. It is important that the functional circuit be determined by the professional in accordance with the characteristics of the person and the objectives. Some examples of functional exercises are:

1. Seats

The sittings are an excellent exercise on the ground to strengthen the core, as well as to work the lower limbs, and can be performed using the body’s own weight or with hands.

In order for the sittings to be performed correctly, it is important to position the feet in front of the shoulders and, if necessary, hold the handle in front of the body. Luego, contract the abdomen, squat and return to the starting position. This movement must be repeated during the time indicated by the instructor.

two. swing one-sided with Russian ball

This exercise is carried out using the Russian ball and complements the seats, helping to develop the extension of the legs, the rods and the chair.

To perform this exercise, it is necessary to hold the ball with the right hand and slightly flex the rodillas. Then, there was an impulse with the body so that the Russian ball was at the height of the shoulders and extended the rodillas and then lowered the ball following the mismo trayecto.

Because the functional training is dynamic, many times it is recommended that when the Russian ball returns to the initial position, the person moves to the other hand, being able to work on both sides during the same series.

3. Lifting above the head

This exercise helps to give stability to the core and the shoulders and can be carried out with one arm or one bar, for example.

The execution of this exercise is simple, it is enough to place the handles or the bar at the height of the shoulders and lift it over the head, the movement must be repeated during the time indicated by the instructor.

4. Plancha

The plancha is an excellent exercise to guarantee the stability of the shoulders and the rigidity of the core, which corresponds to the muscles of the abdominal, lumbar and pelvic region and guarantee the stability of the spine.

To carry out the plan, just support the hands or the codos and the point of the pies on the floor and maintain the position during the time that was recommended by the instructor.

5. Waving with battle ground

This exercise promotes the increase of the resistance of the core and favors the physical conditioning, being often incorporated in the functional circuits.

The exercise of the battalion cuerda is simple, the person must support the points of the cuerda, contract the abdomen and, with the semi-flexed rodillas, move the hands up and down alternately so that undulations are formed.

6. Dead weight with one leg

The dead weight with a leg can also be included in the functional training, which allows you to work on the back of the leg, in addition to activating the muscle of the lumbar and the abdominal region, since it is necessary to keep balanced to perform the movement .

This exercise can be carried out with a few weights or with a Russian ball, which should only be held with one hand. The hand with the weight must be the same that the leg remains fixed on the floor, the other leg must remain in the air during the realization of the movement, which consists of lowering the weight in the direction of the foot and returning to the initial position , it is important to keep the back straight and the abdominal muscles tight.

In the case of this exercise, the instructor can indicate the accomplishment of the maximum repetitions during the pre-established time and later on with the other leg, or can include another functional exercise between one leg and the other.

7. Burpees

The burpee is a very complete exercise that works on the person’s cardiorespiratory capacity, including functional training to increase heart rate, favoring caloric expenditure and weight loss.

The burpee movement basically consists of lying down and getting up quickly. It’s up to you, in order to carry out the movement, the person must support the hands on the floor and bring the feet back to completely settle down. Then, you have to do the opposite movement to get up, so you have to recover your legs and get up from the floor, taking a small jump and stretching your arms to the top.

It is important that the person maintains the rhythm during the performance of the burpees, paying attention to the quality of the movement.

8. TRX triceps

To perform the triceps exercise on the TRX, it is important to adjust the strap to support the difficulty indicated by the instructor and to hold the strap over the head. Then, you must stretch and flex your arms, performing the repetitions according to the orientation of the trainee.

The TRX is a very versatile equipment, which can be included in the functional training in different ways, increasing the difficulty of movement and guaranteeing several benefits.

9. Abdominals

Since the majority of functional exercises activate the abdomen, it is also interesting to do abdominal exercises to work this muscle in a more isolated way. So, it could be indicated by the instructor to perform lateral abdominals, upper or lower according to the objective of the training.

A type of abs that should be indicated is the complete abs, and the person should lean on the suelo and flex the legs, so that the plants of the feet touch themselves . Then, the person must completely get up from the floor and control the return to the initial position, performing this movement of accompaniment to the orientation of the instructor.