Build real strength for your real life with this 20-Minute Full Body Functional Training Workout! Seven full body functional exercises to help you move better in your everyday life.
The final workout of our Functional Strength Training Program! This is Day Ten — a full body functional workout to build muscle, mobility and endurance.
Compound movements mean you target multiple muscle groups with each exercise. Making this workout a challenging, effective full body training session.
Functional Training Workout FAQs
What Is A Functional Training Workout?
Functional training is training for movement, not for aesthetics. This full body functional strength workout is made up of compound exercises. These functional training movements mimic things you do throughout the day (like squatting down to pick things off the floor, climbing stairs, or twisting to put things away).
Is Functional Fitness Training Effective?
Functional movements are some of the best workouts you can do to build muscle, improve endurance and reduce risk of injury. This form of strength training targets the muscle groups we rely on the most for daily movement (and builds in core strength to every workout).
Why Is Functional Training Important?
Functional training creates a base of strength that directly enhances your ability to perform everyday movement patterns, like squatting, reaching, and twisting. Functional training also reduces risk of injury.
20-Minute Full Body Functional Training (Strong 20, Day 10)
Build full body strength to train for your everyday life with this functional movement workout routine. We’ll work through the best functional training exercises to build strength, increase mobility and better prepare you for your daily life.
Today’s workout is made up of seven dumbbell functional exercises mimicking daily movement patterns such as pivots, twists, bends, pushing, pulling and balance work.
I suggest doing this full body workout once a week as part of a well-rounded workout routine.
Workout Equipment:
A medium-to-heavy set of dumbbells.
I recommend 8-30 lbs depending on your fitness level. We’re using 10-20 lb dumbbells in this workout. The last 2-3 reps of each exercise should be challenging to complete with good form.
Shop My Dumbbells
We’re using 10, 15 and 20 lb dumbbells in this full body workout.
How To Do Two Back Rows, Clean and Two Uneven Front Squat Thrusters
Start standing, feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in your right hand between your thighs (palm facing towards the midline of your body).
Squeeze your back to pull your right elbow to your right hip, performing a dumbbell row. Then with control, lower the dumbbell to starting position. Repeat, performing two back rows.
Then, press through your heels to stand tall. As you stand, clean the dumbbell up, catching it at your right shoulder.
With your weight in your heels, sit your hips back as you lower into a squat, striving for a 90-degree angle between your hips and knees.
Then, drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes to stand tall. As you stand, perform a single arm squat thruster, pressing the dumbbell in your right hand straight overhead. Your right bicep should be near your right ear.
Bring the weight back down to shoulder height and repeat, performing two uneven front squat thrusters.
Modification: Omit the overhead thruster, performing an uneven squat with dumbbell at your side instead of a squat thruster.
Two Staggered Deadlifts and Two Balance Bicep Curls
Targets: Hamstrings, glutes, core, lower back, and biceps.
How To Do Two Staggered Deadlifts and Two Balance Bicep Curls
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding one dumbbell in your right hand in front of your hip (palm is facing in towards your body).
Stagger your feet, so your left leg is slightly in front of your right foot. Kickstand your back right foot, right heel floating off the ground. Keep 80% of your weight in your front foot, 20% in your back toe.
Maintain a staggered stance as you hinge at the hips. Pushing your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbell down the front of your leg, keeping your core tight. Range of motion will look different for everyone.
Drive through your front right heel to push your hips forward, pulling the dumbbell back up towards your hip as you stand tall. Repeat, performing two staggered deadlifts.
Then, balance on your left foot and drive your right knee up, right thigh parallel to the ground.
Hold this balance position, and perform a bicep curl, curling the dumbbell up from your hip to shoulder height. With control, lower the dumbbell back down to your hips. Repeat, performing two balance bicep curls.
Modification: maintain a staggered stance for the bicep curls rather than floating your leg.
Two Split Lunges and Two Split Lunge with Front Raise
Targets: Hamstrings, glutes, hips, quads, back, shoulders and core.
How To Do Two Split Lunges and Two Split Lunge with Front Raise
Start standing feet hip-distance apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your body.
Step your right leg back into a reverse lunge position.
Hold this lunge position as you drop your back right knee towards the ground. Lowering your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front left thigh parallel to the floor. Shoulders remain stacked over hips throughout the entire exercise.
Press into your front left heel to stand tall, returning to the starting position. Repeat, performing two split lunges.
Then, perform another split lunge, this time driving through your hips to power the dumbbells up to shoulder height in front of you. Repeat, performing two split lunges with front raises.
Two Lateral Side Step Squats and Two Overhead Tricep Extensions
Targets: Glutes (specifically the gluteus medius), quads, hamstrings, hip adductors (inner thighs), abductors (outer thighs), shoulders and triceps.
How To Do Two Lateral Side Step Squats and Two Overhead Tricep Extensions
Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips, holding a dumbbell horizontally between both hands at your collarbones.
Step your left foot out to the side as you bend your knees, lowering into a squat position. Both knees bent at 90 degrees, thighs parallel to the ground, weight in heels and chest up.
Press through your heels to stand tall, drawing your right foot in to find a narrow stance as you stand.
Then repeat, taking another step out with your left foot and lowering into a squat.
Press through your heels to stand tall, this time pressing the dumbbell overhead as you stand, wrists in line with shoulders.
With control, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head, performing an overhead tricep extension. Straighten your arms, returning the dumbbell overhead. Repeat, performing two overhead tricep extensions.
Then, lower the dumbbell to your collarbones and repeat, this time stepping towards the right with your right foot. Repeat this sequence of two side step squats and two overhead tricep extensions.
Two Snatches and Two Push Ups
Targets: The legs, hamstrings, hips, glutes, back, chest, triceps, shoulders and core.
How To Do Two Snatches and Two Push Ups
Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Place one dumbbell horizontally between your feet.
Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you reach for the dumbbell with your right hand.
Then, drive your hips forward as you ‘snatch’ the weight overhead with your right arm (using the power and momentum created by your legs and hips). You should finish standing tall with your right arm straight overhead; lock out your elbow.
With control, lower the dumbbell back down to shoulder height, then hinge at the hips to lower it to the ground, setting it between your feet.
Then, grasp the dumbbell in your left hand and perform a dumbbell snatch on the left, using the power in your hips to drive the dumbbell overhead.
With control, lower the dumbbell back to shoulder height and then the ground.
Then, plant both hands on the mat and jump or step your feet back into a high plank position.
Lower your chest towards the ground, elbows falling back towards your body. Then press evenly through your fingers to press up, returning to high plank position. Repeat, performing two push ups.
Modification: Step your feet back into high plank position rather than jump. Take push ups from your knees or an incline (bench or couch) to reduce the intensity.
Uneven Hold the World, Reverse Crunch and Dumbbell Pass
Targets: The rectus abdominis (your “six-pack” ab muscles), deep transverse abdominals, upper abs, lower abs, obliques, upper body, chest and shoulders.
How To Do An Uneven Hold the World, Reverse Crunch and Dumbbell Pass
Start lying on your back, core engaged, legs extended out from your body and heels floating off the mat. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand at shoulder height.
Then engage your upper abs to perform a sit up as you engage your lower abs to pull your knees towards your chest, performing a “V” shape with your torso and knees. Hold for a two-count.
Then transfer the dumbbell to your left hand, holding it at your left shoulder.
With control, lower onto your back as you kick your legs out away from your body.
Modification: Option to keep heels on the ground throughout this movement, reducing the intensity.
Shuffle and Two Squat Dumbbell High Pulls
Targets: The muscles in your calves, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, shoulders, back and glutes (specifically your outer glutes that assist with side-to-side movements).
How To Do A Shuffle and Two Squat Dumbbell High Pulls
Place your dumbbells on the ground a few feet away from each other.
Start standing in an athletic stance, feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, core engaged.
Starting with your right foot, shuffle towards the right, left foot following and landing in an athletic loaded stance, knees bent, thighs parallel to the ground and right toes in front of one of the dumbbells.
Pick up the dumbbell with your left hand and stand tall, pulling from your right toes towards your left shoulder, performing a dumbbell high pull.
With control, sit your hips back into a squat and lower the dumbbell down and tap the mat in front of your right toes. Repeat, performing two squats and dumbbell high pulls with your right hand.
Then, return the dumbbell to the mat and shuffle towards the left, left foot leading and right foot following.
Sit your hips back into a squat to pick up the dumbbell with your right hand, pulling from left toes to right shoulder. Repeat, performing two dumbbell high pulls on the right.
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Full Body Workout
Full Body Workout
