6 Functional Exercises For Incredible Gains

Functional exercises are meant to strengthen the muscles in the body. There's no better way to do that than by using the muscles you require daily.

The more challenging the workout is, the greater its benefits. Below, we will share some of the best functional exercises that can help you get stronger, faster, and healthier.

Functional Exercises for Gains

Here's a look at six such exercises:

#1 Squat

When you squat, the hips go back and the glutes down. The lower you can get your body to squat, the more muscles you will use to help achieve this position (and the greater the workout will be). The best way to practice that is on a bench or chair that's higher than knee height.

Squatting helps build muscle mass in both legs as well as core strength throughout the torso. Proceed as follows:

Start by standing up with good posture—shoulders pulled back and chin parallel to the ground.
Slowly lower yourself into a deep squat while keeping your knees aligned over your toes (like in this video).
If it helps, imagine drilling your feet into the ground as you lower yourself.

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#2 Deadlift

Deadlifts are a full body exercise that not only targets the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings but also works the core.

They can be done with dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells, and if you have access to hip belts, you can use them as well. Deadlifts are great for building strength in your posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors (lower back muscles), quadriceps (front thigh muscles), calves and grip strength.

To set up for deadlifts, place a barbell on the floor in front of you with weight plates either side of it. Proceed as follows:

Grab the barbell with an overhand grip, and hinge forward.
Bend at the hips, and bend your knees. Push forward through your legs, and flex your core.
As you bend, lift the weight up to your hips as you lock out.
Lower the weight back down, and repeat for reps.

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#3 Jumping Jack

Jumping jacks are one of the best ways to warm up the body and get the blood flowing. They can also be used as a great cardio exercise to get the heart rate up.

To do jumping jacks:

Stand with feet together and arms by your side
Jump with your feet apart, bringing your arms up above your head, and jump back together again (you should look like you’re patting yourself on the back)
Repeat for 20 seconds.

#4 Lunge

This exercise is an excellent way to work the glutes and hamstrings. Lunges also strengthen the quadriceps and calves, and stabilizes the muscles in the hips and core.

To do a lunge:

Stand straight with feet together, and step forward with one foot into a split stance position (one foot in front of the other).
Lower your body down till both knees are bent at 90 degrees or lower.
Keep your back straight as you descend into the movement; keep your eyes focused on the forward target throughout the exercise.
Press off the heel of the lead leg when pushing back up through full extension till you reach the starting position again.
Repeat for specified reps, alternating sides after each set or round.

#5 Push-up

Push-ups are a great exercise for the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Push-ups can give huge gains in muscle mass, as they stimulate all three major muscles of the upper body: biceps (front of the forearm), triceps (back of arm), and pectoralis major (chest).

That makes push-ups an excellent choice if you want to add strength to your arms while also developing better balance in your shoulders or back muscles. That can be useful when doing other exercises, such as pull-ups or bench press.

To do a push-up:

Lie face down on the floor with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart and feet together.
Bend your elbows 90 degrees, and lower yourself towards the floor till your chest is an inch from it.
Pause for two seconds at theposition before pushing yourself back up to the normal standing position.

#6 High Knee

High knees are a great functional exercise that can be performed almost anywhere. They work the hamstrings, glutes, and calves, as well as the core muscles of the abs and lower back.

To perform them correctly, you want to start by lifting your knees up high in front of you in a rapid motion while keeping your upper body still. You should be able to bring your knees close to your chin with each knee raise, if possible.

To make the exercise more difficult: increase the speed of movement, or add resistance in some way (using ankle weights or holding dumbbells). To make it easier: slow down, or decrease resistance till it feels comfortable again.

Takeaway

You should now have an understanding of what functional workouts are and how they can benefit your training. If not, don’t forget to learn how to do them properly. Remember to always use a spotter when performing the aforementioned exercises at home or in the gym so that you don't hurt yourself during any of the movements.