Functional Training: Exercises That Build Real-World Strength

Do you want strength that translates to the world outside the gym? With the exercises in this article, you’ll feel as strong as you look!

Functional training is something of a fitness industry buzzword. Unfortunately, it’s one that many personal trainers and influencers misunderstand and misuse. They wrongly assume that functional training involves skill-based exercises, such as balancing on a stability ball while doing squats or curls.

Trust me when I say that is not functional training!

In contrast, real functional training prepares you for the challenges that await you outside of the gym. This can be anything from carrying out the garbage without hurting your back to climbing over a high wall to escape an attacker.

That’s not to say that skill-based exercises are worthless. But unless you work in a circus, I would never describe them as functional.

In this article, I’m going to reveal the exercises I use to stay functionally strong and that I prescribe to my legion of personal training clients. Each one will prepare your body for the demands you face outside of the gym.

They aren’t fancy, and you don’t need to be a circus performer to do them. However, they will make you a more capable human who can overcome almost any physical challenge.

What is REAL Functional Training?

Functional training comes in many guises, but its main aim is to prepare your body for the demands of your lifestyle. That could mean improving strength for your chosen sport or improving your balance so, as you approach old age, you are less prone to suffering a fall. 

As strength is such a valuable fitness characteristic, it makes sense that functional training should also include exercises to make you stronger.

This element is often missing from functional strength programs.

For example, doing single-arm dumbbell bent-over rows while balancing on one leg is a great way to develop your balance and coordination. It’s a high-skill exercise.

However, that complexity and technical difficulty means that you won’t be able to handle much weight, which will compromise any potential strength gains. Also, how often do you ever stand on one leg, hinge forward at the hips, and use one arm to row a weight into your ribs? Never, probably.

Instead, I like to think of functional training as something that will make me a more physically capable person. They’re the exercises that allow me to move a couch without difficulty, climb up multiple flights of stairs carrying my groceries, or jump off a log without hurting my knees or back. They build a “strength reserve” so that the activities of daily living are not so challenging.

With that in mind, in the next section, I’ll reveal what makes a good functional strength exercise.

The Characteristics of The Best Functional Strength Exercises

So, what makes an effective functional strength exercise? Here is a list of characteristics to look for. While not all exercises will have all these characteristics, they should have most of them.

Compound or Multi-Joint Movements

There are very few isolation or single-joint movements in nature. The only one I’ve done today was pulling back the leg rest on my Lay-Z-Boy chair, which is a lot like doing a seated leg curl.

Apart from that, most human movements involve multiple muscles and joints working together, which is the very definition of a compound movement.

I have nothing against isolation exercises and understand their value for building muscle and targeting weakness. However, the more compound exercises you do, the more functionally strong you’ll become. Remember, muscles don’t work in isolation. Rather, they work in big groups. Sometimes, that means your entire body is engaged.

Natural Movement Patterns

If you want to prepare your body for real-world challenges, the exercises you perform should involve similar movement patterns. Think about the sort of things you might have to do outside of the gym, and then choose exercises that mirror those demands.

The most common human movement patterns include:

• Pushing
• Pulling
• Squatting
• Bending
• Twisting
• Carrying
• Lunging

Between them, these movements will develop all your major muscles and ensure you are physically ready for anything.

You can read more about the most common human movement patterns here.

Core Engagement

Core is the collective term for the muscles of your midsection, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, pelvic floor, diaphragm, and erector spinae. Together, these muscles stabilize and support your lower back. Most functional movements challenge your core muscles; they’re the link between your upper and lower body.

Consequently, to be functional, an exercise must engage the core muscles. That means there should be no back support. However, don’t think that all core exercises are functional, because that’s not the case. After all, other than sitting up in bed in the morning, when was the last time you did a crunch outside of the gym?

Ground-Based

You perform the best functional exercises standing. After all, most physically challenging tasks occur when you’re on your feet. There are exceptions, such as pull-ups, but that’s the exception and not the rule. Think about most lifting, pulling, and pushing movements. It’s rare to have to do them from a seated position.

Ground-based exercises use your body as it works in nature, developing your balance and stability. For example, the leg press and squats involve similar movements. However, as a ground-based exercise, squats are much more functional.

Challenging

We had a saying when I was in the Royal Marines: train hard, fight easy. This expression is the epitome of functional training. Functional exercises need to be challenging to be effective. It’s only by exposing your body to stress that it’ll get stronger and more capable. Easy workouts don’t cut it.

For example, if you want to be strong enough to pull yourself over a high wall, you need to be able to lift your body weight with just your arms. Lat pulldowns with 30% of your weight won’t build that kind of strength, but pull-ups will.

Can’t do pull-ups? That’s okay – now you’ve got something to train toward.

A lot of so-called functional exercises are so technically demanding that they don’t let you use much weight. Therefore, they won’t make you stronger.

Now you know what makes an effective functional strength exercise, let’s explore some of the added benefits of this style of training.

Functional Strength Exercise Benefits

Not sure if functional strength training exercises deserve a place in your workouts? Consider these benefits and then decide!

Improved Daily Functionality

In case you missed the memo, functional strength training improves your ability to overcome demanding situations outside of the gym (1). This could be lifting a heavy suitcase, carrying a child, pushing a stalled car, opening a rusted door, or any other task that demands a lot of strength.

Needless to say, with plenty of strength in reserve, such activities will feel more manageable and less tiring.

Improved Sports Performance

Functional strength training can also improve your sports performance (2). It can add yards to your golf drive, inches to your vertical jump, and force to your kicks and punches. It could even help you run faster and further. However, most sports-based workouts use the same principles as functional training, so this is not an especially unique benefit.

Reduced Risk of injury

Injuries are often the result of doing more than your body can structurally handle. This could be lifting something unusually heavy or running to catch a bus. The cause doesn’t matter, but the result is usually the same – pulled muscles, strained ligaments, or painful joints.

Functional training builds “strength reserve” so you can handle real-world activities with ease, reducing your risk of injury (3).

Increased Bone Density

Functional strength training isn’t just good for your muscles; it’s good for your bones, too. The characteristics of the best functional strength exercises mean that they load your bones, which causes an increase in bone density (4). Bone mass, like strength, decreases with age. However, lifting challenging weights will slow or even halt this from happening.

Denser bones are stronger bones, making them less prone to fracture and the ravages of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Better Body Awareness

Exercises like leg extensions and triceps pushdowns require very little coordination or balance. In fact, you barely need to think about what you are doing. Just push or pull on the appropriate lever. Simple!

In contrast, functional strength exercises involve big, complex movements that challenge your nervous system as much as your muscles. You’ll need to concentrate on what you are doing to maximize your performance. This increased body awareness, including balance, posture, and coordination, will enhance all your movements, both in and out of the gym (5).

Increased Caloric Expenditure

Training multiple muscles simultaneously burns more calories than isolation exercises (6). While nutrition and diet are arguably the most critical components of weight management, burning more calories per workout can help, too.

It’s impossible to determine how many calories a particular exercise burns. However, it makes sense that squats, which use all your leg and some upper body muscles, will burn more calories than leg extensions, which only work your quads.

A More Aesthetic Physique

Form follows function. In other words, the type of training you do determines how you look. Therefore, if you get strong, you’ll probably look strong, too. Real functional strength training builds a rugged, aesthetically pleasing physique. While it may not be the best way to develop massive muscles, it can help you look and feel like an athlete. 

You should now be well and truly sold on the benefits of functional strength training. So, enough talk; it’s time to get in the gym and lift some weights! In the next section, we reveal the best functional exercises for real-world strength.

The Best Functional Exercises for Real-World Strength

Now you know the characteristics and benefits of functional strength training, it’s time to reveal what I believe are the best exercises for this purpose. These choices are based on my 30-plus years working in the fitness industry, my time as a Royal Marine Commando, and how I train to remain strong and capable as I get older.

1. Deadlift

Muscles trained: Hamstrings, gluteus maximus, quadriceps, core, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, biceps, forearms.

Many trainers call the squat the king of exercises, and I don’t disagree. But, for functional strength, the deadlift is unbeatable as it translates more to the challenges you’ll face out in the real world. The deadlift teaches you how to lift heavy weights safely and can help prevent lower back injuries. It’ll also make you look and feel like a bonafide badass!

Steps:

1. Place a barbell on the floor. Ideally, it should be around mid-shin height.
2. Stand with your toes under the bar, feet about hip-width apart.
3. Lean forward and hold the bar with an overhand or mixed grip.
4. Brace your core, lower your hips, raise your chest, straighten your arms, and pull your shoulder back. Imagine your body is a coiled spring.
5. Drive your feet into the floor and stand up, ensuring your hips do not rise faster than your shoulders. Do not round your lower back.
6. Pause for a couple of seconds and then lower the bar back to the floor.
7. Reset your grip and core, and repeat.

Variations and alternatives:

• Rack pull
• Deficit deadlift
• Romanian deadlift

Related: Deadlift Form 101: How to Lift More Weight Safely

2. Goblet Squat

Muscles trained: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core.

I have nothing against barbell squats, but they’re not exactly functional. After all, when was the last time you did a squat with a weight on your shoulders out in the real world? Goblet squats involve holding a weight in your hands. This makes them far more practical and functional. They’re also ideal for home exercisers, who may not have access to a squat rack.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes in line with your knees.
2. Hold a weight (kettlebell, dumbbell) in front of your chest, just below your chin.
3. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
4. Bend your knees and squat down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Do not round your lower back.
5. Stand back up and repeat.

Variations and alternatives:

• Goblet box squat
• Zercher squat
• Trap bar squat

3. Squat Jumps

Muscles trained: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core.

While athletes often include jumping in their workouts, the average exercise does not. That’s a shame because jumping is a very functional way to build leg strength and power. It also teaches you how to land with control, absorbing impact to dissipate stress. Consequently, jumping is an exercise and skill for preventing injuries.

Steps:

1. Stand in an athletic stance with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Brace your core.
2. Bend your legs and descend into a half-depth squat.
3. Using your arms for extra momentum, jump up as high as possible.
4. Land on slightly bent legs to absorb the landing shock, drop into another squat, and repeat.

Variations and alternatives:

• Box jumps
• Hurdle jumps
• Split squat jumps

4. Lunges

Muscles trained: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, abductors, adductors, core.

Lunges train your lower body one leg at a time. This is very functional because many of life’s challenges happen on one leg, e.g., walking upstairs, running, and catching yourself after a trip. Lunges are also good for improving hip mobility and stability. They’ll also give you a butt you can be proud of!

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet together, arms by your sides. Look straight ahead, and brace your core.
2. Take a large step forward, bend your legs, and lower your rear knee down to about an inch off the floor.
3. Push off your front leg and return to the starting position.
4. Repeat with the other leg.
5. Continue alternating sides for the required number of reps.

Variations and alternatives:

• Dumbbell/barbell lunge
• Walking lunge
• Rear foot-elevated split squat

5. Push-Up

Muscles trained: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps, core.

The bench press is the world’s favorite chest exercise. However, lying on your back and pushing a weight up is not something most people do outside of the gym. In contrast, the push-up is a ground-based exercise that involves your entire body, including your core. This makes the humble push-up much more relevant to the challenges of daily living.

Steps:

1. Place your hands on the floor, roughly shoulder-width apart. Walk your feet out and back so your legs and body are straight.
2. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back.
3. Bend your arms and lower your chest to within an inch of the floor. Keep your upper arms close to your sides.
4. Extend your arms and repeat.

Variations and alternatives:

• Kneeling push-up
• Decline push-up
• Ring push-up

6. Pull-Ups/Chin-ups

Muscles trained: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, forearms.

The ability to lift your body weight using just your arms could save your life. Imagine having to pull yourself over a wall, out of a ditch, or up a rock face. And yet, this is something that many people cannot do. They’re either too heavy, too weak, or a little of both. Training to do more pull-ups will transform your body. That’s the power of this functional exercise.

Steps:

1. Hang from an overhead bar using an overhand slightly wider than shoulder-width grip (pull-ups). Alternatively, use a narrower than shoulder-width underhand grip (chin-ups).
2. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
3. Without kicking or swinging, bend your arms and pull your upper chest to the bar.
4. Extend your arms, descend smoothly, and repeat.

Variations and alternatives:

• Band-assisted pull-ups/chin-ups
• Jumping pull-ups/chin-ups
• Inverted rows

Related: Pull-ups vs. Chin-ups – Which One is Right for You?

7. Bent-Over Rows

Muscles trained: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, forearms.

Bent-over rows are a controversial exercise. They involve bending forward with a weight in your hands, which some fitness experts deem dangerous. However, this is the precise movement that many people struggle to do out in the real world, and that results in back injury. Consequently, done properly, this is a very effective functional strength exercise.

Steps:

1. Hold a barbell with an overhand or underhand, shoulder-width grip.
2. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
3. Lean forward from your hips until your torso is inclined to about 45 degrees. Do not round your lower back.
4. Bend your arms and pull the bar into your abdomen.
5. Extend your arms and repeat

Variations and alternatives:

• Pendlay row
• Yates row
• T-bar row

8. Overhead Presses

Muscles trained: Deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids, triceps, core.

Before the bench press was invented, if you wanted to test or demonstrate your strength, you lifted heavy weights overhead. Needless to say, such a feat is a true test of functional pressing prowess. Overhead pressing, especially done standing, involves not only your upper body but your legs and core, too.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent for balance. Brace your core.
2. Hold a barbell in front of your shoulders with an overhand, shoulder-width grip.
3. Without using your legs for assistance, push the weight up and overhead to arm’s length.
4. Lower the bar back to your shoulders and repeat.

Variations and alternatives:

• Military press
• Dumbbell overhead press
• Push-press

9. Farmer’s Walk

Muscles trained: Forearms, trapezius, core, legs.

Lifting and carrying a heavy weight is the epitome of functional training. After all, it’s activities like this that make many people realize how weak or out of shape they are. While farmer’s walks are very simple, they’re also challenging and effective. In short, they’re everything a real functional exercise should be!

Steps:

1. Place two weights on the floor and stand between them. Squat down, grip them, and then stand up using a good deadlift technique.
2. Take your weights for a walk around your training area. Keep your core braced, your shoulders engaged, and squeeze your hands tightly.
3. Continue until your grip begins to fail.
4. Lower the weights to the floor, rest, and repeat.

Variations and alternatives:

• Single-arm farmer’s walk
• Waiter’s walk
• Zercher carry walk

Closing Thoughts

Functional training is NOT balancing on a stability ball while curling pink dumbbells! Instead, it’s training that prepares your body for the demands of living in the real world. Functional exercises include deadlifts, pull-ups, push-ups, goblet squats, and farmer’s walks. These basic but big exercises will ensure you can cope with any physical demands that come your way.

How should you use these exercises? That’s up to you! You could build your entire training program around them or add a few to your regular workout routine. Gradually increase your weights to get stronger, and use the variations listed to keep your workouts varied and avoid boredom.

Either way, make the exercises in this article the cornerstone of your training, and you’ll develop real functional strength.

References:

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3. Fleck SJ, Falkel JE. Value of resistance training for the reduction of sports injuries. Sports Med. 1986 Jan-Feb;3(1):61-8. doi: 10.2165/00007256-198603010-00006. PMID: 3633121.
4. Layne JE, Nelson ME. The effects of progressive resistance training on bone density: a review. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999 Jan;31(1):25-30. doi: 10.1097/00005768-199901000-00006. PMID: 9927006.
5. Mian OS, Baltzopoulos V, Minetti AE, Narici MV. The impact of physical training on locomotor function in older people. Sports Med. 2007;37(8):683-701. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200737080-00003. PMID: 17645371.
6. Paoli A, Gentil P, Moro T, Marcolin G, Bianco A. Resistance Training with Single vs. Multi-joint Exercises at Equal Total Load Volume: Effects on Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Muscle Strength. Front Physiol. 2017 Dec 22;8:1105. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.01105. PMID: 29312007; PMCID: PMC5744434.

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