First, essential equipment for doing Functional workouts at home:
The benefits of functional movement style workouts include constant variation of the nature of the workout. You can easily find workouts online apps and websites. Many provide options that allow you to select workouts that emphasize bodyweight and certain types of equipment. You can start out with daily exercises that use bodyweight only, while investing in a few space efficient and affordable pieces of equipment that will let you level up your home gym. Here are the most essential pieces, as well as the type of workouts that emphasize them.Kettlebell:
Rower:
Dynamax Wall Medicine Ball:
Plyo Box:
Jump Rope:
Most of the equipment included in this article can easily be transported for outdoor workouts and supplement bodyweight movements and running for a scalable approach to functional training that can work in nearly any space or setting. The benefits of training with the full range of motion and variety of movements provided in functional exercise can be tailored to any individual and setting and complemented with minimal equipment. You’ll find that the competitive nature of these workouts as you focus on beating the clock or your last performance will keep motivation high and drive you to find your own personal bests.
Get Started with functional training with these 2 full workouts
Now that you have all the essential equipment for your home gym, here are two efficient and effective Home Gym workouts that will immediately become a go-to in your home workouts. A well-rounded daily program should add to your selected daily exercises by including a warm-up, mobility, and strength work to provide a better rounded workout. Ideally, the movements that are included in the warm-up will prepare the body for the demands of your daily workout. These two full daily workouts fit that bill and are suitable for nearly any home gym or travel workout space.Home Exercise: Workout #1
This workout is a serious calorie burner that will emphasizes developing explosive power and improving range of motion and upper/lower body integration. Equipment: Dynamax Medicine Wall Ball, Plyo Box, exercise band or pull up bar, treadmill or outdoor running space or substitute a rower.Warm-up:
- Run/walk 800 meters (.5 miles) (may substitute rowing)
Repeat three times:
- 10 air squats
- 10 push-ups
- 5 pull-ups or banded lat pull downs
Workout:
Complete five rounds of the following as quickly as possible:- Run 400 meters
- 30 box jumps (or box step ups)
- 30 wall balls
Cool-down:
- Walk 400 meters, stretch and foam roll calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps.
Home Exercise: Workout #2
This workout emphasizes improving strength in the posterior chain and shoulders. The warm-up targets building core strength and improving squat form to support healthy movements during the workout. Following the heavy demands of this workout, don’t miss the shoulder mobility during the cool down. Equipment: Rower, Kettlebell, Jump Rope.Warm-up:
- 5 minutes jumping rope (singles or practice double unders)
- Foam Rolling calves and lats
- Row 500 meters
Repeat three times:
- 1 minute plank
- 5 burpees
- 10 push ups
- 10 front squats (using Kettlebell)
Daily Workout:
Complete four rounds of the following as quickly as possible:- 500 meter row
- 12 burpees
- 15 push ups
- 20 Kettlebell swings
- 40 double unders
Cool down:
- Stretch low back, hips, calves, and hamstrings, shoulder mobility using exercise band or jump rope
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About the writer: Joli Guenther is a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor and clinical social worker practicing in and around Madison, Wisconsin. Learn more about Joli.