Functional Training 101: Plan, Grow, Strengthen
Many of us have the same goal: be physically active on a regular basis to live a healthier lifestyle. This simple goal is something we can all relate to, but is often neglected because the thought of weight training at a gym brings on stress and unwelcomed nervousness. I’m here to let you in on a little secret. Functional training doesn’t require a gym membership and will still help you achieve all of your goals to transform your body!
Functional training is a great way to plan your workouts, grow your muscles, and strengthen your body, simply by using your own body weight or small hand held weights. Any of the equipment you might need can be found at almost any local big box store, or you can stick with what you already have in your home. It incorporates moving your body on a daily basis with stretching, simple movements, and easy to follow routines that will make you sweat. It challenges you to focus on your body, dedicate individual time to every muscle group, and allows you to be intentional with your daily physical exercise.
With this in mind, a question you may be asking yourself is, why choose functional training over using weight machines at a gym? Truthfully, depending on what your fitness goals are, the gym is equally as great of an option for transforming your body. However, for beginners (or anyone who feels more comfortable working out in their own home) functional training is the way to go. The benefits are slightly different from what you’d get from gym training, but they are still life-changing. Functional training leads to a stronger core, increased flexibility, balance, mobility, and decreases your chance of fitness related injuries. Participating in functional training has been proven to burn calories, increase your heart rate, and increase your lean muscle mass, which is everything you need to do to improve your body’s health and see noticeable changes.
So where exactly do you start? Planning your own functional training schedule can be daunting at first, but once you find your rhythm, your workout will be the highlight of your day. For your first functional training workout, aim for 20 minutes of light to medium cardio (exercises to increase your heart rate) and 20 minutes of light to medium muscle training. You can choose whichever form of cardio you prefer: walking, running, an online workout video, or cycling. Once you’ve completed your cardio routine, you’re ready to move onto muscle training. For this part of the workout, pick at least 5 different exercises, choose how many reps you want to complete per exercise, and then do 3 full rounds of everything you’ve picked. You can go at your own pace but remember, you need to sweat in order to burn calories!
There are thousands of different beginner level movements you can choose from to get started. For beginners, some of my suggestions are simple squats, lunges, push-ups, planks, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, or crunches. After you’ve defined your full functional training program, challenge yourself to complete the routine 2-3 times per week. The great thing about functional training is that there are hundreds of different routines and combinations you can create. As long as you are consistent with switching up your routine your body will continue to see amazing improvements.
If you’re still struggling with creating a beginner level functional training routine, I’ve created two easy to follow workouts to help you get started!
30 Minute Muscle Strengthening Workout (body weight only!)
16 Wide Squats (Sumo Squats)
12 Lunges (Right leg)
12 Lunges (Left leg)
16 Regular Squats
15 Second Plank
20 Bicycle Crunches
Repeat 2 times!
Once completed, go for a 20 minute walk or stretch your muscles for 15 minutes! Try this muscle strengthening routine at least two times this week.
45 Minute Full Body Workout
Start with 25 minutes of light/medium cardio (this can be running/walking on a treadmill or outside)
1 Minute High Knees
15 Squats
15 Jump Squats
10 Push-ups
15 Second Plank
Repeat three times (not including the light cardio)
For more functional training inspiration, check out some of these at home workout videos on YouTube! These are all 30 minutes or less and do not require any special equipment.
15 Low Impact Lower Body Workout
Need more guidance on how to start your functional training routine? Schedule a virtual 1:1 visit with Elizabeth Rose Vitality to create a custom plan today!
