Functional bodybuilding exercises are quickly becoming a popular choice for athletes who want to gain strength, endurance, and power. These workouts focus on improving overall body composition through compound movements that allow you to work multiple muscles at once. Not only do functional bodybuilding exercises help increase muscular strength and size, but they also improve coordination and balance, allowing you to perform more complex tasks with greater ease.
What is Functional Bodybuilding?
Functional bodybuilding is a type of strength training regime that encompasses both the physical and psychological aspects of fitness. The idea behind this form of bodybuilding is to use exercises to improve overall physical performance, while also developing mental toughness. This combination of physical and psychological conditioning can be beneficial for competitive athletes, as well as those who are just looking to stay fit and healthy.
This type of strength training involves more than just lifting weights – it also emphasizes proper technique and consistency, so that muscles don’t become overworked or imbalanced. Functional bodybuilding focuses on maximizing the benefits from each exercise by targeting specific muscle groups in order to produce compound movements with greater intensity. Additionally, this type of workout includes cardiovascular exercises to increase endurance and help burn fat more efficiently.
Top 10 Functional Bodybuilding Exercises
#1 Bent Over BB Row
If you’re looking to add some serious muscle mass while also improving your posture and functionality, the bent over barbell row is an excellent choice. This compound exercise targets a variety of muscles in the back, including the lats, rhomboids, traps, and rear deltoids. Not only does it help build a muscular back but it also strengthens core stability and improves overall posture.
How To Do?
- Start by setting up the bar on the floor with a medium grip width.
- Then hinge at your hips until your chest is nearly parallel to the ground and grab onto the barbell with both hands.
- Keeping your spine neutral, pull the weight up towards you while squeezing your shoulder blades together until your elbows are behind you.
- Slowly return to starting position for full reps before lowering down to rest between sets.
Pro Tip
When performing a Bent Over Barbell Row, maintain a straight spine throughout the exercise. This means keeping your head up and neck in line with the rest of your body while pulling the bar towards you. Keeping proper form during this exercise is essential for avoiding injury while building muscle mass.
#2 Deadlift
For those looking to incorporate deadlifts into their training routine, it is important to understand how they work and why they are beneficial in terms of functional bodybuilding. Deadlift requires full-body engagement from the feet up; this means that every muscle group in the body must be activated during each rep for maximal results. Furthermore, when performed correctly, deadlift can help strengthen the core muscles that drive power movements like running or jumping – making them an invaluable part of any functional bodybuilding program.
How To Do?
- Begin by positioning yourself appropriately near the barbell with your feet hip width apart from each other; start with lighter weights until you feel comfortable.
- From there, bend down and grab the barbell with both hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Ensure that your back remains flat, your shoulder blades are pulled together, and your chin tucked in throughout the movement.
- To lift up, drive through your heels while keeping the bar close to your body as you stand up straight until you reach full extension at the top of the movement.
Pro Tip
If you want to maximize your deadlift gains, the key is proper form. A pro tip for executing a deadlift correctly is to start with your feet just outside of shoulder-width and point your toes slightly outward. To ensure correct posture throughout the motion, make sure that you keep your chest up and back flat, while also engaging your core muscles and squeezing your glutes.
#3 Squats
When it comes to building a powerful and aesthetic physique, few exercises can compete with squats. Squats work your quads, hamstrings, calves, core muscles and glutes all at once. This makes them ideal for building strength and size throughout your entire lower body while also helping to boost overall athleticism. Moreover, squats will help you improve balance and coordination by strengthening stabilizer muscles in your hips and back
How To Do?
- Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, toes slightly pointed out.
- Bend at the hips and knees while keeping your back straight until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
- Make sure that your weight is evenly distributed between both feet throughout this movement.
- You can hold onto a support if you feel unsteady during this part of the exercise.
- Hold this position for a few seconds before slowly returning to starting position.
Pro Tip
Always make sure you warm up properly before starting any squat routine. This will prevent injury by increasing blood flow to muscles and lubricating joints so they can move more freely during exercise.
#4 Pullup
For those who love fitness, there is no better way to push your body to its limits than with a good old pull up. Pull ups are an essential part of functional bodybuilding, providing a full-body workout that will leave you feeling stronger and more powerful. Not only do they target the arms, back and core muscles; pull ups also help to improve coordination and agility as well as increasing strength.
Although pull ups can be difficult at first, consistent practice will help you perfect your form and see results.
How To Do?
- Start by finding a bar that is high enough off the ground for you to hold onto with your hands and hang from it with your feet off the ground.
- When you grip the bar, make sure your palms face away from you and keep them slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Next, tighten your core muscles and exhale as you bring yourself up towards the bar until your chin passes over it.
- Keep your elbows close to your body throughout this movement and pause at the top before slowly lowering yourself back down again into a hanging position.
Pro Tip
It can be beneficial to add extra weight until you become comfortable with the exercise itself before attempting it without any extra load. To ensure that your back is fully engaged while doing the pull up, remember to bring your shoulder blades down and together at the bottom of each rep.
#5 Leg Press
Leg press is a key exercise for functional bodybuilding. It helps to strengthen the muscles in the lower body, improving overall mobility and stability. Not only does it build up strength, but also develops muscular endurance, allowing athletes to perform multiple reps with greater control.
The leg press is an effective compound movement that can be done with a variety of different equipment such as machines and barbells. It targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, core and calves. Adding weight gradually increases the intensity of this exercise which enables flexibility in training programs for any fitness level or goal.
By incorporating leg presses into your workout routine you will work on building power and explosiveness needed for activities like sprinting or jumping while also improving balance due to increased muscular stability throughout your entire lower body.
How To Do?
- To do a leg press correctly, start by getting into the seated position in the machine with your back firmly against the pad.
- Place your feet on the plate about shoulder width apart or slightly wider depending on personal preference.
- Take a deep breath and brace your core as you slowly lower the weight until your knees form 90 degree angles.
- Push through your heels as you extend through your legs, pushing back up until they are straight but not locked out.
Pro Tip
It’s important to make sure that the weight is distributed evenly across both legs when performing the leg press. This will help ensure that each side of your body works equally hard during the exercise and prevent any unnecessary strain or injury. Also be sure to keep your feet flat on the platform at all times while doing a leg press. This will ensure an even distribution of force throughout your entire lower body and provide you with more stability throughout your lift.
Answers You Want To Know
- How do I make sure that my workouts are effective and challenging?
To make sure that your workouts are effective and challenging, you’ll need to do them with moderate to high intensity. You should also choose exercises that work all major muscle groups – this way, you’ll be hitting all the key building blocks of a functional fitness program. In addition, make sure to rest only short periods of time between sets (microseconds count!). And last but not least, always begin with the basics and work your way up!
- Which muscles should I target when doing functional bodybuilding exercises?
When it comes to functional bodybuilding, you should target your glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves and abs.
The main purpose of doing functional bodybuilding exercises is not just to look good but also to help improve your fitness level. To do this, you need to combine compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
To ensure you’re performing the exercises correctly, make sure to keep a strong focus on proper form. Improper form can lead to injury. So be sure to review the four key essentials of perfect form before jumping into any functional bodybuilding routine.
- What types of equipment do I need to perform functional bodybuilding workouts?
To perform functional bodybuilding workouts, all you’ll need is some weights and a space to work out. You don’t need any fancy equipment, as all you’ll need is a set of dumbbells, resistance bands, and an exercise mat.
Make your gym visits more efficient by packing light – lightweight dumbbells, resistance bands, and an exercise mat are all you’ll need. This way, you can pack less and save transportation costs while still getting the same workout.
If traveling for work or vacation sometime soon, bring along just the right amount of weight. As functional bodybuilding exercises focus on using compound movements that target multiple muscle groups at once, a minimal amount of weight will do the trick.
- How often should I perform each exercise in my workout plan?
It is important to perform each exercise in your functional bodybuilding routine at least twice per week. By doing so, you will be maximizing your results and minimizing the risk of injury.
Furthermore, it is also helpful to follow a consistent format for every workout. This means that you should start off with cardio, followed by strength training exercises, and finally, stretching.
Words From Sheru Classic
With so many people turning to gyms to get fit, it’s no wonder that functional bodybuilding exercises are becoming increasingly popular. These exercises focus on building strength and muscle without relying on bulky muscle mass. If you’re looking for a quick and effective way to get in shape, functional bodybuilding exercises are the way to go! Make sure to check out our website for a comprehensive list of bodybuilding exercises that you can use in your gym routine.
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