Functional Strength Training Exercises
Functional Strength Training involves multi-limb, multi-plain movements that resemble real world and/or sport-specific movements. Its purpose is to improve neuromuscular coordination, strength and injury resistance in these movements. Core strength is important to all Functional Strength movements, so core strength exercises are also included here. Most of these exercises can be performed with limited equipment.
Pelvic Tilt: Lying your back, knees up, feet flat on the floor. Tilt your pelvis upward and down. Concentrate on tucking your belly button under your rib cage – feel your pelvis tilt backwards toward you. Then curve your spine and bring your lower back off the floor – feel your pelvis tip away from you. Run through this range of motion 5 times each direction. Finish with your pelvis in neutral position half way between the range of motion. This exercise increases pelvic and postural awareness and creates a stable platform upon which to create movements.
Bridging: Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. If you have a small medicine ball or foam roller, place it between your knees to maintain your knee alignment. Press your heels into the ground and raise your hips as high as you can without arching your back. Feel your glutes and abdominals firing to support your hips. Lower your hips back to the floor. Repeat for 10-12 repetitions.
Progression: Extend one leg straight out and bridge with only one leg, making sure to keep the ball stable between your knees.
Windshield Wipers: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Keeping your knees, feet and ankles together, and your feet on the ground, smoothly lower both legs to the ground on one side. Feel a gentle and dynamic stretch in your top hip and lower back. Smoothly raise your knees back up and over to the side. Keep your head centered and eyes straight up. Repeat for 5-6 repetitions on each side.
Progression #1. Bring your feet of the ground, making a 90˚ angle at your knee and at your hips. Maintaining these 90˚ angles, and keeping your ankles and knees together gently lower your legs from side to side.
Progression #2. Bring your feet straight up in the air, making a 90˚ at your hips. Maintaining this angle and keeping your ankles and knees together, gently lower your legs from side to side.
Scorpions: Lie face down on the floor or mat. Place your arms out to both sides. Peaking over your left shoulder, bend your right knee and bring your sole of you right foot up and across toward your left hand. Allow your hips to turn as much as you can while keep both shoulders touching the mat. After a 2-3 second stretch, return your right foot to its starting point and repeat with left leg. As you switch from side to side, turn your head and peak over the shoulder toward which your foot is moving. This dynamic stretch will open up your hips and lower back.
Straight Arm Pull Downs: For this exercise, you can use either elastics or a cable machine. Stand with both arms straight out in front. Grasp your resistance (elastic tubing supported from above, or cable machine with either a straight bar or handles) with both arms straight out in front, shoulder width and your palms down. Keeping your elbows straight, shoulders back and you eyes forward, pull your hands down until they are next to your thighs. Finish as if standing at attention. Smoothly raise your hands back to shoulder height and repeat for 12-15 repetitions.
Chest Press on Balance Ball: Select dumbbells that are a little lighter than you would use on a stable bench. Sit on a balance ball with the dumbbells in your lap. Walk your feet out and lay back on the ball to create a virtual “bench” with your hips up and in line with your knees and shoulders.. At the same time bring the dumbbells from your lap up to your chest. The ball should be between your shoulder blades and your head should be supported by the ball. Press the dumbbells up from shoulder width until they touch while at arms’ length. The path of the press should follow a “V”. Keep your movements controlled as the stability muscles in your shoulders will be working overtime. Perform 12-15 repetitions.
Standing Lunges: Take a long front step and distribute your weight evening between front and back foot. Smoothly lower your hips DOWN, not forward, toward the floor allowing your back knee to bend as needed. In order to assure that you are keeping your weight back, reach behind your front foot and touch the heel of your shoe with each hand. Raise yourself back up to your long step position and repeat for 12-15 repetitions. Switch legs and repeat.
Progression: Add weight with dumbbells. Touch the dumbbells together behind your front leg so that you are keeping you weight back.
Balance Ball Abs: Sit on a balance ball with both feet on the ground. Walk out a short distance so that your tailbone is resting on the ball and then lean back. Crunch UP, not forward, as if you were trying to touch the ceiling with your chin. After you reach your highest point, lower your body back to horizontal. Repeat for 15-30 repetitions.
Progression #1: At the highest point of the crunch, turn your torso face to the left. Return to center and then return to your horizontal position. Alternate sides.
Progression #2: While crunching straight up, extend your arms up to the ceiling to add more resistance.
Single Leg Squat: Standing on one leg, arms out to your sides for balance, eyes up and your weight back, slowly lower yourself down on your standing leg. Once your hips start to tilt, stop and raise yourself back up to your single leg standing position. Repeat for 12-15 repetitions on each leg.
Progression: Place a dumbbell on its side (so that the handle is vertical) in front of you. Holding the matching dumbbell in your right hand, stand on your left leg. Lower your body as before and then reach out with the dumbbell and tap the dumbbell on the floor. Return back up to your single leg standing position. Repeat for 12-15 repetitions on each side (switch hands with the dumbbell when you switch legs).
Standing Rotation: Using either elastic tubing, a medicine ball, or a shoulder height cable machine, stand 90˚ to the resistance anchor with both hands holding the resistance at shoulder height. Keeping your arms straight and your head inline with your arms, rotate your torso and turn 180˚ to face the opposite direction. Return smoothly to the original position and repeat for 12-20 repetitions. Your hands should follow a smooth arc and the majority of the work should be down with your torso and your hips, not your arms.
Balance Ball Rotation: From a sitting position roll out onto the balance ball as you did when performing the chest press. Extend your arms straight up with palms touching. Keeping your feet securely on the ground and your hips up, turn your torso to the right and roll the ball onto your right shoulder. Keep your head, arms, shoulders and torso moving together. Your arms should rotate no farther than horizontal. Rotate back to your left and roll the ball underneath you until you are on your left shoulder and arms horizontal again. Keep the movements controlled and smooth.
Progression: Hold progressively heavy implements, such as medicine balls or dumbbells, in your hands while keeping your arms fully extended.
Penguins: Step through a loop of resistance banding or tubing so that both feet are inside the loop, the band is resting just above your ankles and with your feet at shoulder width, there is tension on the band. Keeping your legs straight, your waist long (don’t hike up your hip), and your feet facing straight forward, lean to your left and lift your right foot 3-4 inches off the ground. Hold for 2-3 seconds, return your foot to the ground and repeat on your left side. You should resemble a penguin waddling from side to side. Repeat for 10 repetitions to each side. This exercise will help strengthen your hip stabilization muscles, specifically your tensor fascia late (TFL) which forms in your iliotibial band (IT Band).
Progression: With your feet at shoulder width hop quickly with both feet. Keep your legs pressing out against the resistance band, even when your feet are both off the ground.
Planks: Lie face down on the floor or a mat. Tuck your arms underneath you and then raise up on your elbows sphinx-style. Make sure your elbows are under your shoulders. Now raise your hips and legs off the ground so that the only things touching the ground your elbows/forearms and you toes. Keep you eyes straight down and your head in alignment with your spine. Tuck you tailbone and lift your hips to create a flat “table” from your hips to your shoulders. Hold for up to 2 minutes. As you get tired, your low back will start to curve. Keep tightening your abdominals and think of screwing your belly button tighter to keep this from happening. Keep breathing!
Progression #1: Once you are able to hold the position for 2 minutes, rest a 10 pound barbell plate on your lowback/glutes. Once you can do that for 2 minutes, add a 25 pound plate.
Progression #2: From the static position, raise and extend one arm straight out from your shoulder. Hold for 5 seconds then return it to its position. Switch arms and repeat several times.
These are a few of any number of core and functional exercises that you can implement into your training schedule. For more ideas, consult Core Performance, by Mark Verstegen (Rodale, 2004).