Workout of the week: 30-min functional strength workout

23rd May 2022

ALL LEVELS / functional strength workout / 30 minutes

Equipment: Dumbbells & exercise mat

Functional training is all about mimicking day-to-day activities and guaranteeing that you can perform these movements safely and efficiently. No wonder no one immediately associates this type of training with muscle gain – but they should. Unlike bodybuilding, functional training builds strength on a smaller scale, activating entire muscle groups instead of focusing only on the larger ones. However, as we know, talk is cheap, so it’s time to prove it.

This 30-minute functional strength workout illustrates our point perfectly. With a hybrid approach, combining bodyweight-only exercises with weight ones, you’ll get all the benefits of functional training while growing muscle mass. This training session has 2 groups with 4 exercises each, and you’ll have to perform each exercise for 45 seconds with no rest in between. After completing 4 rounds, you can rest for 2 minutes before moving to the second group. All this should take you around 30 minutes to complete.

1st group

Push-up
Goblet squat
Commando
Dumbbell deadlift

2nd group

Dumbbell military press
Dumbbell lunge
Deadlift to row
Burpees over mat

When you’re ready, let’s build muscle the functional way!

WORKOUT SETUP

2 groups – 4 exercises each
45 sec each exercise
4 rounds each group
No rest between exercises and rounds
Rest for 2 minutes between groups
30 minutes total
Equipment: Dumbbells & exercise mat

WORKING OUT FROM HOME? NO PROBLEM.

If you don’t have the equipment originally needed for this workout, you can substitute it with these everyday items or use these alternative exercises.

Alternative equipment

Dumbbells = water bottles filled with water and / or sand

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

4 rounds each group

1st GROUP

1 – PUSH-UP

45 seconds

Start in a plank position with arms straight, shoulders above wrists, and body in a straight line.
Engage the core and glutes.
Keeping the shoulders over the wrists, lower the whole body towards the floor, dropping comfortably as low as you can.
Push the body upwards and return to the start position. Repeat.

2 – GOBLET SQUAT

45 seconds

Stand tall and hold a dumbbell vertically, putting your hands below the top of the weight.
Place the dumbbell against your chest and keep it there throughout the whole movement.
Squat, keeping your core tight and back upright.
Get back up, placing the strength on your feet during the movement.
Repeat.

3 – COMMANDO

45 seconds

Start in the standard plank position.
Keep your core tight and head neutral.
Push up your right hand until that arm is straight. Then, repeat the process with your left hand and arm until you are in a high plank position.
Then, lower your back down to your starting position on your right and left arm, respectively.
Switch hands.

4 – DUMBBELL DEADLIFT

45 seconds

Begin in standing, holding a dumbbell in each hand. As the video shows, the dumbbells can be positioned in front of the body; however, if this puts too much stress on your low back, hold the dumbbells by your side.
Engage the core and begin the movement by bending the knees slightly and hinging the hips. Then continue the bending by pushing the hips backwards, lowering the dumbbells as far as comfortable.
At the bottom of the movement, actively engage the glutes, push the feet into the floor and drive the hips upwards and forwards to return to the start position.
Repeat for 45 seconds.

2nd GROUP

1 – DUMBBELL MILITARY PRESS

45 seconds

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Set the shoulders and engage the core.
Lift your arms up so that they make a straight line with your shoulders.
Bend your elbows to a 45-degree angle.
Lower the dumbbells and return to the 45-degree angle starting position.
Throughout the whole exercise, maintain your core tight, shoulder blades squeezed together and your torso upright.

2 – DUMBBELL LUNGE

45 seconds

Stand tall and hold the dumbbells by your shoulders.
Step your right leg forward keeping the heel down.
Raise the heel of the left leg.
Then, lower the torso until the back knee touches the ground, with a full hip and knee extension.
Repeat.

3 – DEADLIFT TO ROW

45 seconds

Standing up proud, hold two dumbbells in each arm.
Now, bend forward until your upper body is slightly above parallel to the ground. Your back should remain under tension/straight throughout the motion.
Row the dumbbells up and down one time. Bend your elbows and retract your shoulder blades.
With your arms returned to the lower position, raise your upper body back up.

4 – BURPEES OVER MAT

45 seconds

Stand tall, parallel to the mat and engage the core.
Begin the movement by quickly bending down, reaching the hands towards the floor in front of the feet. As you do this, simultaneously jump, bringing your legs back and land on the floor in a push-up position.
Drive the hips up rapidly and jump into a squat position.
Then, in a single movement, explosively jump over the mat while returning to the upright position.
Repeat.