The very nature of workouts lends them to great variation and you will often find that they can differ dramatically from one person to the next, depending on a whole host of factors. Some of these factors encompass variables related to physique type, weight, knowledge, and what equipment is around to use. Many times, people do not vary their exercise regimens enough and will inevitably become bored with working out the same way with the same exercises again and again. Over time, people start making up reasons to not exercise. It might be that the treadmill is broken or that all the exercise bikes are being used at that moment.

Here are some suggestions as to how you can go further with your basic workouts to make them more interesting and convenient in order to help you perform with greater functional strength. An excellent rule to abide by is to understand that weight training means to lift a weight. The weight can be anything at all. ‘Cardiovascular exercise’ refers to any movement at all and is not restricted to exercises done in a workout facility. The essential point you need to understand is that functional strength workouts do not depend on whether or not a certain exercise machine in a workout facility is available for you to use. A lot of people spend quite a bit of time thinking about which exercise machine they should buy to use in their houses. They do not realize that equipment is not necessary if one wants to achieve exercise that works. You have all the equipment you need with just your body weight, which is a superior machine to help you perform functional strength workouts that will increase your strength and durability.

Functional strength movements such as push-ups, squats, chin-ups, and lunges are exercises that use body weight and can be performed by just about anyone. A great majority of people all over the world cannot even do five normal push-ups or bend over and touch their fingers to their toes more than once or twice. Unfortunately, these days, convenience and technology has caused us to be sedentary and we cannot even lift our own body weight when doing some basic exercises.

It seems rather intuitive that the first step to achieving proper fitness should be functional strength training, which trains a person to effectively move the weight of their own body. Weights are not necessary to incorporate into exercise if a person is unable to perform even one squat by lowering the body to the point where the knees are at a 90 degree angle. Another fact is that a lot of people who cannot perform basic functional strength movements with just their body weight have probably suffered an injury of some kind, or have not exercised regularly for a particular reason.

Surprising as it may seem, athletes unable to balance themselves during a single body weight step-up are still able to perform squats with wights of 100 kilograms. This is due to the fact that balancing on a single leg is required to perform a step-up. People who are more active will vastly increase the chances that they will injure themselves if they cannot maintain proper balance and bodily control, which these stepups can help hone. That is why functional strength training is so important; it is one of the best methods of improving balance, among other things.

As such, functional strength exercises are an essential tool to help you enhance your balance and other vital body movements. Read on for a sample exercise program that comprises various functional strength training circuit exercises that are extremely effective at improving balance and achieving weight loss. The one thing you must remember when performing functional strength training exercises is that form is very important and that the exercises have no value if you don’t do them properly.

Depending on your endurance and strength levels, you can do between three to five sets of thirty to sixty seconds worth of each functional strength training exercise.

1. Burpee Chin-Ups

2. Step Push-Ups

3. Towel Charges

4. Get-Ups

5. Push-Up Holds

6. Wall Holds

The Exercises Explained

Burpee Chin-Ups – Start this functional strength training exercise standing upright, with your hands relaxed and by your sides. Squat until you feel your hands touch the floor, then thrust your legs out behind you, keeping your arms straight to support your body. Then pull your legs forwards until you are in a squatting position again, and jump up to grip the chin-up bar. Using the momentum from your jump, do a single close-grip underhand chin-up then release the bar and repeat everything. If a chin-up bar is not available, you can also perform this functional strength training exercise as a simple burpee exercise without the added chin-ups.

Step Push-Ups – Begin with your body in the plank position with your arms straight, just in front of a step. Making sure your hips stay flat, move your one hand onto the step, followed by the other hand. Then move one hand back down followed by the other. That completes a single repetition of this functional strength training exercise.

Towel Charges – For this functional strength training exercise you will need two towels that you don’t mind dirtying. Get into the plank position with your arms straight, and put each of your feet on top of a towel. Keeping your lower back as straight as possible, slowly slide one knee up to touch your chest, then slide it back behind you. Do the same with your other leg.

Get-Ups – Hold a single dumbbell above your head and lie down flat on the floor. Keeping the dumbbell above your head at all times, bend your knees and get them under your body so you can bring yourself up into a squatting position. From your squatting position push yourself up until you are standing straight, then sink back down into a squat and back to you beginning position. That completes a single repetition of this functional strength training exercise.
Push-Up Holds – Begin in the plank position with your arms straight, then lower your body in a regular push-up. Hold your body in this position for whatever amount of time you stipulate for yourself, then push yourself back up to your starting position. If you find that you are unable to hold the push-up for the set amount of time, push yourself back up and recover instead of letting yourself fall to the ground.

Wall Holds – The starting position for this functional strength training exercise is essentially the plank position with your arms straight, only your feet are placed flat against a wall. This means that your arms will be supporting most of your weight. Hold your body in this position for the set amount of time or as long as you can, before returning back to the regular plank position.