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In the variety of fitness trends that have been popping up in the past few years, some might seem complicated and intimidating. However, that’s definitely not the case for functional fitness. Functional fitness is becoming more and more popular with people trying to get fit simply because of its purpose—which is to make you more functional every day. Functional exercises are designed to prepare your body for movements and activities that you normally do every day.
By making your muscles groups work together, functional training prepares your body for movements like pulling, pushing, reaching, squatting, and lifting, all of which reflect the movements you would perform while cleaning your house, running errands, or playing sports. Not only does it help you move more efficiently, but it also makes you less prone to injuries.
Are men’s functional training and women’s functional training similar?
The basic principles of functional fitness can be applied to everyone, regardless of gender. We should all strengthen our core muscles: the abs and lower back. We should all prioritize multiple-joint exercises over isolated movements like those we would normally do on gym machines. And we can all benefit from strength training. However, there are some important gender-dependent differences to note when creating your full-body workout.
Why should men’s functional training be different from women’s functional training?
It’s simply because the genetic makeup of male bodies is not identical to female bodies. There are several factors that play into this. For one, male bodies tend to grow stronger at a faster rate because men’s bodies naturally produce testosterone.
Male bodies tend to grow stronger faster than female bodies because they produce more testosterone. Besides the development of a male’s reproductive system, testosterone plays a significant role in developing bone and muscle mass and strength. This is also why it’s easier and faster for men to increase the amount of weight they lift compared to women.
Another aspect to look into is that one workout routine can bring different results to men and women. Women are more inclined to enjoy interval training than men, while men are predisposed to perform well in endurance trainings because they have bigger lungs.
When trying out functional training exercises, you have to remember that the proper form for women is different for men. There will be a couple of adjustments. Techniques for certain exercises like squats and lunges will vary for men and women, considering women have naturally wider hips and men have broader shoulders.
There are various techniques you can do to make the most out of functional exercises. In fact, you can do a full-body workout right in the comfort of your home using only your body weight, or a couple of dumbbells and a medicine ball. Of course, we still recommend the presence of trainers when doing functional training as they can observe your form and make corrections when needed. Here are a few functional exercises you can try at home:
1. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Equipment needed:
- 2 dumbbells (Choose weight that lets you hit your breaking point)
Instructions:
- Stand straight as you hold one dumbbell in each hand. Hang your arms down and point your elbows to your sides.
- Bend your knees, moving your butt as far backward as you can. Don’t bend forward. Use your hips and engage your core.
- When you’ve pushed as far back as you can, stop for a moment, then use your hips to go back to the starting position.
The dumbbell Romanian deadlift is great for your lower back muscles and will help you develop your glutes. Your legs will be toned and your hamstrings will grow more flexible. This can help lessen back pain for people who spend most of the day sitting down.
2. Kettlebell swing
Equipment needed:
- Kettlebell (Choose weight that lets you hit your breaking point)
Instructions:
- Start by placing a kettlebell on the floor in front of you. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees slightly, and reach the rest of the way down by bending your hips. Hold the kettlebell with both hands and quickly swing it forward, then swing backward, in between your legs.
- When you do the swinging motion, drive your hips forward and straighten out your back. Let gravity pull the kettlebell back down to a spot between your legs, then do it again.
If you’re aiming to work on your glutes and conditioning, the kettlebell swing will make a great addition to your full-body workout. The hip-hinge motion and explosiveness together make for a fast-working, muscle-building exercise.
3. Medicine ball slam
Equipment needed:
- Medicine ball
Instructions:
- Place the medicine ball on the floor between your feet.
- Squat down and hold it with both hands, then get back up, pushing through your heels.
- Lift the medicine ball as high above your head as you can, then slam it hard into the ground. For some extra cardio per slam, try catching the ball when it comes back up.
If you can commit to making medicine ball slams a regular part of your full-body workout routines, you’ll have a chiseled midsection. Your back muscles will get a decent workout, too, and you’ll even be practicing your hand-eye coordination. The cardio aspect of the medicine ball slam will help keep your body lean all around.
4. Farmer’s walk
Equipment needed:
- Dumbbells or Kettlebells, or small barbells (Any weight will do)
Instructions:
- Pick out two weights of the same measurement. Grip one in each hand and stand tall holding them at your sides.
- Take short, quick steps forward from one end of the room to the other. While walking, keep your back straight and your shoulders tight.
- Make it more challenging by walking longer distances or, if you’re limited by space, doing more walks in one go. Once you’ve reached your maximum limit—and you’ll know that when you’ve raised your heart rate and you’re chasing your breath—put the weights down and rest.
The farmer’s walk really puts your arm muscles to the test. You’ll quickly start to feel the burn in your forearms. It’s well worth it, though, if your goal is strength building, because after a few weeks of farmer’s walks, you will be able to lift heavier and heavier weights, much faster than you increased before.
5. Bear crawl
Instructions:
- Start in a push-up position. Find your balance, then bend your knees at a 90° angle, right below your hips.
- Keep your shoulders down and your back straight. You can do this by engaging your core.
- Step your right hand and left foot forward at the same time, just a few inches from their original position. Then do the same with your left hand and right foot, and just keep it going.
It might take a few attempts to master the bear crawl because of the awkward position it puts your body in. Once you get into the swing of it, you’ll be increasing your mobility and stability, and building both upper and lower body strength. It’s an excellent cardio exercise for people of every fitness level, as well.
6. Sit through
Instructions:
- Begin in a bear-crawl position. When you find your balance, rotate your body to the left while lifting your left arm and right leg off the floor, pointing also on your left side. Sit down while maintaining this position briefly.
- Then, do the same steps in reverse. Rotate your body into your right side, lifting your right arm and your left foot off the floor, pointing to your right side.
- Repeat the steps until you complete your desired reps.
The more difficult version includes a “kick through”. This means that as you go through the movements, you have to keep your leg and butt elevated off of the floor and use only your hands and feet for support. If that still isn’t difficult enough for you, you can also try to do the hip escape toe tap. When you get to the part where you extend your leg, reach over and touch your toes with the opposite hand.
The sit through mainly targets your core muscles, but it also strengthens the muscle groups in your shoulders and hips. At the same time, it improves your coordination and your head-to-toe mobility.
There are some days when you don’t feel like facing extreme weather, or you’re just not in the mood to be in the middle of a crowd. It’s totally normal to have those days, but they shouldn’t stop you from doing your full-body workout. With enough space and minimal equipment, you’ll never need to skip a gym day, even if you can’t actually go to the gym. Working out at home can even save you some money and time, so there’s nothing to lose by giving it a try, and eventually making it a habit.
References:
https://www.menshealth.com/uk/workouts/a26083853/chris-hemsworths-functional-fitness-workout/
https://www.muscleandfitness.com/training/build-muscle/the-functional-workout-routine
https://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/2014/04/24/should-men-and-women-follow-the-same-workout-plan/
https://www.defrancostraining.com/should-females-train-differently-than-males/