Moving: An Argument for Functional Exercise

What is functional exercise? This fitness professional defines functional exercise as real exercise, for a real body that does real things. Let me ask you something, when (besides in the gym) do you find yourself doing this movement:


Or have you ever been in the grocery store and found yourself doing this:


Yeah, I didn't think so. Functional exercises work multiple muscle groups at once, burns more calories, and improves strength and balance. Here are, in my opinion, the top 5 most functional exercises:

1.) Deadlifts
2.) Squats
3.) Overhead Press
4.) Rows
5.) Basic torso stabilization, i.e. planks

I had one of the best workouts of my life moving into a new apartment last weekend. My new apartment is up 5 flights of stairs (no elevator) and I have a lot of crap. For 2 days, I carried heavy crap up and down stairs; easily better than any workout I've ever had in the gym. I was literally sore the monday after. During my moving weekend, being a fitness nerd, I noticed myself doing all of the 5 functional movements listed above: deadlifting my couch; squatting to fit my little self into the cavernous trunk space in the Suburban I borrowed for the occasion; overhead pressing my bed to pivot around the corners of the stairwell; rowing (more like tugging) my heavy dresser across the floor; and realizing every step of the way how much I was feeling these movements in my abs-- my core was engaged!

I'm not saying isolation exercises are "bad" necessarily, but they're just not realistic. See yourself as a creature, as part of a species, with this designated body, and ask yourself: what is this body designed to do? I doubt crunching and curling are at the top of that list. So, if you're just looking to be healthy and fit and improve your mobility, balance, and strength in every day living, here are some great exercises to try in your next workout.

Deadlift->Clean->Push-Press->Front Squat


Suitcase Deadlift


Bent-Over Row->Romanian Deadlift