Lifting weights isn’t just about looking more physically fit and being able to lift heavy stuff for no particular reason. It’s about becoming stronger to perform daily tasks better like carrying groceries, moving furniture, and even cleaning around the house. That’s why functional strength training may be a better option for you than traditional strength training.

What is functional strength training?

It focuses on multi-joint movements, like squats or lunges, rather than isolated ones like bicep curls. It involves moving your body in multiple directions – up and down, side-to-side, and rotating, just like you do when cleaning the house.

And because real-life tasks require balance, functional strength training emphasizes the need for a strong and stable midsection, like your core. The goal is to achieve transferability, meaning the strength you build in your workouts directly improves your quality of life.

What are some examples of functional strength training?

The Farmer’s Squat

• The move: Hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand and keep them by your sides. Then squat down and come back up again. Repeat this action for 30 to 60 seconds while keeping your torso upright.
• The real-life benefit: This builds the core stability and grip strength needed to carry heavy grocery bags or other heavy items in each hand.

The Goblet Squat

• The move: Hold a weight against your chest and squat down deep, keeping your back flat and your chest up. Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds. You should be able to do 8 to 10 reps with what you consider a heavy dumbbell.
• The real-life benefit: This mimics the motion of picking up a heavy box, a laundry basket, or even a small child from the floor using your legs instead of your back.

The Step-Up

• The move: Step onto a sturdy box or bench with one foot, driving through your heel to stand tall, then step back down with control. Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds.
• The real-life benefit: This builds the single-leg strength and balance required for climbing stairs with ease or hiking on uneven trails.

The Bird-Dog

• The move: From all fours, extend your opposite arm and leg at the same time while keeping your hips level.
• The real-life benefit: This improves coordination and protects your spine when you’re reaching under the bed or into a low cabinet to clean.

The Overhead Press

• The move: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a pair of dumbbells at shoulder height. Brace your core and press the weights towards the ceiling until your arms are fully extended, then lower them back to your shoulders. Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds.
• The real-life benefit: This strengthens your shoulders, triceps, and upper back, which are essential for putting groceries away into a top cupboard, stowing a heavy carry-on bag in an airplane’s overhead bin, or even lifting a child into the air.

Ultimately, functional strength training isn’t just about the numbers on your dumbbells or kettle bells. It’s about the quality of your life outside the gym. By prioritizing movements like squats, lunges, and presses you are building a body that is resilient, balanced, and ready for whatever your day throws at it. Whether you’re lugging heavy groceries or reaching for that top shelf, these exercises can help you move with confidence and ease.