Functional Training Exercises

Web Extra April 2007

Forward Lunge
Stand normally with dumbbells held at your sides. Take a large step forward with your right foot and sink down until your right thigh is parallel to the floor (make sure your knee does not extend past your toes). Push powerfully off the floor with your right foot and return to the start position. Complete 10 to 12 lunges and then switch legs.

Wood Chop
Stand in a broad, athletic stance with your right side facing a cable-pulley station with a handle attached at shoulder height or above. Begin with your torso twisted to the right and both hands grasping the handle. With a smooth, coordinated motion, pull the handle from high to low and across your body until it reaches a point next to your left ankle. This movement involves rotating your torso to the left and bending at the knees and hips. Smoothly return to the start position. Complete 10 to 12 wood chops and then switch sides.

Single-Leg Deadlift
Stand on your right foot with your left knee slightly bent and dumbbells hanging at your sides. Bend at the hips and knees and lower the dumbbells to the floor. Now return to the start position by powerfully contracting your buttocks and hamstrings first and then engaging your lower back muscles. Complete 10 to 12 repetitions and then switch legs.

Straight-Leg Deadlift Walk
With your arms extended straight out from your shoulders, take a slightly longer than normal step forward with your right leg and then, balancing on your right foot, tilt your torso forward and extend your left leg straight back until your body forms a “T” shape. Smoothly return to an upright position, take a step forward with your left leg, and tilt again. Continue walking in this manner until you’ve taken 10 to 12 steps with each leg.

Stability-Ball Pushup
Assume an elevated pushup position with your hands on a stability ball. Lower your chest to the ball while concentrating on maintaining stability in your core (avoid bending at the waist). Press back up to the start position. Complete 10 to 12 pushups.

Quadruped
Kneel on all fours — hands directly under your shoulders and knees aligned with your hips — with a broomstick or dowel rod balanced along your spine. Engage your deep abs by drawing your navel toward your spine. Holding this contraction, extend your right leg until it forms a straight line with your torso. Do this without rotating your hips. If you cheat and allow your hips to rotate (a movement that would allow your deep abs to work less), the broomstick will roll off your back to the left. Hold this position for 10 seconds, return to the start position, and then extend the left leg. Do five repetitions on each side. To make this exercise even more challenging, extend your left arm forward as you extend your right leg backward, and then extend your right arm and left leg together.

Single-Leg Box Jump
Stand on one foot facing an aerobics step or another sturdy platform that is 6 to 12 inches high. Jump up onto the step, landing on the same foot you were standing on. Immediately jump back down to the floor, again landing on one foot. Complete 10 to 12 jumps and then switch legs.

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