Functional fitness has become somewhat of a buzzword in the world of health.
Everywhere you look, there seems to be someone who is trying to sell their overcomplicated exercise variations and training programs that supposedly deliver superior results.
But, the truth is, the simplest of exercises often deliver the best result.
To that end, we’ve compiled a list of four incredible exercises you can perform with resistance bands to develop great functional fitness.
- Front Squats
The front squat is an incredible exercise that develops our legs, butt, core, and upper back strength. Building a solid front squat will raise your functional fitness, make you more athletic, and help you achieve the lean and toned look.
Here’s how to do it:
- Grab a long resistance band and stand on it with feet outside shoulder-width level.
- Hold both ends of the band with your elbows bent and wrists right next to your shoulders. The band should be stretched.
- From there, descend by bending your knees and sitting back as you keep your back neutral.
- Squat as low as you comfortably can without allowing your heels to lift off the floor.
- Then, push through your heels and squat to the top position.
- Glute Bridge
The glute bridge is an excellent exercise for strengthening your hip extension, as well as developing your glutes, lower back, and hamstrings.
To perform it with a band:
- Place a loop band around your legs, right above your knees.
- Lie on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, chest up, and arms to your sides.
- Extend your hips by squeezing your butt muscles until your knees, hips, and shoulders align.
- Hold the contraction for a second and lower your glutes to the floor.
- Bent-Over Rows
Nothing improves our functional fitness quite like training the back does. Having a strong back makes us more athletic, decreases the risk of injury, and improves our posture.
A great band exercise for the back is the bent-over row.
Here’s how to do it:
- Grab an exercise band with handles and place your feet at the center of it.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward as much as you comfortably can while keeping your back neutral. Ideally, your torso should be parallel to the ground.
- Grasp the handles firmly and extend your arms to your sides.
- While keeping your elbows close to your body, start rowing the band up with both hands and squeeze your back muscles.
- Row as high as you can and hold the contraction for a second.
- Lower both hands to the starting positions
- Bicep Curls
Having strong biceps isn’t just crucial for the visual benefits - they also significantly contribute to many exercises and improve our functional fitness.
A great band exercise you can perform is the bicep curl.
Here’s how:
- Get an exercise band with handles and place your feet at its center.
- With a handle in each hand, extend your arms to your sides. Keep your elbows close to your body and palms facing forward.
- Simultaneously curl both ends of the band up until your elbows go slightly past 90 degrees.