List of functional exercises (body weight)

Importance

Bodyweight functional exercises are an effective and affordable way to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance without the need for expensive equipment or a gym membership. These exercises use your own body weight to challenge different muscle groups, providing a complete workout that can be done anywhere. Below, we’ve provided an extensive list of functional exercises, broken down by muscle group, to help you build a balanced and effective workout routine. Each exercise comes with a detailed description to ensure you can perform them correctly and get the best results. Get ready to transform your fitness with this variety of dynamic and challenging movements.

You can also find the list of crossfit exercises here.

Upper Body

1. Push-up
• Description: Lie face down with your hands in line with your shoulders. Push your body up until your arms are straight, keeping your body straight. Lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor and repeat.
2. Diamond Push-up
• Description: Place your hands together under your chest, forming a diamond with your thumbs and index fingers. Perform the push-up while holding this position.
3. Incline Push-up
• Description: Place your hands on an elevated surface (such as a bench or table). Perform the push-up while keeping your body straight.
4. Decline Push-up
• Description: Place your feet on an elevated surface and your hands on the floor. Perform the push-up while keeping your body straight.
5. Clap Push-up
• Description: Perform an explosive push-up, lifting your hands off the floor and clapping your hands together before returning to the starting position.
6. Hindu Push-up
• Description: Start in downward-facing dog position, then lower your body, sliding your chest close to the floor, and push up into cobra position.
7. Archer Push-up
• Description: With your arms apart, lower your body to one side while the other arm remains straight, alternating sides.
8. One-arm Push-up
• Description: Perform a push-up using just one arm, keeping your body straight and your feet apart for balance.
9. Elevated Triceps Dips
• Description: Sit on an elevated surface with your hands at your sides. Move your body forward, lowering and raising with your arms.
10. Plank Shoulder Tap
• Description: In a high plank position, touch your left shoulder with your right hand, alternating sides.
11. High Plank
• Description: Get into a push-up position with your arms straight and your body straight.
12. Side Plank
• Description: Support yourself on one forearm and the side of your foot, keeping your body straight and aligned.
13. T-Plank
• Description: In a high plank position, rotate your body to one side, raising one arm to the sky, forming a “T”.

Lower Body

1. Squat
• Description: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down as if you were going to sit in a chair, keeping your weight on your heels and your chest up. Return to the starting position by pushing through your heels.
2. Pistol Squat
• Description: Stand on one leg, extend the other leg in front of you. Squat down on your supporting leg, keeping your extended leg off the ground and your arms in front of you for balance. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.
3. Bulgarian Split Squat
• Description: Place your back foot on an elevated surface, such as a bench. Squat down on your front leg until the knee of your back leg almost touches the floor.
4. Jump Squat
• Description: Perform a squat and, as you come up, explode into a jump, landing softly and immediately going into the next squat.
5. Lunge
• Description: Step forward with one leg, lowering your body until both knees are at a 90-degree angle. Your back knee should almost touch the floor. Return to the starting position and switch legs.
6. Reverse Lunge
• Description: Step back with one leg, lowering your body until both knees are at a 90-degree angle. Your back knee should almost touch the floor. Return to the starting position and switch legs.
7. Side Lunge
• Description: Take a large step to the side, crouching on the moving leg while the other leg remains straight.
8. Step-up on Elevated Surface
• Description: Step onto an elevated surface, such as a bench, alternating legs. Keep your chest lifted and push through the heel of your supporting leg.
9. Bridge
• Description: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Raise your hips until they form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
10. Hip Thrust
• Description: Lie on your back with your shoulders resting on an elevated surface and your feet on the floor. Raise your hips until you form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
11. Single Leg Deadlift
• Description: Stand on one leg, bend forward at the waist, extending your free leg behind you and keeping your body straight. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.
12. Calf Raises
• Description: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lift your heels up onto your toes. Lower your heels back to the floor and repeat.
13. Sumo Squat
• Description: Stand with your feet wide apart and your toes pointing outward. Squat down, keeping your chest up and your weight on your heels, then return to the starting position.

Core (Center of the Body)

1. Plank
• Description: Lie face down and raise your body using your forearms and toes. Keep your body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles, contracting your abdominal muscles.
2. Side Plank
• Description: Support yourself on one forearm and the side of your foot, keeping your body straight and aligned.
3. Plank Knee to Elbow
• Description: In a high plank position, bring one knee toward the elbow on the same side, alternating sides.
4. Full Abdominal (Sit-up)
• Description: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Raise your torso until you are sitting, touching your feet with your hands, and return to the starting position.
5. Partial Abdominal (Crunch)
• Description: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Lift your shoulders off the floor by contracting your abdominal muscles and return to the starting position.
6. Bicycle Crunch
• Description: Lie on your back and make pedaling movements in the air, alternating between twisting your torso to touch your elbow to the opposite knee.
7. Russian Twist
• Description: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet slightly raised off the floor. Lean back slightly, keeping your spine straight. Rotate your torso to the right and then to the left, touching the floor next to each hip.
8. Leg Raises
• Description: Lie on your back with your legs extended. Raise your legs until they form a 90-degree angle with your body, then slowly lower them without touching the floor.
9. Hollow Body Hold
• Description: Lie on your back and lift your legs and shoulders off the floor, keeping your arms extended above your head and your body in a banana shape.
10. Abdominal V-Up
• Description: Lie on your back and simultaneously raise your legs and torso, touching your feet with your hands in a "V" shape.