The Ultimate List of Functional Exercises with PDF

If you’re looking for an ultimate list of Functional exercises, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve created a list of all Functional workouts and divided them into various parts, such as the barbell, dumbbell, Kettlebell, pull-up bar, and bodyweight exercises. Moreover, I’ve also shared a PDF of the Functional workout list so that you can download it for future use.

Depending on what equipment you use, you can save exercises from the list below.

Functional Barbell Exercises List

1. Barbell Snatch
   • Difficulty: Advanced
   • Muscles Worked: Shoulder, Back, Arms, Legs, Core
   • Benefits
     • Increase speed and strength.
     • Improve balance
     • Burn calories and build lean mass.
2. Clean and Press
   • Difficulty: Advanced
   • Muscles Worked: Legs, Glute, Arms, Shoulder, Core
   • Benefits
     • Build endurance, strength, and hypertrophy.
     • Burn calories while growing lean mass
     • Increase explosiveness
3. Barbell Front/Back Squat
   • Level: Beginner to Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Quads and Core
   • Benefits: Build sturdy legs, improves athletic and weightlifting performance.
4. Barbell Push Press
   • Level: Beginner to Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Shoulders, Legs
   • Benefits:
     • Build strength, power, and stability.
     • Enhance your ability to do better in sports and weightlifting.
5. Barbell Hang Clean
   1. Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Worked: Legs, Arms, Shoulder
   • Benefits:
     • Increase your balance and explosive power
     • Build strength and muscles.
6. Power Clean and Split Jerk
   • Level: Pro
   • Muscles Worked: Legs, Arms, Shoulder, Core
   • Benefits:
     • Enhance quickness, strength, and balance.
     • Burn many calories in a quick time and build lean mass.
7. Barbell Overhead Squat
   • Level: Beginner to Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Legs and Shoulder
   • Benefits: Build lower body strength and mass
8. Military Press
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Worked: Shoulder
   • Benefits: Build sturdy shoulders
9. Barbell Bench Press
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Worked: Chest
   • Benefits: Develop a stronger upper body, especially the chest.
10. The Deadlift and its variations
    • Level: Beginner to Advanced
    • Muscles Worked: Legs, Glute, Core, and Back
    • Benefits: Build endurance, strength, and hypertrophy.
11. Barbell Squat Jerk
    • Level: Intermediate to Advanced
    • Muscles Worked: Shoulder, Legs
    • Benefits:
      • Build shoulder mobility and strength.
      • Increase lower body strength
12. Split Jerk
    1. Level: Beginner to Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Shoulder, Legs
    • Benefits: Develop explosive power and muscular shoulders.
13. Barbell High Pull
    1. Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Legs, Shoulder, Back, and Arms
    • Benefits: Excellent for building upper and lower body strength.
14. Barbell Rowing
    1. Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Worked: Back
    • Benefits: It strengthens your back muscles and helps you build a wider back.
15. The Zercher Squat
    1. Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Legs and Forearms
    • Benefits: If you want to challenge your strength and endurance, you can try the Zercher squat. It will help you increase lower body and forearm strength.
16. The Split Clean
    1. Level: Intermediate to Advanced
    • Muscles Worked: Shoulder, Legs, Core, and Arms
    • Benefits: You can do the split clean to develop strong legs and explosive power.
17. The Good Morning
    1. Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, Lower Back
    • Benefits: The Good Morning is one of the best exercises for the lower back, glute, and hamstrings. It builds up strength and reduces the risk of injury.
18. Barbell Jammer
    1. Level: Intermediate to Advanced
    • Muscles Worked: Quads, Hams, Calves, Glute, Shoulder and Chest, and Triceps.
    • Benefits: You can do the barbell jammer to work on your total body and build mass.
19. Sumo Deadlift
    1. Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Legs, Glute, and Back
    • Benefits: The Sumo DL builds sturdy quads and glutes without putting much stress on the lumbar spine. Moreover, it improves your grip strength and pulling ability, which will help you in your day-to-day activities.
20. Barbell Rollout
    • Level: Intermediate to Advanced
    • Muscles Worked: Core

List of Functional Dumbbell Exercises

Here’s a complete dumbbell Functional movements list that can be helpful for you.

1. Dumbbell Front-Rack Lunge
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Legs and Glute
   • Benefits: You can do lunges to build your lower body strength and mobility.
2. DB Clean and Press
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Legs and Shoulder
   • Benefits: Like barbell, dumbbell clean and press will also help you improve your strength, speed, and balance.
3. Dumbbell Hang Power Clean
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Legs, Core and Shoulder
   • Benefits: It improves your ability to move and act (physically) quickly.
4. Dumbbell Squat
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Build: Quads
   • Benefits: The DB squat is a simple workout to build stronger quads.
5. DB Push Press
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Build: Shoulder and Legs
   • Benefits: You can do a push press to enhance your strength and speed at home. It also helps you increase your shoulder strength and mobility.
6. Dumbbell Man Maker
   • Level: Advanced
   • Muscles Build: Full Body
   • Benefits: The Manmaker is an excellent workout that helps you engage your whole body at once.
7. Dumbbell Overhead Press
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Build: Shoulder
   • Benefits: The overhead press primarily strengthens your shoulders.
8. DB Romanian Deadlift
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Build: Hamstring, Glute, and Lower Back
   • Benefits: The Romanian DL helps you strengthen the ham and lower back, enhance balance, and decrease the risk of injury.
9. Dumbbell Farmers Carry
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Build: Total Body
   • Benefits: It strengthens the entire body by simply walking with dumbbells.
10. Dumbbell Thruster
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Build: Legs and Shoulder
    • Benefits: You can do a thruster if you want to build your quads and shoulders with one movement.
11. DB Power Snatch
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Build: Legs, Glute, and Back
12. Dumbbell Power Clean
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Build: Shoulder and Legs
    • Benefits: It primarily improves your quickness while strengthening your shoulder.
13. The Dumbbell Step-Up
    • Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Build: Legs, Glute, and Back
    • Benefits: The DB step-up is an excellent move for building stronger legs while increasing explosive power.
14. The DB Overhead Squat
    • Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Build: Shoulder and Quads
15. Dumbbell Turkish Get-Up
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Build: Full Body
    • Benefits: It strengthens the total body, improves posture, and increases shoulder stability.
16. DB Pushup to Renegade Row
    • Level: Advanced
    • Muscles Build: Upper Body
    • Benefits: It is an excellent workout for building muscular strength while improving balance and stabilization.
17. Dumbell Russian Twist
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Build: Legs, Glute, and Back
    • Benefits: Build a sturdy core and improve balance.
18. Dumbbell Deadlift
    • Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Build: Full Body
19. Dumbbell Surrenders
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Build: Full Body
20. Dumbbell Lunges to Hammer Curl
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Build: Legs and Biceps

Functional Kettlebell Workout List

1. Turkish Get-up
   • Level: Advanced
   • Muscles Worked: Full Body
2. Russian Kettlebell Swing
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Worked: Shoulders, Legs
3. American Kettlebell Swing
   1. Level: Beginner to Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Full Body
4. The Kettlebell Snatch
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Full Body
5. Kettlebell Good Morning
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Worked: Hamstring, Lower Back
6. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Hamstring, Lower Back
   • Benefits: It improves your strength and balance.
7. Kettlebell Gorilla Row
   • Level: Beginner to Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Back
   • Benefits: The KB halo works on your latissimus dorsi and helps you build a muscular back.
8. Kettlebell Thrusters
   • Level: Beginner to Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Full Body
9. KB Goblet Squats
   • Level: Beginner to Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Quadriceps and Glute
   • Benefits: The goblet squat helps you target the side muscles of your thighs and build defined legs.
10. Kettlebell Front Raise
    • Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Worked: Shoulders
    • Benefits: You can do KB front raises to reinforce the front part of your shoulders more specifically.
11. Kettlebell Taters
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Full Body
    • Benefits: It helps you build strong quads and improve balance.
12. KB Farmers Carry
    • Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Worked: Total Body
13. Kettlebell Windmill
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Total Body
14. Kettlebell Deadlift and its Variations
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Total Body

Pull up Bar Functional Exercise List

Pull-ups are some of the best bodyweight exercises included in all types of training.

The several variations of pull-ups help you build a sturdy upper body and improve balance, strength, and body posture.

However, they are challenging. So, if you’re a beginner, you need to start with dead-hang chin-ups and negative pull-ups to scale up for more advanced variation.

Okay, here’s a complete list of all pull-up bar exercises that you can include in your Functional workout program.

• Pull-Up
  • Level: Intermediate
  • Muscles Worked: Back and Biceps
• Hanging Windshield Wiper
  • Level: Advanced
  • Muscles Worked: Core
• Butterfly Pull-Up
  • Level: Intermediate
  • Muscles Worked: Back and Biceps
• L-Sit on Bar
  • Level: Intermediate
  • Muscles Worked: Core and Biceps
• Toes-to-Bar
  • Level: Advanced
  • Muscles Worked: Core
• Chest To Bar Pull-ups
  • Level: Advanced
  • Muscles Worked: Core
• Pull-up Bar Muscle Up
  • Level: Advanced
  • Muscles Worked: Full Body
• Hanging Knee-to-Elbow
  • Level: Advanced
  • Muscles Worked: Abs
• Negative Pull-ups
  1. Level: Beginner
  • Muscles Worked: Back
• Chin-ups
  • Level: Beginner
  • Muscles Worked: Biceps

Bodyweight Functional Workouts List at Home

They will help you burn plenty of calories in a quick time, boost strength and endurance, and improve balance and explosive power.

Here, I’ve compiled a list of the top 20 Functional exercises you can do at home.

1. Handstand Push-up
   • Level: Advanced
   • Muscles Worked: Shoulder, Arms, and Core
   • Benefits: The handstand push-up is great for developing shoulder strength, overall stability, and balance.
2. Box Jump
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Worked: Full Body
   • Benefits: You can do it to strengthen your lower body. Moreover, it improves your ability to do things at a quicker pace.
3. Burpee and its variations
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Full Body
   • Benefits: Burpees is a high-intense movement that builds up the entire body, burns many calories, and improves explosiveness.
4. Pistol Squat
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Legs
   • Benefits: It improves strength and mobility.
5. Handstand Walk
   • Level: Advanced
   • Muscles Worked: Upper Body
   • Benefits: It builds stability and balance and engages the total body.
6. Squat Thrust
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Worked: Full Body
   • Benefits: Like the burpee, it also works on the entire body and enhances endurance.
7. The Double-Under
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Full Body
   • Benefits: The double-under is also known as jumping rope. It is a high-intensity workout that burns plenty of calories in a short time and builds stamina.
8. Floor L-Sit
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Arms and Core
   • Benefits: Floor L-sit helps you improve your balance and strength and forge your core.
9. Box Step-Up
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Worked: Lower Body
10. Squat and its variations
    • Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Worked: Full Body
    • Benefits: The different variations of squats will help you strengthen your lower body, build muscles, and improve balance and overall performance.
11. Plank and its variations
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Lower Body
    • Benefits: The various planks fortify your core, increase endurance, and tone abdominal muscles.
12. Mountain Climber
    • Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Worked: Core
    • Benefits: The mountain climber is a high-intensity core workout that helps you build a sturdy core and burns plenty of calories in a quick time.
13. Tuck Ups
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Core
    • Benefits: It is an excellent workout to incorporate into your core workout routine to strengthen your abs and oblique.
14. Leg Raises/Lifts
    • Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Worked: Core
    • Benefits: It helps you develop a sturdy core.
15. Dragon Fly
    • Level: Advanced
    • Muscles Worked: Core
    • Benefits: It is one of the best and most effective abs workouts you can do to build six-pack abs. Moreover, it improves your ability to control your body movement.
16. Bear Crawl
    • Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Worked: Full Body
    • Benefits: Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you can do the bear crawl to engage your entire body and boost stamina.
17. Knee to opposite Elbow Mountain Climber
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Core
18. V ups
    • Level: Intermediate
    • Muscles Worked: Core
    • Benefits: It helps you forge core and build defined abs.
19. Squat Jump
    • Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Worked: Total Body
    • Benefits: It increases explosive power, boosts stamina, and burns many calories.
20. Hollow Rocks
    • Level: Beginner
    • Muscles Worked: Core
    • Benefits: The hollow rock strengthens and tones your abdominal muscles.

Other Functional Essential Movements

1. The Wall Ball
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Worked: Total Body
   • Benefits: The wall ball is an excellent workout for developing strength and endurance.
2. Rope Climbing
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Full Body
   • Benefits: Rope climbing is excellent for developing a solid grip, upper body strength, and the ability to move fast.
3. L-Sit to Shoulder Stand
   • Level: Advanced
   • Muscles Worked: Total Body
   • Benefits: It is one of the most sophisticated workouts to improve balance, strength, and flexibility.
4. Bar Dips
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Upper Body
   • Benefits: The dips strengthen the chest and triceps and help you build a strong body.
5. Hanging L Sit
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Core
6. Running
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Worked: Total Body
   • Benefits: Running is a great way to build endurance, burn plenty of calories, and lose weight.
7. Sprinting
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Full Body
   • Benefits: It is an anaerobic workout, helps you utilize your stored fats during the movement, and increases weight loss.
8. Rowing Machine
   • Level: Intermediate
   • Muscles Worked: Full Body
   • Benefits: Rowing machine exercise improves back strength and flexibility in the upper body, boosts stamina, burns many calories, and decreases fat mass and total body fat percentage.
9. Weighted Glute Bridge
   • Level: Beginner
   • Muscles Worked: Glute, Lower Back
   • Benefits: The glute bridge strengthens the glute maximus, improves hip mobility, and builds a strong core.

Functional Movements List PDF