Sure, there are more than 13 great exercises, and they’ll depend on what your exact goals are, but we’re covering one group of exercises that work every part of your body, covering each category from Pull, Push, Lift to Press exercises, and includes attributes for cardio, strength, flexibility plus explosiveness.
THE ONLY THIRTEEN EXERCISES YOU’LL EVER NEED
No machines are involved! You only require one or two Kettlebells to perform the whole set of exercises.
If you had only one set of exercises to work with for the rest of your life, one set that would work the whole body, and each one only targeting a specific muscle group, then this would be it! The beauty is that they’re all purely functional exercises.
Note: Other equipment can be used to perform the exercises, however, we chose just three pieces of equipment to work with. More muscles than listed are involved in each exercise, however, we’ve chosen each exercise to make sure that the whole as a group has targeted each big muscle group in the body.
Functional Fitness Workouts
If you want to skip the nitty-gritty, if you want to jump straight into the deep water and get your sweat on with workouts, go no further and check out this list we put together of the top 10 functional fitness workouts. There are also many more functional kettlebell exercise videos at the bottom of the page.
1. Kettlebell Swing
The single or double-arm kettlebell swing performed with a hip hinge movement is very similar to the conventional deadlift. But with the kettlebell swing, we also get the benefit of speed and power. The movement is highly functional and one that we all use each and every day. The swing can also be done for strength with a heavy weight and low reps just like the conventional barbell deadlift.
Targets the hamstrings, gluteus maximus, forearm muscles, and erector spinea. The deadlift can be performed with Olympic Barbell, Sandbag, or Kettlebell, but the swing can only be performed with the kettlebell.
The conventional deadlift deserves to be in the same spot and should be mastered before ballistic exercises. More info on the Dead Lift is here. When you’ve mastered this exercise try the Single Leg HHDL variation! Following is a video about the HHDL from Schwarzenegger.com.
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2. Suitcase Dead Lift
The suitcase deadlift is performed with one arm and mimics picking up groceries, hence, highly functional and used in daily life.
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Targets the upper traps and obliques. Can be performed with Olympic Barbell, Sandbag, or Kettlebell. Single kettlebell targets the obliques more.
3. Strict Shoulder Press
The strict shoulder press is a show of strength and highly functional because we all put things overhead in our life. It’s not only a shoulder and triceps exercise, it’s also a core exercise as you need to engage it to keep it from moving while pressing.
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Targets the deltoids, triceps, and everything around the scapula. Can be performed with Olympic Barbell, Dumbbell, or Kettlebell. Single kettlebell targets the obliques more.
4. Pull Up
The strict pull-up is a must for every human being. This is the wide grip overhand pull-up, a chin-up is also a pull-up but involves other muscles. If you’re always inside and don’t venture out, then this is not functional but still an exercise that everyone needs.
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Targets the lats and lower traps. Can be performed with added weight through a weight vest or dipping belt.
5. Biceps curl
The biceps curl has gotten a bad rap because of posers, but there is nothing more functional than elbow flexion. Each person on earth performs the movement every day. Even when lifting groceries you will be curling.
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Targets the elbow flexors which are the biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis. Can be performed with a Barbell, Dumbbell, or Kettlebell.
6. Windmill
The Windmill is a must or anything with rotation of the spine for that matter. Any day of our lives will involve rotation, or at least we would have but instead turn the hips and use the legs because the spine doesn’t function as it should.
The video features the Windmill Queen Anna Junghans. She performs a Snatch into Windmill combo. The following video is a flow that features the stiff-legged Windmill.
When it comes to rotation of the thoracic spine, the good old Bent Press deserves a mention. Here’s a How to Bent Press video.
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Targets the obliques and rotatores plus many other muscles in the trunk, upper legs, and shoulders. Can be performed with a Dumbbell or Kettlebell.
7. Push-Up
Any variation of the push-up is a must and highly functional to get up off the ground quickly.
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Targets the pecs, triceps, and anconeus. Can be performed with Bodyweight or Sandbag as added weight. but priority number 1 is without weight and then with weight added.
8. Squat
If these exercises were listed in order of importance then this would have been number one. There is nothing more important, fundamental, and functional in life than being able to squat.
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Targets the quadriceps, calves, and gluteals. Can be performed with Barbell, Dumbbell, Kettlebell, or Sandbag.
9. Turkish Get-up
There is something so magical about this exercise but also truly functional as it teaches the athlete to get off the ground against resistance. Of course, the TGU can also be performed and should be mastered without weight.
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Targets the hips, core, and shoulders. Can be performed with Dumbbell, Kettlebell, or Bodyweight.
10. Bent-Over Row
Begin able to pull things in is functional, especially when it comes to Martial Arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The pull strengthens the back and shoulder muscles and the fact it happens in a bent-over position creates core strength. Performing rows on one side will engage the core even more.
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Targets the rear deltoids, lattisimus dorsi, and triceps. Can be performed with Barbell, Dumbbell, or Kettlebell.
11. Dead Clean
Being able to pull heavy things from the ground explosively and fast is beneficial to any human being but especially older people will benefit from this.
The following video demonstrates how you can combine several functional exercises and turn them into a functional kettlebell combo.
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Targets the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and leg muscles. Can be performed with Barbell, Dumbbell, or Kettlebell.
12. Side Bent
Being able to bend to the side (lateral thoracic flexion) and also to bend and lift things. is a must.
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Targets the obliques, quadratus lumborum, and upper traps. Can be performed with Barbell, Dumbbell, or Kettlebell.
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13. Bent Side Press
The bent side press targets the obliques and side delts. Performing the exercise with something that creates instability, for example, a bottoms-up kettlebell, creates stability.
This angle to press from is one that most people do not press and therefore any work in this area should be attempted with very light weight to start with.
The kettlebell allows you to combine all these functional movements into an awesome combo.
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Targets the lateral deltoid and obliques. Can be performed with Dumbbell, or Kettlebell.
Functional Kettlebell Exercise Videos
The following are additional how-to and demo videos covering some of the 13 functional exercises listed above.
This video covers how to fix some common dead clean and snatch issues.
The double kettlebell windmill is a progression from the single kettlebell high windmill.
The single-arm kettlebell swing is great to add more work for the core and allows you to make it heavier when you only have one kettlebell.
Buy an awesome book that features most of the above exercises.
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There are different angles that you can train the bicep flexors from with these different curl variations.
The squat-style Turkish Get-up requires a lot more flexibility and is a progression from the lunge-style get-up.
The narrow Goblet squat is an exercise that puts a lot of focus on the tibialis anterior, more so than any other squat variation. This is great to strengthen the muscles for ankle Dorsiflexion.
