If you're looking for a versatile piece of equipment to add to your home gym, a functional trainer machine might be just what you need.
This machine can provide a full-body workout, allowing you to target different muscle groups in various ways.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced fitness enthusiast, there are many exercises you can do on a functional trainer to challenge yourself and target many muscle groups.
This article will discuss 101 potential exercises you can do on a functional trainer machine.
We'll cover exercises for the upper body, lower body, core, and back and full-body movements that simultaneously engage multiple muscle groups.
Incorporating these exercises into your workout routine can add variety and challenge to your training, helping you avoid plateaus and progress toward your goals.
So, let's dive in and explore the many possibilities of the functional trainer.
Benefits of Functional Trainer Exercises
The benefits you can reap on a single machine through all the various exercises and movements are vast.
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Improved Strength: Functional trainer exercises are designed to work for multiple muscle groups simultaneously, helping you develop overall strength and power. By working your muscles in a functional way, you'll be able to perform everyday tasks with greater ease and efficiency.
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Better Balance and Stability: Many functional trainer exercises require you to engage your core muscles, which can help improve your balance and stability. This can be especially beneficial for older adults or anyone who is recovering from an injury.
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Increased Flexibility: Functional trainer exercises often involve movements that require a wide range of motion, helping you to improve your overall flexibility and mobility.
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Enhanced Cardiovascular Fitness: Many functional trainer exercises involve high-intensity movements that can increase your heart rate and improve your cardiovascular fitness.
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Reduced Risk of Injury: By working for multiple muscle groups simultaneously, functional trainer exercises can help improve your overall body mechanics and reduce your risk of injury during everyday activities.
Full Article: The Benefits Of Owning a Functional Trainer
Functional Trainer Exercises for Upper Body
Functional trainers are versatile machines that can be used for various exercises to target different muscle groups.
Here are some exercises you can perform with a functional trainer to work on your upper body.
Functional Trainer Chest Exercises:
The chest muscles are a large muscle group that can be targeted with a functional trainer. Here are some exercises to try:
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Cable Chest Press: Stand facing the machine with the handles at chest height. Grab the handles and push them forward until your arms are straight. Slowly return to the starting position.
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Cable Fly: Stand facing away from the machine with the handles at chest height. Grab the handles and bring them together in front of your chest. Slowly return to the starting position.
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Single-Arm Cable Chest Press: Stand sideways to the machine with the handle at chest height. Grab the handle with one hand and push it forward until your arm is straight. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat with the other arm.
Functional Trainer Back Exercises
The back muscles are important for posture and overall upper body strength. Here are some exercises to try:
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Cable Rows: Sit facing the machine with the handles in front of you. Grab the handles and pull them towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Slowly return to the starting position.
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Lat Pulldowns: Sit or kneel facing the machine with the bar or handles above your head. Grab the bar or handles with an overhand grip and pull it down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Slowly return to the starting position. If you have a bench, you can use that as well, and even better, a bench with a knee holder.
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Single-Arm Cable Rows: Stand sideways to the machine with the handle before you. Grab the handle with one hand and pull it towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blade. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat with the other arm.
Functional Trainer Shoulder Exercises
The shoulder muscles are important for overall upper body strength and mobility. Here are some exercises to try:
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Cable Shoulder Press: Stand facing the machine with the handles at shoulder height. Grab the handles and push them up until your arms are straight. Slowly return to the starting position.
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Cable Lateral Raise: Stand facing the machine with the handles at waist height. Grab the handles and lift them to the sides until your arms parallel the ground. Slowly return to the starting position.
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Rear Delt Fly: Stand facing the machine, and each hand will grab the opposite handle from the machine. Starting with a stretch on the shoulder joint, keeping the arms straight, extend both arms back to their respective sides of the body, with the arms held out horizontally.
Functional Trainer Arm Exercises
The arm muscles are essential for overall upper body strength and aesthetics. Here are some exercises to try:
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Cable Bicep Curl: Stand facing the machine with the handles at waist height. Grab the handles and curl them towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows stationary. Slowly return to the starting position.
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Cable Tricep Pushdown: Stand facing the machine with the handle at chest height. Grab the handle with an overhand grip and push it down towards your thighs, keeping your elbows stationary. Slowly return to the starting position.
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Single-Arm Cable Bicep Curl: Stand sideways to the machine with the waist-high handle. Grab the handle with one hand and curl it towards your shoulder, keeping your elbow stationary. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat with the other arm.
Functional Trainer Exercises for Lower Body
Leg Exercises
Functional trainer machines are great for performing various leg exercises that target different muscle groups.
Here are some examples:
| Exercise |
Description |
| Split Squat |
Stand with one foot in front of the other, and the back foot elevated behind you. Lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. |
| Lateral Lunge |
Step to the side with one foot, keeping the other foot stationary. Lower your body until your thigh is parallel to the ground, then push off the ground to return to the starting position. |
| Single-Leg Deadlift |
Stand on one leg and hinge forward at the hips, lowering your body until your torso is parallel to the ground. Keep your back straight and your core engaged. |
Glute Exercises
The glutes are a crucial muscle group for lower body strength and stability. Here are some functional trainer exercises that target the glutes:
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Glute Bridge - Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Lift your hips up until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
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Single-Leg Glute Bridge - Perform a glute bridge, but lift one leg off the ground and extend it straight out in front of you.
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Standing Glute Kickback - Attach an ankle strap to the functional trainer and stand facing the machine. Lift one leg back behind you, keeping it straight, until your glutes are fully contracted.
Remember to start with lighter weights and focus on proper form before increasing the weight. And if you're unsure of how to perform any of these exercises, seek the guidance of a personal trainer.
Functional Trainer Exercises for Core
Abdominal Exercises
The functional trainer machine is a versatile piece of equipment that can be used to target your abdominal muscles in many different ways. Here are a few examples of abdominal exercises that you can perform on a functional trainer:
| Exercise |
Description |
| Cable Crunch |
Attach a rope handle to the high pulley and kneel facing away from the machine. Grab the rope with both hands and bring your elbows down to your knees, contracting your abs. Return to the starting position and repeat. |
| Woodchopper |
Attach a handle to the high pulley and stand perpendicular to the machine. Grab the handle with both hands and pull it down across your body, rotating your torso and contracting your abs. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. |
| Reverse Crunch |
Attach a rope handle to the low pulley and lie on your back facing the machine. Grab the rope with your hands and lift your legs up, bending your knees. Curl your hips towards your chest, contracting your abs. Return to the starting position and repeat. |
Oblique Exercises
The oblique muscles are located on the sides of your abdomen and are responsible for twisting and bending your torso. Here are a few examples of oblique exercises that you can perform on a functional trainer:
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Side Cable Crunch - Attach a handle to the high pulley and kneel facing away from the machine. Grab the handle with one hand and bring your elbow down to your knee, contracting your oblique. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
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Pallof Press - Attach a handle to the middle of the machine and stand perpendicular to it. Grab the handle with both hands and press it away from your body, resisting the rotation of your torso. Return to the starting position and repeat.
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Twisting Woodchopper - Attach a handle to the high pulley and stand perpendicular to the machine. Grab the handle with both hands and pull it down across your body, rotating your torso and contracting your oblique. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Remember to engage your core muscles throughout each exercise and focus on maintaining proper form. Start with lighter weights and gradually increase the resistance as you become more comfortable with the movements.
101 Functional Trainer Exercises
Here are 101 shortlisted exercises you could perform on the functional trainer machine with help of some accessories and, ideally, an adjustable weight bench.
- Chest press
- Chest fly
- Incline chest press
- Incline chest fly
- Decline chest press
- Decline chest fly
- Cable push-ups
- Single arm chest press
- Single arm chest fly
- Cable crossover
- Standing bicep curls
- Seated bicep curls
- Hammer curls
- Concentration curls
- Preacher curls
- Tricep pushdowns
- Overhead tricep extensions
- Single arm tricep pushdowns
- Tricep kickbacks
- Close grip bench press
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Cable pull-ups
- Lat pulldowns
- Seated row
- Bent over row
- Upright row
- Face pulls
- Rear delt flys
- Shoulder press
- Lateral raises
- Front raises
- Shrugs
- Cable woodchoppers
- Cable twists
- Pallof press
- Russian twists
- Cable crunches
- Cable leg press
- Cable squats
- Cable lunges
- Cable deadlifts
- Cable hamstring curls
- Cable leg extensions
- Cable calf raises
- Cable hip adduction
- Cable hip abduction
- Cable glute kickbacks
- Cable side leg lifts
- Cable hip thrusts
- Cable donkey kicks
- Cable bicycle crunches
- Cable reverse crunches
- Cable oblique twists
- Cable mountain climbers
- Cable plank jacks
- Cable burpees
- Cable jump squats
- Cable jump lunges
- Cable jump rope
- Cable high knees
- Cable butt kicks
- Cable sprints
- Cable lateral shuffles
- Cable bear crawls
- Cable crab walks
- Cable inchworms
- Cable push-up to rows
- Cable plank rows
- Cable renegade rows
- Cable rows
- Cable deadlifts
- Cable squats
- Cable calf raises
- Cable pull-ups
- Cable dips
- Cable push-ups
- Cable pistol squats
- Cable lunges
- Cable squats
- Cable calf raises
- Cable hamstring curls
- Cable leg extensions
- Cable leg press
- Cable hip adduction
- Cable hip abduction
- Cable glute kickbacks
- Cable side leg lifts
- Cable hip thrusts
- Cable donkey kicks
- Cable bicycle crunches
- Cable reverse crunches
- Cable oblique twists
- Cable mountain climbers
- Cable plank jacks
- Cable burpees
- Cable assisted jump squats
- Cable assisted jump lunges
- Cable assisted jump rope
- Cable assisted high knees
- Cable assisted butt kicks
- Cable kneeling single arm rows
- Cable single arm high pulls
Safety Considerations
As you can see, functional trainers are versatile machines allowing many different exercises to be formed.
However, it is important to remember that improper use can lead to injury. Here are some safety considerations to keep in mind when using a functional trainer:
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Always warm up before using heavy weights. This can help prevent muscle strains and other injuries.
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Make sure the machine is set up properly and securely. Loose parts or unstable equipment can be dangerous. Maintain your functional trainer as best as possible.
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Use proper form when performing exercises. This can help prevent injuries and ensure you target the intended muscle groups.
- Start with lighter weights and gradually increase as you become more comfortable with the machine. Overexerting yourself can lead to strains or other injuries.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Make sure there is enough space around the machine to perform exercises safely.
By following these safety considerations, you can enjoy the benefits of a functional trainer while minimizing the risk of injury.
Functional Trainer FAQs
Are Functional Trainers Worth the Money?
Functional trainers can be a great investment for those who are looking to improve their fitness and overall health.
They offer a wide range of exercises that can target different muscle groups and can be adjusted to different fitness levels.
As you can with a little creativity, experience working out, or help from a friendly youtuber, you can find dozens if not HUNREDS of exercises to perform on a single machine.
We answer this question in full depth in: Are Functional Trainers Worth It? How Much Do They Cost?
Can You Build Muscle with a Functional Trainer?
Yes, you can definitely build muscle with a functional trainer.
As this article lists, functional trainers use cables and pulleys, allowing for various exercises targeting different muscle groups.
Additionally, the adjustable resistance and heavy-weight stacks allow you to increase the intensity of your workouts as you get stronger.
To build muscle with a functional trainer, it's important to focus on consistently using more and more weight and/or reps over time as you get stronger, and you'll see muscle progress over time with a proper diet.
Functional Trainer or Multi-Home Gym?
Choosing between a functional trainer and a multi-home gym ultimately depends on personal preference, space available, and your budget.
Functional trainers are quite versatile and offer a wider range of exercises, while an all-in-home gym machine may have a better workout experience for some exercises that the machine specializes in.
Ultimately, both machines can be effective for building strength and improving overall fitness. It's important to consider your budget, fitness goals, and personal preferences before deciding.
Want to hear more about this? Check out another article called Functional Trainer Vs. Home Gym.
Conclusion
Functional trainer machines offer vast amounts of exercises worth incorporating into your fitness routine.
Their versatility and well round selection of exercises to perform are part of what makes them so great!
There are some common, simple exercises to perform on the functional trainer.
With a little creativity and knowledge of the body, the options become nearly endless with all the adjustable pulley positions, accessories, variations, and weight stack adjustments.
If you're thinking of purchasing a functional trainer and wondering what exercises you can do with one, we hope this article was helpful for you in deciding if it's right for you.
If you already have a functional trainer and are struggling to think of how to use it, the shortlisted 101 functional trainer exercises should jog your brain and get the wheels turning on what to do in your workouts.
If you want to check out some functional trainers for yourself or your facility, please check out our guide to the best functional trainer machine of 2024, or shop all functional trainers for sale in our dedicated collection page.
If you have questions about a machine or working out, feel free to chat with us on the site or call or email us; one of our experts will help you!
