Best Functional Bodybuilding Training Plans from Marcus Filly

Read through this selection of excellent Functional Bodybuilding Training Plans and find the perfect one for your goals.

Functional Bodybuilding is the brainchild of elite CrossFit athlete Marcus Filly. It combines the best aspects of bodybuilding and functional fitness to create athletes that look good, move well and perform to an exceptionally high level.

In general, people adopt bodybuilding programs to look good. When it comes to CrossFit, the emphasis is on performance over aesthetics.

However, many people want to enjoy, and aim for, both goals.

Functional Bodybuilding Programs grow muscle and improve your physique, but they also place a huge emphasis on the functionality of the chosen movements, making you fitter, better and more injury resistant in everyday life and on the sports field as well.

You can kiss fitness burnout goodbye and join thousands of athletes around the world for Functional Bodybuilding workouts that build you up week by week.

Best for Beginners

Best for Endurance

Best for Looking Good and Moving Well

Who is Marcus Filly?

Marcus Filly competed 6 times at the CrossFit games, but here he is in his own words.

“Hi, I’m Marcus Filly, the founder of Functional Bodybuilding. After leaving medical school, I turned instead to health and fitness to help people more directly with training and nutrition in their day to day lives.”

“Drawing on an extensive training background in soccer and my competitive CrossFit career, I owned an affiliate for years before changing methodologies to help athletes better succeed through individual coaching.”

“After the 2016 CrossFit Games, I was burned out and broken, and about to become a first time father. Functional Bodybuilding was born out of a need to train more for longevity and sustainability – while still looking good and moving well.”

Functional Bodybuilding Training Plans

Scroll through to find the best plan for your needs.

1. Functional Bodybuilding Training Plans – Minimalist 30

Available here as a downloadable eBook, the Minimalist 30 program contains 30 workouts that showcase the best of Functional Bodybuilding, with only four simple items: a set of dumbbells, a bench, a jump rope, and a pull-up bar.

Using proven methods of bodybuilding alongside effective functional fitness training methods, this progressive program was developed by 6x CrossFit Games athlete Marcus Filly and the Functional Bodybuilding team.

The eBook contains 6 different minimalist training formats, with 5 workouts each:

Full Body Minimalist – 75 min full body sessions, including warmup

Functional Bodybuilding Fundamentals – focused short workouts that highlight 2-3 essential ways to build strength and conditioning

Minimalist Body Composition – time under tension for the ultimate hypertrophy pump session. Pair with Functional Pump Conditioning for hypertrophy finishers.

Minimalist Challenges – timed workouts that let you go full throttle when you want to bring the heat

Minimalist Aerobic Bodybuilder – strength work with conditioning development for balanced endurance improvement

Functional Bodybuilding Leading Edge – experimental muscle recruitment and training formats – no two are the same.

Helpful demo videos are linked for every movement, and the Functional Bodybuilding Facebook group is always available for questions that come up along the way.

2. Functional Bodybuilding Training Plans – Aerobic Bodybuilder

The Aerobic Bodybuilder eBook from Functional Bodybuilding is an 8-week program with 4 workouts per week, all adapted directly by the training regimen of former professional CrossFit athlete and Functional Bodybuilding founder Marcus Filly.

“This is the first program I am making available that splits aerobic and strength work into two separate sessions,” Filly says, “giving each one a progressive focus that allows your engine to develop while being balanced with appropriate dosing on the strength side. It is very much a return to the roots of Functional Bodybuilding.”

The Aerobic Bodybuilder program is designed with longevity in mind. To help prevent injury, burnout, and overtraining, intensity is reserved for peak times only, with the rest of the time spent in the sub-maximal zone that will keep you out of lactic burn and fried adrenals.

What the Program Delivers:

Aerobic Bodybuilder eBook with 4 training days per week

Two workouts per training day (aerobic and strength) – spread them out or combine as needed

Aerobic progressions that alternate between monostructural (one single movement such as running or biking) and mixed modal (combining aerobic work with other movements), building your gears and applied capacity while keeping workouts fresh

Strength sessions that are split into upper and lower focus, allowing each area to get stronger and have time to adapt and recover. This keeps training stress low while keeping pump and satisfaction HIGH!

Demo videos for every movement

A balanced, progressive program that hits the sweet spot of aerobic training and strength!

3. Functional Bodybuilding Training Plans – Functional Body Composition

The Functional Body Composition program is designed for individuals seeking muscle mass and definition, offering strength work that will not only improve the body’s appearance, but help the athlete avoid injury by building stability and control in their movement.

Instead of tacking on accessory work when you have a bit of time here and there, every element of Functional Body Composition is designed to get you jacked – and keep you moving well.

Developed by long-time strength coach and 6x CrossFit Games athlete Marcus Filly, the Functional Body Composition download includes:

Ebook with 8 week program: 5 workouts per week (60-75 minute sessions)

Warmups for every session

Strength and complementary conditioning work

Nutrition recommendations

Demo videos for every movement

“If you tend to find bodybuilding boring, fear not!” Filly says. “The strength sessions will demand your focus, but the warm-ups and muscle endurance work use the Functional Bodybuilding approach to give your brain a tasty snack and break up the demands on your body.”

4. Functional Bodybuilding Training Plans – Base Camp

Base Camp eBook offers a proven, non-boring program for building foundational strength, spaced out over 8 weeks of workouts (60 minute sessions, 3x per week).

There are 3 versions of the program (all included) that are interchangeable based on the equipment you have available for loading: (1) barbell/plates and dumbbells or kettlebells, (2) DBs only, or (3) KBs only.

You’ll also need a box or bench, a pull-up bar, dip bar or rings, and a couple bands.

“Designing a strength program that’s effective and also varied enough to be interesting is harder than it sounds,” Filly says. “So how about a way to put on muscle that won’t require endless podcasts to distract you from how much you’d rather be home eating popcorn?”

All workouts include warm-up, strength, and  conditioning, with specific instructions. Strength training is pieced out to tackle a full range of movement patterns – bend, push, pull, squat, etc. – instead of leg day or chest day.

The workouts are structured to keep your session challenging while avoiding overtaxing any one part of your body. Demo videos are available for every movement. Simply click the name of each movement to open the video on YouTube.

5. Functional Bodybuilding Training Plans – Pump 40

Pump 40 eBook is the first lifting-only Functional Bodybuilding program that maintains or builds muscle in 40-minute workouts, with 2 sessions per week on one modality (run, bike, ski, etc.), 2 sessions per week of cardio + strength (bodyweight or light resistance), and short sessions focused on lifting or conditioning only.

“I’ve packed decades of experience in training and coaching into this program,” Filly says. “It uses classic bodybuilding methods along with functional movements, which carry over to life and other sports.”

The PUMP 40 program includes four key features:

• Pre-fatigue pumps to prep muscles FAST
• Intensity supersets that pack a punch
• Strength balance for healthy joints and a symmetrical physique
• Timed formats to get you out the door on schedule

With 2 upper body and 2 lower body sessions per week, these workouts build progressively in an 8-week training cycle.

Pump 40 gives athletes the freedom to separate their lifting and conditioning or aerobic work. It works as a standalone program or paired with another, such as Functional Bodybuilding’s Aerobic 40 program.

6. Functional Bodybuilding Training Plans – Beyond Knee Pain

Co-developed by Functional Bodybuilding founder Marcus Filly and Ben Patrick (Athletic Truth Group), the Beyond Knee Pain eBook is designed to reduce the likelihood of injury and help athletes train in a way that leaves them feeling strong, stable, and spry.

“And it doesn’t have to take forever,” Filly says, “or involve boring exercises that do nothing for your athletic performance – or your muscle tone.”

The four workouts of the Beyond Knee Pain program are all built around these requirements:

• Look Good Move Well – designed to build strength and visible muscle
• Full Body – balanced upper and lower body workouts to hit all the movement patterns
• Knee Friendly – continue to strengthen and bulletproof knees based on Ben Patrick’s system
• Accessible – easy to get started and broken down into levels for beginner to advanced
• Progressive – show how to build up over time into the next level
• Short – 30 minute sessions that are easy to mix with Ben’s ATG programs or other activities

The eBook includes full access to Marcus and Ben’s four workouts, which can be used as (a) add-on strength and conditioning work that rounds out other programs, (b) benchmark workouts to return to from time to time, or (c) bonus sessions whenever you feel like getting a great pump that won’t tear up your body.

Helpful demo video links are included to guide you along.

7. Functional Bodybuilding Training Plans – The Kettlebell Solution

The Kettlebell Solution from Functional Bodybuilding is a downloadable eBook featuring a collection of  4 different types of kettlebell pieces: pre-fatigue, strength balance, skill/coordination, and finishers.

Developed by former pro CrossFitter Marcus Filly and the team at Functional Bodybuilding, the workouts of the Kettlebell Solution are designed to mix and match – with in-depth instruction on how to slip them in seamlessly to another training session.

Whether you’re looking for a quick flow to squeeze into your lunch break, or a pre-fatigue pump that will get you primed to hit heavy weights, these workouts are ready to plug and play.

There’s also a training template for combining the workouts in this eBook into a standalone kettlebell program that hits every part of the body – without overtaxing any one area.

The Kettlebell Solution includes helpful demo videos for every movement, with slow mo breakdowns for the advanced moves, as well as positioning tips and coaching points.

8. Functional Bodybuilding – Functional Body Composition 2 (for Females)

For athletes who enjoyed the results of Functional Body Composition 1.0, Version 2.0 continues the program with a brand new 8-week eBook.

This new cycle is optimized for building muscle while burning fat, and includes smart supersets that target all the right places while challenging you just enough and avoiding injury and burnout.

Functional Pump Conditioning gives you the fun and movement variety you crave without wasting your time with workouts that won’t get you jacked.

Pre-Fatigue Pumps warm you up the right way by allowing you to awaken and access all your muscular power, making every moment count in the gym.

Developed by Marcus Filly, the Functional Body Composition download includes:

Ebook with 8 week program: 5 workouts per week (60-75 minute sessions) – choose male or female track

• Warm-ups / pre-fatigue pumps for every session
• Strength and complementary Functional Pump Conditioning work
• Optional rest day cardio day/recovery flow
• Demo videos for every movement

Important: Athletes should complete Functional Body Composition Program before beginning Program 2.0.

9. Functional Bodybuilding – Functional Body Composition 2 for Men

For athletes who enjoyed the results of Functional Body Composition 1.0, Version 2.0 continues the program with a brand new 8-week eBook.

This new cycle is optimized for building muscle while burning fat, and includes smart supersets that target all the right places while challenging you just enough and avoiding injury and burnout.

Functional Pump Conditioning gives you the fun and movement variety you crave without wasting your time with workouts that won’t get you jacked.

Pre-Fatigue Pumps warm you up the right way by allowing you to awaken and access all your muscular power, making every moment count in the gym.

Developed by long-time strength coach and 6x CrossFit Games athlete Marcus Filly, the Functional Body Composition download includes:

Ebook with 8 week program: 5 workouts per week (60-75 minute sessions) – choose male or female track

• Warm-ups / pre-fatigue pumps for every session
• Strength and complementary Functional Pump Conditioning work
• Optional rest day cardio day/recovery flow
• Demo videos for every movement

The Story of Marcus Filly

Quitting med school – and finding my purpose.

“At the age of 21 I began my spiritual awakening. I believe most people like to site the time in their life that they gained the clarity to pull themselves back into alignment with their life’s true purpose as their spiritual awakening.”

“To me the important first steps were when I became unmistakably clear that I had veered off a path towards my true essence. I was wrapping up a college career that was by most people estimation fantastic.”

“Four years of division 1 athletics, a 4.0 from a top 10 University, and various awards and recognition of success. But beneath that was fear, uncertainty, and a lack of joy. For the first time in my life I was face to face with the discomfort that none of my accomplishments mattered because I didn’t feel inspired or happy about my path.”

“Early on I made an attempt to escape the discomfort. I travelled to the far reaches of the globe to hide from those fears and uncertainty. But I learned quickly that you cannot escape those feelings.”

“In fact, when I left my home and travelled away those fears and uncertainties followed me, and suddenly I there were no daily distractions. For the first time in almost 4 years since I began college, I spent all my days in the moment.”

“I remained present each day to experience life as it unfolded, not how I had hoped and planned for it to go. I learned for the first time that it was OK to lose control, to but unhappy and share that with someone else, and to be completely filled with happiness and tell those around me.”

“College was over and I was seeing life through a new lens. How was I going to live my most authentic life and not try to be anything for anyone else but me? How was I going to follow my heart and persevere on my path towards creating a life that was filled with purpose, integrity, and joy? The answer was not easy to see and my life needed to take one more final detour to help steer me towards the life I lead today.”

Best for Beginners

Best for Endurance

Best for Looking Good and Moving Well

“Medical school was a rewarding experience. Intellectually I was constantly stimulated. I had to remain disciplined in my life’s daily rituals and habits in order to be healthy and stay informed as a student.”

“Ultimately my time in medical school was the final test in my spiritual awakening path. It called into question my commitment to my happiness, my essence, and myself. A voice inside of me was telling me over and over again that I was on the wrong path and that I was betraying the path that I was supposed to be on by staying in medical school. I allowed myself to share this vulnerability with my friends, family, and classmates.”

“And despite the mixed feelings of those closest to me in my life I followed my instinct and left school.”

“The chapter of my life that followed is simply a manifestation of me finally making choices to live out my essence. I went to medical school with the dream of one day being able to teach and empower people with the knowledge and tools they needed to begin their own pursuit of health and happiness. So that had to begin with me.”

“For over 3 years I have committed myself to the pursuit of health and happinesss. Through a balance of daily disciplines while staying receptive to new ideas and methods I’ve cultivated a lifestyle that gives back to me while allowing me to give to others.”

“Having humility while carving out a path for myself has made room for tremendous growth and guidance from places I never thought I would receive it from.”

“Living the lessons I try to teach to others remains the foundation of my life. Leading from the front is the best and only way I know how to see my message get spread. Life presented me with an opportunity to share with people the best and worst parts of my life.”

“Showing everyone that it is ok to fail just as it is ok to celebrate success has become an instrumental tool in my quest to help people lead healthier and happier lives. By staying committed to these principles, by sharing my own vulnerabilities, I hope to connect to a wider audience.”

“My spiritual journey continues only now I am blessed to be able to share it with so many amazing people. You know you have found your passion when it allows you to live out your essence daily. Sharing, leading, discipline, vulnerability, perserverence; this is the mantra that drives my career and pushes me to excel in my sport.”

“I coach and compete in the sport of fitness because my life feels right when I’m leading by example and stay disciplined. I coach and write about my experiences being an athlete because sharing with others and giving is what ultimately allows me to receive from the world.  Owning my vulnerabilities and facing them in the public eye is what allows me to persevere and grow.”

“This is not a training and nutrition log. This is my life. At times repetitive, at other times extreme, but always with an open heart and a receptive lens to experience each day and moment for what it has to offer me. If one persons connects with an emotion, a daily ritual, an experience, or a thought I have then I’m living my dream.”

“Without you this journey is incomplete.”

Marcus

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