6 movements patterns for a strong, athletic body

While there are 6 foundational movement categories, not all the exercises that mimic these patterns are right for every body at the start of their training. For example, if you start with the wrong squat variation for your body type, skill level, injury history or goal, you may end up injured.

If you plan on training for a lifetime, train custom-fit movement pattern variations. You’ll avoid injury, get rid of some aches and pains, AND reach your strength and fitness goals.

1. The Squat

Think of “squat” as an umbrella term. Everyone is different, therefore, everyone must squat differently, especially as it pertains to loading the squat for power, strength, and hypertrophy training. Identifying the proper squat progression is the first step.

find the squat variation that’ll give you the most benefits while minimizing risk of injury. This is done by assessing your current skill level and trainability.

Squat Progressions

• Bodyweight Squat

• Goblet Squat

• Barbell Front Squat

• Barbell Back Squat

2. The hip hinge

This pattern needs to be slowly implemented at lower levels to allow motor relearning to take place. Here are the main progressions used to reactivate the hip hinge from the ground up:

• Bodyweight RDL (Romanian Deadlift)

• Dumbbell RDL

• Barbell RDL

• Dumbbell Deadlift

• Trap Bar Deadlift

• Barbell Rack Pull (or lifting from blocks/plates)

• Barbell Deadlift

3. lunges

If you have any weak links or dysfunction, lunges will let you know quickly.

There are few movements more powerful than single-leg variations for identifying weak links, sticking points, and pain patterns. These exercises can be programmed for strength and size gains, and also developed as a skill to maintain functionality through this protective pattern.

• Split Squat

• Back Foot Elevated Split Squat

• Front Foot Elevated Split Squat

• Reverse Lunge

4. Push 

This skill of stability, tension, and torque output in the shoulders and upper back is something that must be mastered in order to translate into a more static stability-based position such as the bench press.

Progressions:

• Hands Elevated Push-Up

• Push-Up

• Dumbbell Bench Press

• Barbell Bench Press

5. Vertical Pushing

• Hands Elevated Push-Up

• Push-Up

• Dumbbell Bench Press

When progressing through the horizontal and vertical pulls, be aware of not only the function and patterning of the shoulder and upper body, but of the entire body, especially the core and hips and their ability to display and maintain good positioning, tension, and control throughout the dynamic motions at the shoulders.

6. Pull

In order to create full-body stability at the shoulders through the pull, the horizontal pull (the row) must first be mastered before introducing the more complex vertical pull variations off the pull-up bar and beyond.

Progressions Horizontal:

• Chest Supported Row

• Inverted Row

• Single Arm Dumbbell Row

• Barbell Bent Over Row

Vertical:

• Lat Pulldown

• Assisted Pull-Up

• Pull-Up

6. Carry

• Walking

• Farmer’s Carry

• Unilateral Farmer’s Carry

• Front Loaded Carry

• Mixed Grip Carry

• Overhead Carry

Carry patterning is primarily programmed as “core emphasized” training in many programs. Along with basic carries, open your mind to specific combinations of hand positions, tempos of walks, and duration of time under tension, just as you could any other loaded movement.