5 Fundamental Movements to Complete Your Workout
How to implement these basic movements when planning a workout.
Planning a workout routine can be confusing for beginners. To simplify the process, try using one or two exercises from each of these five basic movements, rather than trying to pick and choose from hundreds of different exercises.
Lower Body Push
These are movements which mainly engage the quads and glutes as you push away from the ground. A few examples are squats (front or back loaded, goblet, etc.), lunges, and split squats.
Once you have the basic movement mastered, add extra intensity with a power move such as jump squats or box jumps.
Tip: While performing a squat, watch yourself in the mirror or have someone check your form to make sure your knees are not caving inward.
Hip Hinge
To work on your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, try utilizing a hip hinge movement. Examples include moves like deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts (RDL), and good mornings.
To make this movement a low impact power exercise, add kettlebell swings to your workout.
Tip: During an RDL, while keeping your back straight and knees slightly bent, focus on moving your hips straight back as you lean down, then bring them straight back to your starting position.
Upper Body Push
As the name suggests, these are movements that use a pushing or pressing motion, mostly focusing on the pecs, delts, and triceps. Exercises for this type of movement often have ‘press’ or ‘push’ in the name, such as pushups, bench or chest press, and shoulder press.
For an upper body push power movement, try a medicine ball chest pass.
Tip: Shoulder presses can be done seated or standing. A standing shoulder press requires more balance, therefore utilizing more core strength. Either way, avoid overarching your lower back to reduce risk of injury.
Upper Body Pull
For the back of your upper body, such as lats and traps, as well as the biceps, add pull-ups and rows to your routine.
Power exercises for upper body pull movements are ball slams or double arm battle rope slams.
Tip: If you’re working toward a pull-up, use a resistance band or assisted pull-up machine and make the lowering portion of the move as slow as possible.
Core Stabilization
Strengthening the core should be one of the most important aspects of your training. There are two types of core muscles — global and local. Both are important, but your first priority to protect the spine are local muscles, which include the multifidus, transverse abdominis, and pelvic floor. These are the muscles that surround and support your spine and can be strengthened with exercises like planks, bird dogs, and dead bugs.
Although local core work uses a lot of isometric holds (e.g. planks), you can add a functional core power move such as a rotation chest pass once you’re ready for the next level.
Tip: For all of these exercises, maintain good form with a straight back and drawn in navel.
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