When it comes to training there is a wide variety of exercises you can do in order to progress toward your goal. As a master Pain free Performance Specialist (PPSC) all those exercises will fall under 6 main categories of movements – Squat, Hinge, Lunge, Push, Pull and Carry. Regardless of how much weight you’re lifting, a great goal is to have each of these movement patterners dialed in so that you can keep progressing with more consistency.
So, consider these movements your foundation to the building of exercises you plan on developing.
The first pattern is the squat. For today’s exercise we will keep it simple with a DB Goblet Squat, however you can easily move to back squats, suitcase squats, front loaded squats … the list goes on but the pattern is the same. Use a smooth bend at the ankle and knees, keeping the chest up and core braced while using the legs to carry through the motion. This exercise is not only necessary for daily function, but also helps maintains a solid core.
The second pattern is the hinge. For this pattern, you will be preforming a DB RDL. Hinge movements easily get overlooked because we have become lazy and tend to just bend from the back instead of hinging from the hips to keep proper spin alignment. So, the way you do these exercises can either strengthen your core or hurt it. By focusing on lifting with the hamstrings and glutes, you’ll be much better off protecting your back and staying out of pain.
The third pattern is the lunge. DB walking lunges are a great exercise for strengthening each leg unilaterally. They will also help you determine if you’ve been a little off balance. Because of the individual leg work, you are able to strengthen your hip and core stability. From picking this up off the floor in stride to also taking a big step, lunges are a sure way to strengthen the legs.
The fourth movement pattern is the push, and for this I give you DB Chest / floor press and the DB Half Kneeling OH Press. Pushing weight in front of you like a bench press or doing an overhead press will target some different muscles, but the push pattern will be consistent. So, the first exercise will focus on your chest and the second exercise will hit delts/shoulders.
The fifth movement is Pull. It is a common favorite being that it is a fairly large upper body muscle group. We will be doing a single arm DB Row. Back muscles are vital for posture, overall strength and heavily required for speed, so when programming your pull days make sure you have a 1:2 ratio of push to pull.
The sixth and final pattern is the carry. This includes running or jogging as you need to carry your own weight. However, to make the core work and total body focus more intense and solid we do the DB Farmers Carry. It always does the trick. This exercise, along with its many variations, will require you to have a very high sense of focus in order to walk and move properly while carrying heavy weight. You’ll find that your posture, core, total body and grip strength will increase tremendously from carry exercises.
Enjoy dialing in each of these movement patterns and stay active.
– Miguel J. Ortiz is a personal trainer in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a Master Trainer for Pain-Free Performance and a Certified Nutritional Consultant with more than a decade of professional
