Fundamental movement patterns
Movement patterns are simply a way to categorize the basic movements that we perform in our daiy lives.
Movement patterns at the gym
Learning and practicing these movement patterns first with bodyweight exercises, either at the gym or at home, will teach you to be more consious about the movements you will be doing when you workout.
This approach can also serve as an alternative way to structure your workouts. Instead of using the traditional upper/lower training split, you could organize your routine based on movement pattern training splits.
Below is a list of the basic movement patterns, each with an explanation and an example exercise to help you familiarize with the movement.Once you created your workout plan, you can write a side note next to the exercise to start recognizing which movement you're performing.Some of the exercises are going to be a muxture of these movment patterns because we cannot isolate a muscle group.
Side note: Your core/abdome will be involved in all the fundamental movements because your adbomen muscles play a key role in stabilizing your body to perform each movement.
A) PUSH
- 1a) Horizontal push*
This push is where you flex and extend your elbows in front of your body.
This movement places greater emphasis on your chest, shoulders, and triceps
Exercises:
Push ups
Dips
TRX push ups
Bench press
Machine chest press
Cable press
2b) Vertical push
You push the weight overheard in a vertical direction.
This movement places a greater emphasis on your deltoid muscles (anterior, posterior, and medial), triceps, upper chest, scap stabilizers, upper traps, and core.
Exercises:
Dumbell shoulder press
Military press
Push press
Landmine press
Incline chest press
Arnold Press
Pike push-ups
2) PULL
Horizontal pull
This is when you are pulling the resistance towards your chest.
The primary muscles targeted are the lats, traps, biceps, forearms, rhomboids, posterior delts, core.
Exercises:
T-bar row
seated row
Inverted row
bent over row
single arm dumbell row
sigle arm cable row
TRX rows
low row machine
Vertical pull
This movement is when you pull the resistance towards your body in a vertical direction.
The muscles that are primarely targeted are: Traps, lats, your biceps, forearms, rhomboids, core.
Exercises:
Supinated pull downs
Lat pull down
pulls ups
Chin ups
3) LUNGES
Lunges are a of movement pattern that involves one leg stepping forward and backward while the other leg remains stationary. The stepping leg can move not just forward and backward, but also sideways or in a combination of directions.
Primary muscles: quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, core.
Exercises:
Forward lunges
Lateral lunges
Reverse lunges
Dumbbell step ups
Stationary lunge
Bulgarian split squat
Walking lunges
4) SQUATS
The movement is hapening at the knees, hips, and ankles.
Rememeber to keep your torso upright.
Movement pattern: knee flexion, hip flexion, Dorsiflexion
Primary targeted muscles are the glutes, quads, hamstrings, spinal erectors, calf muscles, and core.
Exercises:
body weight squats
Goblet squats
Barbell squats
Leg press
Front squats
5) HIP HINGE
The movement occurs at the hip, with your back is straigt as you lean forward and your knees sligthly bent. The hip hinge primarily engages the muscles of the posterior chain.
Primary muscles involved: glutes, hamstrings, back mucles, spinal erectors, and adominals
Exercises:
Deadlift
Single deadlift
Kettlebell swing
Romanian deadlift
6) Twisting
Rotational and anti-rotational movements are two types of twisting movements patterns. Rotational involve turning the body in a rotational direction like the Russian twist.
Anti- rotational involves resisting/ preventing the rotation. This movement requires the core muscles to resist the rotational forces.
Exercises:
Russian twist
Bicycles
Cable woodchop
Pallofs
Medicine ball rotational throws
Bracing
What is bracing?
Bracing is a technique use by Physical therapists and fitness coaches.
This is when you isometrically contract the muscles of the abdomen to create stability to support the spine.
Now, to create a more rigid torso, you can use your breath, especially when lifting heavier weight than your usual. This technique is called intra abdominal Pressure (IAP) and involves to generate pressure within the abdominal cavity. By combining IAP and bracing, you can enhance the stability in your abdomen to support you spine and back muscles.
How to do it?
You can start by placing one hand on your stomach. As you breathe in, imagine there's aa ballon in your diaphram that expands in all directions then to incorporate bracing, pretend someone is going to puch your stomach, and use that instinctive reaction to tighten your core.
I use this technique every time I do a deadlift, squat, or bench press. Pretty much when I pick up something heavy. A personal trainer taught me how to do it, and it has been incredible helpful, especially since I injured my back 3 years ago. This method allowed me to continue lifting, which I love, and I've seen progress in the gym without experiencing pain.
7) locomotion repetitive pattern that is sustain
Walking
Running
Cycling
Carrying something heavy from point A to point B
Swimming
Jogging
Sprinting
Galloping
Skipping
Frog jumps - horizontal jumps
Leaping
Hopping
This is a fundametal movement that is done by moving your body from point A to point B. Is it important because you can combine this with other movement patterns to create more complex exercises and advance in your fitness journey.
I hope this helped you understand and distinguished the fundamental movement patterns.
Happy Lifting!
PaoPao