The 6 Fundamental Movement Patterns

The essentials for a strong and resilient body.

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My journey into fitness started in middle school when I joined the soccer team. I continued playing sports through high school, but I didn’t officially start strength training until college. And I will never forget that first workout.

I walked into the campus gym and immediately saw the three main sections: the cardio equipment, the barbell/weights, and the stretching area. I thought two things when I walked in:

1) Omg I’m never touching a barbell; those are only for the “intense lifters.” Not for me. Moving along.

2) Everyone is staring at me.

3) I’ll grab some dumbbells and do bicep curls and see what happens.

Almost 10 years later, I’m happy to report I’m very familiar with barbells – they are NOT only for “intense lifters” and no one (absolutely no one) was staring at me. And no one will be staring at you either.

I’m less happy to report I did so many bicep curls in that workout (because I didn’t know what else to do) that I couldn’t straighten my arms the next day. My friend who was in the Physical Therapy program at the time had to massage my arms because they were in so much pain!

Do not be like me! This is a cautionary tale!

I walked into the gym thinking: “Okay what exercise have I heard of before? Bicep curl.”

Had I known then, and what I want you to know now, is to think bigger picture. Instead of thinking about what exercises to execute, think about what movements you want to master. Our bodies are designed to move through six fundamental movements in some variation or another. Those movements (and some - not all - of the exercises within them) are:

The 6 Fundamental Movement Patterns

Squat: goblet squat, barbell squat, box squat

Hinge: deadlift, hip thrust

Lunge: split squat, forward lunge, backward lunge

Push (Upper Body): pushup, shoulder press, tricep kickback

Pull (Upper Body): pull-up, row

Loaded Carry: farmer’s carry

Choosing to avoid one of these core movements puts a huge hole in your potential for a stronger, more resilient body. Your program isn’t complete without spending at least some time with each of these patterns.

A big advantage to training movements instead of exercises is it opens you up to choice: just because you see a fitness “professional” do 12 different exercises in their one Instagram workout doesn’t mean they will feel good on your body, fit your skill set or align with your goals. When you focus on the over-arching movement pattern, you’ll see there are so many directions you can go to create a program that works for YOU on your terms for your body.

Training these movement patterns and customizing them to your body via their variations is an incredibly effective way to develop strength, build muscle and prevent injuries.

THE SQUAT

The most fundamental movement pattern; undoubtedly a staple in building a strong lower body. We squat regularly: every time we sit down and stand up, getting in and out of the car, etc. You should train the squat in some variation at all times because of the real world application. The core stability and support needed to perform the squat pattern effectively helps prevent falls and injury outside of the gym.

THE HINGE

Hinging from the hips can be done vertically via the deadlift or horizontally via the hip thrust. Both are incredibly effective at targeting the hamstrings, glutes and supporting structures for the spine. This movement pattern is my favorite. I love it and always include it in my training.

THE LUNGE

A brutally effective lower body pattern. Lunges require high levels of core strength and stability, balance and power due to the single-leg nature of the pattern itself. If you’ve ever done dumbbell walking lunges across a gym, you know what I’m talking about. The backward lunge is a great option for training around knee pain.

THE PUSH (Upper Body)

This movement pattern includes the pushup, bench press, shoulder press and others. It is a fundamental movement that requires a lot of coordination, motor control and core strength. Achieving a well-executed pushup should be on everyone’s list: one of the most simple and effective upper body exercises.

THE PULL (Upper Body)

Pulling tends to not be prioritized because the muscles involved are not “show” muscles - the ones you see in the mirror (chest, shoulders, quads). Next time you’re in the gym, notice how many people are bench pressing versus how many people are rowing. It’s usually about 2:1 or even 3:1. Working your back and biceps through this movement pattern is essential for shoulder health, balancing out postural issues, and actually increases stability for pushing patterns and can elevate them to the next level.

THE LOADED CARRY

Protecting your spine from sudden movements or supporting it under intense loads is essential to your training and to your life. The ability to pick up boxes while moving, putting a suitcase in the overhead compartment on the plane take core strength. Moving or lifting a heavy object is a great way to increase core stiffness, grip strength and shoulder stability. The loaded farmer’s carry is a staple in a well-rounded training program.

Focus on mastering the six foundational movement patterns and the variations within them, and you’ll set yourself up for success. A stronger, resilient body is waiting out there for you. Get to training.

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