Master these Movement Patterns
Want to start lifting weights? Start with these 5 basic movement patterns first. The best news? You can get started at home!
Follow this video, listening for the cueing then adjust as needed.
Athletic stance: before getting to the movement patterns set up in what I like to call the athletic stance. Stand tall, feet hip distance apart and parallel to each other. Feel like you are screwing your feet into the floor (without actually moving them), squeezing the buttocks while gently drawing the abdomen in. Lengthen the spine up toward the ceiling while bringing the shoulder blades in toward the spine and down the back. Lastly lift the chest forward and up to the chin, not the chin down to the chest. You are ready for action-braced and ready to move.
Pushing motion: a great exercise that utilizes the pushing movement pattern is the push up. This can be done on the floor, or elevating the hands onto a bench or a counter top can be a way to regress the move on your way to mastering the move. An example of a pushing motion in daily life would be pushing a door open or pushing a grocery cart.
To start this move, be sure to align the hands directly under the shoulders. Then feel like you are “screwing” your hands into the floor or bench. Gently draw the abdomen in, squeeze the glutes, gently draw the shoulder blades in toward the spine and down the back. Squeeze the quadriceps, and drive back through the heels with the toes pressing into the floor. This is a solid plank position-bracing the torso. Begin to bend the elbows, draw the shoulder blades in and down more with the elbow bend. Lower the chest to the surface, keep squeezing the glutes like its your job. Exhale to bring yourself back to start.
Strength exercises that are also pushing motion are bench press, and a dumbbell chest press.
Pressing motion: the pressing motion is similar to the pushing but done in a vertical plane. An example of a pressing motion is placing your luggage in an overhead bin, or objects on a high shelf.
To get started, sit on the edge of a chair and begin to brace the spine by sitting tall, drawing the abdomen in and gently squeeze the glutes. Now lift the chest, bringing the shoulder blades in toward the spine and gently down the back. On an exhale, take the arms up over head getting the elbow fully extended. The palms can be faced inward or forward. Aim to align the arms with the ears.
Strength exercises that are pressing motion are dumbbell shoulder press, a push press, or a shoulder press with a bar.
Squat: the squat is the most familiar movement pattern yet many people don’t squat well even though we are using a squat movement pattern as we lower into a chair, then stand up, getting in and out of a car, or climbing stairs. We will be squatting until our final day on this planet!
Stand in front of a chair, feet hip distance apart and running parallel to each other. Imagine “screwing” your feet into the floor without actually moving them from the parallel set up. Squeeze the glutes, draw the abdominal muscles in, gently bring the shoulder blades into the spine and down the back. Lift the chest, head is neutral and the spine feels braced. Initiate the move by moving the hips back over the chair, drive the heels into the ground, push the knees out as you keep the feet flat on the floor. Lower your hips back and down toward the chair. Feel the eyes and chest are looking forward. Graze the chair before standing back up to the start position.
Strength exercises that use the squat are front squat, leg press, step-up, and back squat.
Pulling Motion: the pulling motion is familiar to us in everyday life when we are raking or sweeping, opening a door.
To practice the pulling motion you can use a cable machine if in the weight room or create your own set up at home with a large stretch cord and broom handle. Stand tall and braced facing your equipment of choice. Feel that the feet are “screwed” into the floor, abs drawn in, glutes squeezing, shoulder blades drawn in toward the spine and down the back, chest lifted. With the bar in hand, draw the bar toward the abdomen, bringing the elbows along side of the rib cage. Gently squeeze the shoulder blades deeper into the spine and down the back-as though the elbows are going to touch behind the back. With control and steady pace, return to start by straightening the arms again.
Strength exercises that use the pulling motion are pull-ups, lat pull down, a row.
Hip Hinge: Another familiar movement pattern in our daily life but often performed incorrectly. Bending over to tie a shoe, pick up a package or gardening require the hip hinge.
The hip hinge often gets confused with the squat. To perform the hip hinge, stand in front of a chair. Brace your body by “screwing” the feet into the floor, abs drawn in, glutes squeezing, shoulder blades drawn in toward the spine and down the back, chest is lifted. Bring the hands to the hips. Initiate the move by pushing the hips back, but not bend the knees as you did in the squat. Instead the knees are straight except for a small soft bend. Keeping the back flat, the only joint angle to changes is in the hips-the spine should not round. Keep the head neutral with abs and glutes staying engaged. Once the torso is horizontal to the floor, pause for a second, feel the hamstrings working, before returning to the start position.
Strength exercises that use the hip hinge are back extension, good morning, Romanian dead lift, kettle bell swing.
Check the video below. Follow along aiming for 10-20 repetitions of each move. Listen to the verbal cues and adjust as needed.
You can do this routine 3 times each week for 2-3 weeks before adding stretch cords or weights to the exercises. The aim with these movement patterns is to establish the mind and body connection to execute each move with good form.
No, it may not challenge you to do these moves, that’s okay. It is about that neuromuscular connection-the connection and interaction between the nervous system and the muscles. This connection and interaction helps reduce the chances of injury along with being certain you are hitting the targeted muscles.
Some strength exercises may combine these movement patterns such as a bent over row that sues the hip hinge and the pulling motion. But this is for another blog topic in the near future, stay tuned.