Train Movements, Not Muscles

Despite the flood of social media influencers pushing complicated workout plans, the truth is that effective training can be simple. Most people benefit most from a “meat and potatoes” program built around seven foundational movement patterns (eight if you count walking and running):

• Squat

• Lunge

• Hinge

• Push

• Pull

• Carry

• Rotate

• Gait (walk, run, jog, hike)

  
  

This isn’t abstract—it’s practical. These are the same motions you already use every day:

• Squatting to get in and out of a chair

• Lunging to rise from the floor

• Hinging to lift groceries

• Pushing or pulling boxes in the garage

• Carrying a child

• Rotating to swing a golf club—or simply roll out of bed

  
  

Why Movements Matter More Than Muscles

When you train movements instead of isolated muscles, you get more return for your efforts. Compared to isolation exercises (like bicep curls or knee extensions), multi-joint, compound exercises (like rows and squats):

• Recruit more muscle fibers and motor neurons

• Trigger greater hormonal and growth responses

• Carry over more directly into everyday life

  
  

Additionally, research shows that grip strength, squat ability, and walking speed are powerful predictors of health, independence, and fall risk as we age. Training movement patterns means you’re essentially training for the test:

• Carrying and pulling build grip strength

• Squatting, lunging, and hinging improve sit-to-stand ability

• Gait training builds speed and walking efficiency

  
  

In short: training patterns builds both capacity and durability to support your quality of life over time.

Stress vs. Capacity: Why Injuries Happen

Think of injury risk as a simple equation: Stress ÷ Capacity = Stress Response.

• If stress exceeds your capacity → breakdown and injury.

• If stress is applied at or below capacity with recovery → adaptation and resilience.

Example: after the first big snow, if you haven’t trained hinge, push, or rotation patterns in months, shoveling wet snow can overwhelm your back. But if you’ve trained those patterns consistently, your tissues are far more prepared.

Beyond Strength: Mobility & Stability

Movement training isn’t only about strength. A complete program also develops:

• Mobility: the range of motion needed to access positions

• Stability: the control to stay there safely

  
  

Without these, strength training is less effective—and more risky.

As I like to say: muscles are dumb. They only understand load and tension. Without adequate mobility or stability, the body cheats by finding the path of least resistance—compensating in ways that overload joints, tendons, and tissues not designed for it.

How Much & How Often

For most adults, 2–4 resistance training sessions per week works well. A full-body routine 3x/week is often the easiest starting point.

A simple framework:

1. Choose 4–6 exercises per session

2. Hit at least 4 movement patterns per workout

3. Over a week, train all patterns at least twice

Remember: what you don’t train doesn’t improve. The good news? Movements overlap. A sled push hits both pushing and lunging. Carries reinforce squats and hinges. Rotation can be layered into pushes, pulls, and lunges.

Example Exercises

• Push: push-ups, dumbbell press, sled push, landmine press

• Pull: rows, pull-ups, sled pulls, face pulls

• Squat: goblet squat, box squat, leg press

• Lunge: forward/reverse/lateral lunge, split squat, step-ups

• Hinge: deadlifts, hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts

• Carry: farmer carries, front rack carries

• Rotate: chops, lifts, anti-rotations

  
  

Adding Yoga for Balance

Yoga is an excellent complement to resistance training, especially on “off” days. Many poses directly support mobility and stability in these same patterns:

• Push: chaturanga (plank-to-lower)

• Pull: superman, cactus arms

• Squat: child’s pose, chair pose

• Lunge: warrior variations, skandasana (cossack)

• Hinge: ardha uttanasana (halfway lift)

• Rotate: seated twists, revolved triangle

  
  

Many of the physical therapy exercises I prescribe are inspired by yoga. Breath work, body awareness, and control through mid- and end-range motions make yoga a powerful tool for identifying and addressing imbalances in mobility and stability.

Bottom line: Training movements—not just muscles—keeps workouts simple, efficient, and tied to real life. It won’t make you injury-proof, but it builds the strength, control, and resilience you need to handle whatever life throws your way—whether that’s a heavy couch, a round of golf, or the first snowstorm of the season.

Looking to build your own ‘meat and potatoes’ program? At Precision Performance PT, we specialize in creating simple, effective plans tailored to your goals. Reach out—we’d love to help you get started.”