| Before doing these 7 movements, it is important that | | | | close to the top of your list of most important |
| you have had your kinetic chain assessed for any | | | | exercises. Benefits include, core control/stability, |
| impairment. I recommend getting your static posture | | | | increase in growth hormone (dependant on weight), |
| assessed as well as performing movement screens | | | | strengthening of the posterior chain and improved |
| to find out if you have any impairment in the human | | | | movement. |
| movement system. | | | | Muscles worked - Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, and |
| The body is capable of many different movements, | | | | the core (erector spinae, abdominal complex) |
| many can be traced back to the times of cavemen | | | | Front Squat |
| and not much as changed since then in terms of | | | | Back Squat |
| movement, the 7 types are listed as - | | | | The Bend |
| Push (horizontal or vertical) | | | | Along with the squat, the deadlift is one of the most |
| Pull | | | | demanding exercises. It works pretty much everything |
| Squat | | | | from your chest, lower back, abdominals, glutes, |
| Bend | | | | hamstrings to your grip. It is often overlooked for one |
| Lunge | | | | of the more popular exercises, it looks like a very |
| Twist | | | | simple movement but can be quite technical at the |
| Run/Jog/Walk | | | | same time. |
| The Push | | | | There's nothing else really to say about this exercise |
| Pushing exercises are probably the most popular | | | | except that you should do it, the body has 600 |
| among fitness fanatics possibly because it's the | | | | muscles and the more we can use them the more |
| easiest to learn or because every time you open a | | | | metabolically active they become. |
| magazine someone is doing a push up or a bench | | | | Muscles worked - Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Erector |
| press. Even by the time you've started school | | | | spinae, Latissimus dorsi, Trapezius, Abdominal |
| everyone knows that doing push ups will enable you to | | | | Complex, Arms |
| develop upper body strength and size. | | | | Deadlift |
| There are two types of pushing, horizontal and vertical. | | | | Romanian deadlift |
| Both movements are needed in everyday life, this | | | | The Lunge |
| could be when you need to push a car or when you | | | | Lunging is a very athletic movement, it requires stability, |
| need to reach up to place something on the top shelf, | | | | balance, strength and co-ordination. If you're going to |
| it's really an exercise that is definitely needed in any | | | | start lunging start off by performing a static lunge on |
| good program. | | | | the spot, just up and down holding something sturdy to |
| Muscles worked - Chest, triceps, Anterior deltoid (front | | | | help with your balance. Once you have the required |
| of shoulder) and core musculature depending on the | | | | strength then progress to using no support and |
| exercise. | | | | onwards to the full lunge. |
| Push up | | | | I find that clients have difficulty with this exercise the |
| Kettlebell Press | | | | most. |
| Dips | | | | Muscles worked - Hamstrings, Glutes, Obliques, |
| The Pull | | | | Quadriceps |
| The pull is often neglected because of the popularity | | | | Multi planar Lunges |
| of the pushing exercises. It's important to remember | | | | The Twist |
| that the body likes to maintain homeostasis (balance) | | | | The twist is a movement that we frequently use, think |
| lack of any pulling exercises will not only cause | | | | about every time you move when you turn to pick |
| structural imbalances it will lead to injury, postural | | | | something up, when you throw, when you put |
| defects and altered force couple relationships (altered | | | | something down, twisting is a movement that we can |
| recruitment of muscles.) | | | | do however little or no people train within this plane of |
| There are many exercises that you can use to do a | | | | motion. |
| pulling motion, what you need to do first is learn proper | | | | Muscles worked - Internal, external obliques, Rectus |
| scapular retraction. | | | | Abdominis, Erector spinae. |
| I can't tell you the amount of times I've seen people | | | | Lateral Twisting Plank |
| doing a seated row or one armed DB Row with | | | | Cable Twist |
| improper activation of their scapular, I usually ask them | | | | Walking/Jogging/Running |
| if they feel it working in the place they want it to and 9 | | | | Walking/Jogging/Running also called your gait cycle are |
| times out of 10 the answer is usually no. Pulling | | | | some of the most basic of movement patterns, |
| movements use the trapezius and rhomboids to pull | | | | jogging and running should be added to your routine to |
| the scapular into retraction and depression. It is very | | | | maintain the most basic functions. |
| important in improving the health of your shoulders. | | | | I hope that this article has helped teach you something |
| Muscles worked - Mid/Lower Traps, Rhomboids, | | | | new and made you think about how to programme |
| Latissimus Dorsi, Biceps | | | | your own exercise routine. If you are truly serious |
| Pull up | | | | about making changes then utilizing these types of |
| Bent Over Row | | | | movements will definitely be beneficial. |
| The Squat | | | | Doing these 7 movements and their many variations |
| The squat is not a popular exercise for everyday gym | | | | will help to improve your strength, fitness and |
| goers, everyone wants to develop their chest, arms | | | | movement, as an added bonus doing these |
| and six pack abs, nothing wrong with that goal but do | | | | movements in a structured program will also help with |
| not neglect the other half of your body. If you're | | | | fat loss. |
| serious about getting abs then the squat has to be | | | | |