This blog is about the 5 core and arguably most important movements that you want to master and revolve your training around. These are the most common everyday movements and give you the most "bang for your buck" in potential muscle and strength building due to the amount of different body parts you use within each one, AKA "Compound Movements".
The Squat.
The Squat is not something that can be ignored as it is used every day all day, without it we cant sit down or stand up. That said, it should be easy to agree how important it must be to do a squat correctly. Unfortunately most people do not do this movement correctly, and as a result they hurt themselves, (knees being the most common). As a result from being in pain people will do anything they can to take the load of a squat off their lower body by using their arms to let themselves down or pick themselves up. This technique further weakens the legs as they become no longer conditioned to support even daily movements.
When you learn to correctly squat you will evenly use all the muscles of your legs, so to not feel any overuse or pain in one body part. Given the legs hold the largest muscles in your body, they have the potential to lift the most load and therefore produce the most growth hormones that will positively affect the body's' overall muscle building potential.
2. The Dead Lift
Another crucial lower body movement that is performed everyday. This is often referred to in everyday life as just "picking something up". Much like the squat unfortunately this movement is rarely performed correctly and as a result injuries occur (mainly in the back/spine). Again, this is a movement that when done correctly should rely almost exclusively on your lower body lifting the load. Which as we mentioned before, allows us massive potential in muscle growth.
3. The Bent Over Row.
Leading into our first primarily upper body movement, the Bent Over Row is the ultimate back building exercise that anybody can start implementing in some degree to their training Once again this is a basic movement of everyday life. Examples being; picking something up off the table or waist high surface, pulling open a door, pulling yourself up from the ground or in a sport setting; paddling in the water, pulling an opponent in contact sports, climbing over rocks, etc.
The back is oven overlooked by people when considering what to workout for their upper body. This is probably because it's not the first thing you see every day, or even at all most days. However, it is arguably the most important of all the upper body muscle groups. This is mainly because of two things, number 1, our shoulders are only as strong as our backs. Many muscles of the shoulders actually originate in the back or scapulas. Given that the shoulders are the most flexible body parts they need to be equally as durable or they can easily be injured.
Number 2, in this day and age, where we are all hunched over our phones, desks, computers, car wheel...etc, we are putting our back in a lengthened/stretched position. With so little contraction of our back muscles throughout the day, its makes it easier for our back muscles to become weak. So by doing bent over row and properly strengthening your back, you are reducing the daily impact of unhealthy movements and protecting yourself from injury during any upper body movements.
4. The Chest Press
The Chest Press is basically the opposite of the back row and so for a any well rounded body, it must be implemented. As all of the exercises on this list, the chest press has the most strength building potential for the muscles primarily used when pushing against anything ( Chest, Triceps). Again this is something you do everyday from pushing open a door, unscrewing a bottle, pushing yourself away from a surface..etc. Or in the sporting world, popping up from a surfboard, pushing an opponent back in contact sports, and swinging a bat or racket.
5. The Overhead Press
The Overhead Press is as it states, the important movement of lifting and letting down something above our head. This would be used if handling something in an overhead cabinet or shelf, holding up a child to play with, and in the sporting world; catching or throwing a ball. Of all the shoulder exercises that are great for you, the overhead press will allow you the most potential for muscle growth as it incorporates all the muscles of the arms and the deltoids in its motion.
*NOTE*
Because these are the movements we can load the most weight and there for have the most potential for muscle growth, it is vital you are coached on proper form before attempting to load any of these movements. Not only that but it is highly recommended that anyone attempting to regularly lift should also be written out or coached on how to write a proper resistance training program.
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