It’s the end of February and prime time for gym workouts. And some useful workout tips.
Every fitness center is packed with people making good on their “get in shape” New Year’s resolutions.
This is fantastic! I love to see more people exercising.
Unfortunately, many of these people are going to injure themselves during the process.
Sure, there is always a small risk of injury with any type of exercise. But the large majority of gym injuries come from poor exercise techniques and are easily preventable.
Knowing what to do helps you avoid getting injured.
That’s why I’ve decided to provide workout tips. A technique summary for virtually every exercise ever invented.
You are probably wondering how am I going to do that?
Well, every exercise can be broken down into one (or more) of 7 key components. We call these components “Primal Movement Patterns”. Here’s the list:
- Push
- Pull
- Lunge
- Squat
- Hinge
- Rotate/Anti-rotate
- Gait
Source: Matt Grebosky
For example, if you throw an object, it’s a combination of a lunge, push, and rotate. A flaw in one of these patterns will have a wide-ranging negative impact on technique in any exercise or activity that utilizes that particular primal pattern.
If your rotation pattern is faulty, it will limit your ability to throw. But also impact skiing, swimming, and any ball, racquet, or striking sport such as martial arts.
If you can effectively perform these 7 primal movements, you will be perfectly set up to learn almost any exercise, even if you haven’t done it before.
These foundational patterns are at the basis of everything you do in the gym, in sport, and in daily life.
- Walking upstairs is a combination of the gait and lunge pattern.
- Have you ever sat down on a chair or used the toilet, you’ve done the squat pattern (hopefully well).
- If you’ve opened a door you’ve used the push or pull pattern
- Walking and running are examples of the gait pattern
- Pick up a box off the floor and you are utilizing the hinge pattern
These patterns are all tied together through proper breathing, bracing, alignment, and activation.
Additionally, they are independent of equipment. Once you learn how to squat, you can easily adapt to using a barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, TRX, Medicine Ball, Bands, etc.
Unfortunately, too many people focus on the equipment and forget to learn how to move correctly.
Follow our YouTube channel for exercise videos to help you get started. But the best option is to book your free Complementary Success Session.
If you prefer exercising on your own, then you should register for our on-demand, fully online Movement Foundations Course.
This will be the best investment you can make in your future fitness and your ability to prevent injuries.
Have an amazing weekend!
