Woodlands Fitness Centre

There might be hundreds of different exercises in existence - there's really only a few basic movements the human body is capable of doing during an exercise.

For the most part, these movement patterns are:

Horizontal Push
Horizontal Pull
Vertical Push
Vertical Pull
Quad Dominant
Hip/Hamstring Dominant
Elbow Flexion
Elbow Extension

Now let's take a look at each and see which exercises fit which movement pattern, how it should affect your exercise selection, and why it all plays a key role in preventing injuries and imbalances.

Horizontal Pushing Exercises:

These are any exercise that involves moving a weight straight out in front of you so that it's going away from your torso horizontally (think bench press).

The most common examples of horizontal pushing movements are:

Flat Barbell Bench Press
Incline Barbell Bench Press
Decline Barbell Bench Press

Flat dumbbell Bench Press
Incline dumbbell Bench Press
Decline dumbbell Bench Press

Flat dumbbell Bench Press (single arm)
Incline dumbbell Bench Press (single arm)
Decline dumbbell Bench Press (single arm)

Flat dumbbell Bench Press (alternating)
Incline dumbbell Bench Press (alternating)
Decline dumbbell Bench Press (alternating)

Flat reverse grip dumbbell chest press
Incline reverse grip dumbbell chest press
Decline reverse grip dumbbell chest press

Flat reverse grip barbell chest press
Incline reverse grip barbell chest press
Decline reverse grip barbell chest press

Flat dumbbell flyes
Incline dumbbell flyes
Decline dumbbell flyes

Cable cross overs (low to high)
Cable cross overs (high to low)

Standing cable chest press (two arm)
Standing cable chest press (single arm)

Dips (leaning forwards)

Close grip bench press

Landmine Chest Press

Svend Press

Underhand Front Raise


Horizontal Pulling Exercises:

A horizontal pulling exercise is any exercise that involves moving a weight in towards your torso horizontally from straight out in front of you (think rows).

The most common examples of horizontal pulling movements are:

Bent Over barbell Rows (underhand)
Bent Over barbell Rows (overhand)

Pendlay barbell rows

Yates barbell rows

Bent Over dumbbell Rows (two arm)
Bent Over dumbbell Rows (single arm)
Bent Over dumbbell Rows (alternating)

Single arm dumbbell rows kneeling on bench

Single arm staggered stance dumbbell rows

Seated Cable Rows (wide)
Seated Cable Rows (narrow)

Standing cable rows (two arm)
Standing cable rows (single arm)

Gorilla Dumbbell Rows

T-Bar Rows

Chest Supported Bench barbell Rows
Chest Supported Bench dumbbell Rows (single arm)
Chest Supported Bench dumbbell Rows (two arm)
Chest Supported Bench dumbbell Rows (alternating)


Vertical Pushing Exercises:

A vertical pushing exercise is any exercise that involves moving a weight up vertically in relation to your torso so that it goes straight over head or at least in that direction (think shoulder press).

The most common examples of vertical pushing movements are:

Standing Overhead barbell Press

Standing Overhead dumbbell Press (two arm)
Standing Overhead dumbbell Press (single arm)
Standing Overhead dumbbell Press (alternating)

Seated Overhead barbell Press

Seated Overhead dumbbell Press (two arm)
Seated Overhead dumbbell Press (single arm)
Seated Overhead Shoulder dumbbell Press (alternating)

Arnold press (seated)
Arnold press (standing)
Arnold press (alternating)

High Incline barbell Bench Press
High Incline dumbbell Bench Press (single arm)
High Incline dumbbell Bench Press (two arm)
High Incline dumbbell Bench Press (alternating)

Landmine press


Vertical Pulling Exercises:

A vertical pulling exercise is any exercise that involves moving a weight down vertically in relation to your torso so that you are pulling down from over head (think lat pull-downs).

The most common examples of vertical pulling movements are:

Pull-Ups
Chin-Ups

Lat Pull-Downs (wide)
Lat Pull-Downs (narrow)
Lat Pull-Downs (underhand)
Lat Pull-Downs (single arm)


Kneeling Lat Pull-Downs (narrow)

High cable rows (two arm)
High cable rows (single arm)

Straight arm cable pulldown (rope attachment)
Straight arm cable pulldown (straight bar attachment)

Underhand grip straight arm cable pulldown (straight bar attachment)



Quad Dominant Exercises:

A quad dominant exercise is any exercise where the primary mover is your quadriceps (think squats).

The most common examples of quad dominant movements are:

Barbell back Squats (wide)
Barbell back Squats (narrow stance)

Barbell Front Squats (wide)
Barbell Front Squats (narrow stance)

Zercher barbell Squats (wide)
Zercher barbell Squats (narrow stance)

Hack Squats - barbell
Hack Squats - machine

Box Squats - barbell back squat
Box Squats - barbell front squat
Box Squats - Goblet

Heels elevated Trap bar squats

Forward Step Ups - Dumbbell
Forward Step Ups - Barbell back squat
Forward Step Ups - Barbell front squat
Forward Step Ups - Goblet

Side Step Ups - Dumbbell
Side Step Ups - Barbell back squat
Side Step Ups - Barbell front squat
Side Step Ups - Goblet

Bulgarian Split Squats - Dumbbell
Bulgarian Split Squats - Barbell back squat
Bulgarian Split Squats - Barbell front squat
Bulgarian Split Squats - Goblet

Forward lunges - Dumbbell
Forward lunges - Barbell back squat
Forward lunges - Barbell front squat
Forward lunges - Goblet
Forward lunges - Zercher

Reverse lunges - Dumbbell
Reverse lunges - Barbell back squat
Reverse lunges - Barbell front squat
Reverse lunges - Goblet
Reverse lunges - Zercher

Static lunges - Dumbbell
Static lunges - Barbell back squat
Static lunges - Barbell front squat
Static lunges - Goblet
Static lunges - Zercher

Knee Over Toe Split Squat - Dumbbell
Knee Over Toe Split Squat - Goblet

Kossac squat - Goblet

Barbell between the legs split squat

Deficit Reverse Lunges - Dumbbells
Deficit Reverse Lunges - Barbell back squat
Deficit Reverse Lunges - Barbell front squat
Deficit Reverse Lunges - Goblet
Deficit Reverse Lunges - Zercher

Pendulum Lunges - Dumbbells
Pendulum Lunges - Barbell back squat
Pendulum Lunges - Barbell front squat
Pendulum Lunges - Goblet
Pendulum Lunges - Zercher

Walking Lunges - Dumbbells
Walking Lunges - Barbell back squat
Walking Lunges - Barbell front squat
Walking Lunges - Goblet
Walking Lunge - Zercher

Leg Press - feet high
Leg Press - feet low
Leg Press - feet wide
Leg Press - feet narrow
Leg Press - single leg

Leg extension (two legs)
Leg extension (single leg)

Jefferson Squat

Hip/Hamstring Dominant Exercises:

A hip/hamstring dominant exercise is any exercise where the primary mover is your hamstrings, glutes, or posterior chain as a whole (think deadlifts).

The most common examples of hip/hamstring dominant movements are:

Barbell Deadlifts

Romanian Deadlifts (barbell)
Romanian Deadlifts (dumbbell)

Stiff leg Deadlifts (barbell)
Stiff leg Deadlifts (dumbbell)

Deficit Deadlifts (barbell)
Deficit Deadlifts (dumbbell)

Trap bar Deadlifts
Trap bar semi stiff leg Deadlifts
Trap bar Stiff leg Deadlifts

Sumo Deadlifts (barbell)
Snatch Grip Deadlifts (barbell)

Kickstand Deadlifts (one dumbbell)
Kickstand Deadlifts (two dumbbells)
Kickstand Deadlifts (trap bar)

Stork Deadlifts (one dumbbell)
Stork Deadlifts (two dumbbell)
Stork Deadlifts (cable)

Glute-Ham Raises
Hip Thrusts (barbell)
Glute Bridges (barbell)
Hyperextensions
Pull-Throughs (cable rope attachment)
Good-Mornings (barbell)

Reverse Sprinter Lunges (dumbbell)
Reverse Sprinter Step ups (dumbbell)

Leaning forwards Bulgarian Split Squat (dumbbell)

Lying Leg Curls (two leg)
Lying Leg Curls (single leg)

Seated Leg Curls (two leg)
Seated Leg Curls (single leg)


Elbow Flexion Exercises:

An elbow flexion exercise is any exercise that involves moving a weight towards you by flexing at the elbow (think bicep curls).

The most common examples of elbow flexion movements are:

Standing biceps curl (barbell)
Standing biceps curl (EZ bar)

Standing dumbbell biceps Curl (two arm)
Standing dumbbell biceps Curl (single arm)
Standing dumbbell biceps Curl (alternating)

Seated dumbbell biceps curl (two arm)
Seated dumbbell biceps curl (single arm)
Seated dumbbell biceps curl (alternating)

Standing dumbbell hammer grip curl (two arm)
Standing dumbbell hammer grip curl (single arm)
Standing dumbbell hammer grip curl (alternating)

Seated dumbbell hammer grip curl (two arm)
Seated dumbbell hammer grip curl (single arm)
Seated dumbbell hammer grip curl (alternating)

Preacher Curls (barbell)
Preacher Curls (EZ bar)

Crush Grip Dumbbell Preacher Curls
Crush Grip Dumbbell Spider Curls

Preacher dumbbell Curls (two arm)
Preacher dumbbell Curls (single arm)
Preacher dumbbell Curls (alternating)

Standing Cable Curls (rope attachment)
Standing Cable Curls (straight bar attachment)
Standing Cable Curls (EZ bar attachments)

Spider dumbbell curls
Spider barbell curls
Spider EZ bar curls

Drag curls - barbell
Drag curls - smith machine
Drag curls - cable straight bar attachment

Zottman Curls

Pinwheel curls

Concentration curls

Behind the head cable curls (lat pulldown machine)


Elbow Extension Exercises:

An elbow extension exercise is any exercise that involves moving a weight away from you by extending at the elbow (think triceps extension).

The most common examples of elbow extension movements are:

Lying Triceps Extension - Barbell

Lying Triceps Extension - EZ bar

Lying Triceps Extension - Dumbbell (two hand)
Lying Triceps Extension - Dumbbell (one hand)
Lying Triceps Extension - Dumbbell (alternating)

Triceps Cable Press-Downs - rope attachment (two hand)
Triceps Cable Press-Downs - rope attachment (one hand)
Triceps Cable Press-Downs - straight bar
Triceps Cable Press-Downs - V-bar attachments

Overhead Triceps Extension - Barbell
Overhead Triceps Extension - EZ bar
Overhead Triceps Extension - Dumbbell (two arm)
Overhead Triceps Extension - Dumbbell (single arm)

Tate Press (Dumbbell)

Dips (vertical)

One arm Tricep kickbacks (dumbbell)

Two arm Tricep kickbacks lying face down on bench (dumbbell)


Accessory Movements:

There are other minor movement patterns that I like to lump into "accessory" type categories, divided into push and pull. These mostly include the leftover isolation exercises that don't fit into any of the other categories.

Push accessory:

Medial deltoids:

Standing dumbbell Lateral Raises (two arm)
Standing dumbbell Lateral Raises (single arm)
Standing dumbbell Lateral Raises (alternating)

Standing cable Lateral Raises (one arm)
Leaning cable Lateral Raises (one arm)

Seated dumbbell Lateral Raises (two arm)
Seated dumbbell Lateral Raises (one arm)
Seated dumbbell Lateral Raises (alternating)

Poliquin lateral raises (two arm)
Poliquin lateral raises (single arm)
Poliquin lateral raises (alternating)

Anterior deltoids:

Front barbell Raises

Front dumbbell Raises (Two arm)
Front dumbbell Raises (single arm)
Front dumbbell Raises (alternating)

Front cable Raises (Rope cable attachment)
Front cable Raises (straight bar cable attachment)
Front cable Raises (one arm)


Pull accessory:

Posterior deltoids:

Bent over Reverse dumbbell flyes (two arm)
Bent over Reverse dumbbell flyes (single arm)
Bent over Reverse dumbbell flyes (alternating)

Reverse dumbbell flyes face down on bench (two arm)
Reverse dumbbell flyes face down on bench (single arm)
Reverse dumbbell flyes face down on bench (alternating)

Bent over Reverse cable flyes (two arm) Bent over Reverse cable flyes (single arm)

Face pulls (rope cable attachment)

Traps:

Barbell Shrugs

Traps Bar Shrugs

Dumbbell Shrugs (two arm)
Dumbbell Shrugs (single arm)

Barbell Shrugs face down on incline bench

Dumbbell Shrugs face down on incline bench (two arm)
Dumbbell Shrugs face down on incline bench (single arm)
Dumbbell Shrugs face down on incline bench (alternate)

Cable Shrugs (two arm)
Cable Shrugs (single arm)

Behind the back barbell shrugs

Forearms:

Spider reverse EZ bar curls

Wrist curls - EZ bar
Wrist curls - barbell
Wrist curls - dumbbell

Reverse wrist curls - EZ bar
Reverse wrist curls - barbell
Reverse wrist curls - dumbbell


How to choose Exercises:

Your overall weight training program should be comprised of exercises from EVERY movement pattern. If it isn't, it means you're missing something and failing to properly train your entire body.

This should affect your exercise selection, and why movement patterns play a key role in preventing injuries and imbalances.

Certain workout schedules and programs are designed in a way where the movement patterns play the largest role in how you select exercises for each workout.

For example, the most generic way of setting up an upper body workout (as part of an upper/lower split) is by combining 1 horizontal push, 1 horizontal pull, 1 vertical push, 1 vertical pull, 1 elbow flexion and 1 elbow extension exercise.

And just like that, your upper body workout is good to go.

In the case of a full body split, you might take 1 exercise from every movement pattern category for each workout.

Depending on the exact routine you use, movement patterns could be a key part of the exercise selection process.


Balance Opposing Movement Patterns To Prevent Injuries:

Considered your movement patterns is for the purpose of preventing common weight training injuries and imbalances caused by typical crappy exercise selection.

If you "push" more than you "pull," something will almost always eventually go screwy with one (or both) of your shoulders. This is extremely common, as some gym users are much more interested with getting a big chest, huge shoulders and massive arms than they are with getting a big back.

This means there tends to be more of a focus on pushing exercises (chest / shoulders) than there is on pulling exercises (back). And this lack of balance around the shoulder girdle is an extremely common cause of shoulder related injuries.


How to Balance the opposing movement patterns

For every horizontal push, you should have a horizontal pull (and vice-versa).

(Example: For every bench press, you should have a row).

For every vertical push, you should have a vertical pull (and vice-versa).

(Example: For every shoulder press, you should have a pull-up or lat pull-down).

For every elbow flexion, you should have an elbow extension (and vice-versa).

(Example: For every biceps curl, you should have a triceps extension.)

It gets a little trickier with the lower body as there is a lot of overlap between quad dominant and hamstring dominant movements.

But, generally speaking, for each quad dominant movement there should usually be a hip/ham dominant movement too.

And not only should the amount of exercises for each opposing movement pattern be equal, but the amount of volume (sets/reps) done should be pretty close (if not exactly) the same as well.

This doesn't necessarily always have to balance out during each individual workout if that's not how your program is set up.

For example, if your workout routine is designed in a way where you ARE training opposing movement patterns in the same workout, then the amount of volume and exercises for each should indeed be pretty equal and balanced in that specific workout.

If your workout routine is designed in a way where you are NOT training opposing movement patterns in the same workout, then the goal is to ensure that the amount of exercises/volume for each ends up being pretty equal and balanced over the course of the week.

Meaning, if you have X sets of bench presses at the end of the week, you should usually have X sets of rows too. Y sets of overhead presses? Then there should be Y sets of pull-ups/pull downs. You get the picture.

There are some rare exceptions to all of the above recommendations, but for most people, most of the time, here's the moral of this story:

Setting up your weight training routine in a way that ensures there is balance around the joints (shoulder, knee, elbow) and balance between the different movement patterns (horizontal push/pull, vertical push/pull, etc.) is KEY to injury prevention and building a balanced body.


Choosing exercises for the lower body

It gets a little trickier with the lower body as there is a lot of overlap between quad dominant and hamstring dominant movements. But, generally speaking, for each quad dominant movement there should usually be a hip/ham dominant movement too.

And not only should the amount of exercises for each opposing movement pattern be equal, but the amount of volume (sets/reps) done should be pretty close (if not exactly) the same as well.

This doesn't necessarily always have to balance out during each individual workout if that's not how your program is set up.

For example, if your workout routine is designed in a way where you ARE training opposing movement patterns in the same workout, then the amount of volume and exercises for each should indeed be pretty equal and balanced in that specific workout.

But if your workout routine is designed in a way where you are NOT training opposing movement patterns in the same workout, then the goal is to ensure that the amount of exercises/volume for each ends up being pretty equal and balanced over the course of the week.

Meaning, if you have X sets of bench presses at the end of the week, you should usually have X sets of rows too. Y sets of overhead presses? Then there should be Y sets of pull-ups/pull downs. You get the picture.

There are some rare exceptions to all of the above recommendations, but for most people, most of the time, here's the moral of this story:

Setting up your weight training routine in a way that ensures there is balance around the joints (shoulder, knee, elbow) and balance between the different movement patterns (horizontal push/pull, vertical push/pull, etc.) is KEY to injury prevention and building a balanced body.

Sets, reps and volume

For each body part, shoot for 9 total sets, 8 to 10 reps per set.

Performing fewer than 6 reps builds mostly strength, and performing more than 12 prevents you from using heavier weights. So the safe range is 8 to 10.

For the first exercise of each workout, do 2 additional warm-up sets of 12 to 15 reps using a lighter weight. This will help to get the body ready to work out while helping to prevent injuries.

You can train muscles once or twice a week. For example, biceps can be trained on upper and/or pull days. Triceps can be trained on upper and/or push days. Hamstrings can be trained on lower and/or pull days.

To save even more time, you can pair exercises that work opposite muscle groups and cut the rest period between sets in half.

Instead of waiting 2 minutes between sets of bench presses, you can perform one set of the bench press, rest for just 1 minute, and then do a bent-over row.

After you finish, you'll rest again, then repeat the entire process until you complete all sets of both exercises. In an average workout, this technique could save at least 8 to 10 minutes without sacrificing performance.


The Woodlands Fitness Centre Ltd
A: Unit 27, Molyneux Business Park, Darley Dale, Derbyshire, DE4 2HJ
T: (01629) 733 123
E: woodlandsfitness@yahoo.co.uk
W: www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk



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