Why Athletes Train Movements, Not Just Muscles (And You Should Too)
I LOVE bicep curls and lateral raises. But;
Biceps curls won’t fix your broken squat.
Lateral raises won’t bulletproof your back.
Real strength, real athleticism, and real muscle come from training movements — not just muscles.
Why Movement Patterns Are the Key
The human body is designed to perform basic, powerful movements — not to "train a single muscle at a time."
When you train movements, you:
Build functional strength that carries over to sports, life, and work
Strengthen joints and stabilizers
Burn more calories (because you’re using more muscle groups at once)
Reduce injury risk
Build a more athletic, proportional physique
The Big 5 Movements You Must Master
1. Squat + Lunge (Vertical Lower Body Push)
Examples: Barbell Back Squat, Front Squat, Split Squat
Why it matters: Builds full lower body power, strengthens hips, knees, and core, improves athletic ability like sprinting and jumping.
👉 Squatting is not optional — it's a primal human movement.
2. Hinge (Posterior Chain Power)
Examples: Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Swing
Why it matters: Develops explosive glutes and hamstrings, protects your spine, and increases raw power output.
👉 If you’re not hinging properly, you’re leaving size and strength on the table — and risking back pain.
3. Push (Upper Body Press)
Examples: Push-Ups, Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Barbell Bench Press
Why it matters: Trains pressing power both horizontally and vertically, strengthens the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
👉 Weak pushing = weak posture and easy plateaus in upper body strength.
4. Pull (Upper Body Row and Pull)
Examples: Pull-Ups, Dumbbell Row, Barbell Row, Inverted Row
Why it matters: Balances out pressing work, builds the entire back chain (lats, rhomboids, traps), and bulletproofs your shoulders.
👉 No pull strength = weak back = guaranteed injury down the line.
5. Carry (Dynamic Core and Full-Body Strength)
Examples: Farmer's Carries, Waiter's Carries, Front Rack Carries
Why it matters: Teaches you to stabilize under load, improves grip, core endurance, posture, and real-world strength like nothing else.
👉 Carries build "armor" — core, shoulders, back — and most people aren't doing enough.
Mistakes Most People Make
🚫 Prioritizing isolation work (arms, delts) before mastering big movements
🚫 Never progressively loading the movement (getting stuck with light weights)
🚫 Poor technique — cheating range of motion, moving sloppy
🚫 Neglecting unilateral versions (single-arm, single-leg work)
Action Steps for This Week:
✅ Pick one big movement for each pattern and practice it with focus (low weight, high technique).
✅ Film yourself and check your form vs a solid standard (not influencers doing half-reps).
✅ Progress slowly — add weight or reps when your form is 90%+ locked in.
Example Training Split (HTC 365 Style):
Squat + Push focus (Day 1)
Hinge + Pull focus (Day 2)
Conditioning + Carries (Day 3)
Full Body Strength (Day 4)
This blueprint alone will outperform most cookie-cutter programs.
Inside HTC 365, every session is built around mastering and progressing these five movement patterns — so you build real, lasting strength that shows.
Start your 7-day free trial today and experience the difference.
Join HTC 365