The Essential Movements of Every Training Program

Our body moves in mostly identifiable patterns (in three main dimensions). Whether in our daily life or in training, there are some fundamental planes of movements which our bodies follow when in motion (in reality movement does not occur precisely in these patterns all the time — often it is a hybrid). Imagine you are performing a squat at the gym (or at home). This seemingly simple exercise is one which works in the sagittal plane of movement. The sagittal plane of movement is one of the 3 macro categories in which the anatomical movement of our body can be framed. Patterns and directions of movement are delineated by anatomy. When training against resistance, we need to keep in mind these movement patterns, in order to choose the right exercises for our goal, and pick those movements which represent the foundation of every resistance training plan.

This post looks at defining which are the fundamental movement patterns that must be included in every training program and why, particularly if you aim at increasing muscle mass, developing strength, or losing body fat and be more healthy and fit for your daily existence. First, we'll treat the planes of movement which our body can be "split" into, to then get into the more detailed, fundamental movement patterns to always keep in mind when designing a training program, or simply working out against resistance.