Squats. rows. Deadlift. Press.
There’s a reason these form the foundation of any good strength program.(1)
But your goal is to be capable outside There is another category of movement in the gym that is often overlooked.
These are the movements that help you build qualities other than absolute power: strength, flexibility and work capacity. So you can play catch with your kids or help your friend move that annoying piece of furniture without having to worry about ending up like a Señor Stormtrooper.
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Here are 5 fun, real moves and where you can integrate them into your program 🙌
Hopping is something most of us probably haven’t done since elementary school, but it’s great physical preparation for jumping and sprinting.(2)
It promotes coordination, rhythm and stiffness in the lower legs while increasing heart rate.
Try incorporating a few minutes of skipping (or marching if your knees can’t take the impact!) into your warm-up!
For a fun challenge – try to maintain a serious, frowning face while doing this. (Note: This is impossible and you will end up laughing at yourself instead. 😂)
The Safety Vault (also known as “The Step Vault”) is a fundamental parkour move and deserves its time in the sun.
It is essentially the safest and most efficient way to overcome an obstacle. Plus, it’s fun to learn!
Imagine you’re on a hike and a falling tree gets in your way, or you have to jump over a low barrier wall or fence to chase your dog who got out…AGAIN!
Because this is skill-based work, it is best done together before the main training or in a separate session.
It won’t dramatically increase your strength, but it will expand your movement vocabulary and increase your confidence when navigating the real world. 💪
I don’t think there’s much better way to build real-world capacity than picking up an awkward object, carrying it to another location, and setting it down safely.
And it doesn’t have to be a sandbag.
Do you have an extra bag of mulch lying around? A backpack full of books? A child who wants to take part in your training? Great!
At the end of your workout, set a timer for 5-10 minutes and get to work improving your conditioning.
If there’s something that most exercises in the gym lack, it’s training outside of the traditional flexion and extension movements (i.e. the sagittal plane).
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The pivot lunge allows you a bit of multiplanar movement and adds a fun new variation. I just added them for one of my clients, Diane, and she loved them. 😍
This can replace any unilateral lower body exercise (e.g. instead of a split squat) in your strength training!
And last but not least, I give you the medicine ball side throw.
Not only does this introduce further rotational motion into the mix, but it also helps us operate at different levels along the speed/force continuum.
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Traditional exercises tend to focus on lifting things as heavy as possible (i.e. on the maximum strength side of the spectrum).
Moves like the medicine ball rotation throw work with one fraction of strength, but help develop speed and rotational power.
Typically we place strength exercises like this before Your maximum strength exercises in your program.
Do a few rounds of 6-8 reps. Give full throttle to every effort.
If you don’t have access to a medicine ball or a concrete wall to throw it against, I’ve done this with basketballs that I cut open, filled with sand, and just tossed around the yard for a bit. 💪
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And there you have it, my selection 5 Overlooked Moves for Real Fitness.
One big caveat here: The goal of this list is to give you more ideas and options to explore – NOT to make you feel like you’re falling behind if you can’t add all of these things right away.
You don’t have to completely overhaul your training. Sprinkle these in if possible. 😃
Now it’s your turn:
Will you try any of these moves?
What other exercises would you include on this list?
-Frosted
PS: Need help with a personalized workout routine that actually fits your goals, schedule and level? Find the trainer is right for you.
(1): They are huge Bang for your money Movements that are highly adaptable to a variety of performance levels. Hell, I’ve been doing one version of this for 25 years, and I expect to continue doing it for 25 more years. (2): One observation that has been made in conversations with physical education teachers across the country is that kids don’t know how to skip anymore – so get your kids to join in if you can! (3): Boy, do I need to update the video? 😅
