Movement Patterns

STEADFAST TRAINING GLOSSARY

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WHAT ARE MOVEMENT PATTERNS?

Movement patterns are broad categories of coordinated actions used to organize exercises. Instead of identifying only a muscle, the category describes what the body is doing. NASM’s functional training guidance includes squatting, hinging, lunging, pushing, pulling and carrying.

COMMON EXAMPLES

• Squat: a chair sit to stand or supported squat.
• Hinge: a controlled hip hinge drill.
• Lunge: a supported split stance lowering movement.
• Push: a wall pushup or suitable chest press.
• Pull: a supported row or lat pulldown.
• Carry: a manageable farmer’s carry.

These are examples for understanding the categories, not an instruction to perform every exercise. Different coaching systems group movements differently; there is no need to force every exercise into one exclusive box.

A PRACTICAL COACHING EXAMPLE

Write down the exercises from your last session. Beside each, identify its main action. If your list includes three presses and no pulling movement, ask whether that distribution serves your goals. The purpose is to review exercise selection, not to impose an identical number of exercises in every category.

HOW NASM AND NSCA USE MOVEMENT PATTERNS

NASM’s functional strength article organizes training around broad actions that occur in daily life. This gives coaches a way to connect an exercise menu to what the client wants to do.

In NSCA’s Personal Training Quarterly, Lincoln, Ill and Ibrahim describe teaching fundamental resistance training patterns through suitable exercise selection, instruction, observation and feedback. They connect developing proficiency with the ability to progress training demands. This is coaching guidance, not evidence that everyone must follow one identical progression ladder.

LOOK BEYOND THE CATEGORY NAME

A pattern label is only the beginning of exercise selection. Two exercises can belong to the same category and still feel very different. Before choosing one, consider the starting position, available support, movement range, resistance and coordination needed. Record those details so “row” means a specific exercise you can repeat, rather than an entirely different setup each visit.

• Support: Will a seat, bench, wall or hand support make the intended action easier to learn?
• Range: What movement can the person currently control without forcing the position?
• Resistance: Is the challenge manageable enough to practice the chosen technique?
• Direction: Does the plan require reaching overhead, pressing forward or pulling toward the torso?
• Context: What equipment and time will actually be available next week?

A COACHING EXAMPLE: LEARNING A HINGE

This illustrative process begins with explaining the task and demonstrating an appropriate version. The learner tries a manageable variation while the coach watches. Rather than delivering five corrections at once, the coach selects one useful instruction and checks whether the next attempt changes. The process is repeated before adding another challenge.

Progress does not have to mean moving immediately to a barbell. It might mean reproducing the setup more consistently, using less assistance or adding a modest load. A variation can remain useful for months if it continues to serve the goal. A named exercise is not a graduation requirement.

REVIEW A WEEK OF TRAINING

For a practical planning exercise, list the movements in your current week and write the reason for each. You might find plenty of lower body work from squats and step ups but little pulling. That observation invites a review of the plan; it does not automatically prove an imbalance, injury risk or need for a fixed push to pull ratio.

Also review effort and recovery. Six categories performed at an unsuitable intensity do not become an appropriate program merely because the checklist is complete. Conversely, a short session can be useful when it fits into a well considered week.

PATTERNS, MUSCLES AND SKILLS

These are different descriptions of the same training session. “Pull” describes an action category. “Back muscles” describes part of the anatomy involved. “Setting up and controlling a seated row” describes a skill to practice. Good coaching can use all three descriptions without pretending that one replaces the others.

Use pattern categories to organize the plan, specific exercises to deliver the work, and recorded performance to decide what happens next.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

SEE ALSO

Functional Strength Training · Motor Control · Range of Motion

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

Is Walking Enough After 40? What to Add for Strength and Mobility

Browse the training glossary · Discuss your training goals

SOURCE

NASM: Functional Strength Training. Educational guidance on everyday strength and exercise categories.