If you want to get fitter you need to stay injury free. If you want to stay injury free, you need balance. If you don’t have a balanced training programme it dramatically increases your chances of picking up injuries. If you base your training around the following fundamental human movements you can’t go too far wrong.
1) Upper Body Push
- Bench Press
- Dumbbell Bench Press
- Landmine Press
- Single Arm Landmine Press
- Bottoms Up Press
- Push Ups
- Barbell Overhead Press
- Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Dips
- Skull Crushers
- Tricep Extensions
- Incline Push Ups
2) Upper Body Pull
- Pull Ups
- Ring Rows
- Inverted Rows
- Barbell Curls
- Dumbbell Curls
- Dumbbell Rows
- Bent Over Rows
- Face Pulls
- Shoulder Shrugs
- TRX Rows
3) Hip Dominant
- Barbell Deadlift
- Trap Bar Deadlift
- Dumbbell Deadlift
- Kettlebell Deadlift
- Single Leg Deadlift
- Hip Thrusts
- Romanian Deadlifts
- Donkey Kicks
- Back Extensions
4) Knee Dominant
- Back Squats
- Front Squat
- Overhead Squat
- Jumping Squats
- Lunges
- Front Elevated Lunges
- Jumping Lunges
- Split Squats
- Step Ups
5) Core
- Plank
- Hollowhold
- Crunches
- Deadbug
- Bird Dog
- Superman
- Side Plank
- Flutter Kicks
- Leg Raises
- Knee Raises
- Scissors
6) Carry
- Farmer Carry
- Zercher Carry
- Suitcase Carry
- Front Rack Carry
- Overhead Carry
There are of course many other variations of the above exercises. Make sure you’re including some from each section in your training programme to get as much balance as possible. This will help prevent injuries, maximise results and ensure longevity.