Squats. Rows. Deadlifts. Presses.
There’s a reason why these are the foundation of any good strength program.[1]
But if you’re goal is to be capable outside of the gym, there’s another category of movement that’s often overlooked.
These are the movements that help you build qualities other than absolute strength: power, mobility, and work capacity. So you can break into a game of tag with your kiddos or help your friend move that awkward piece of furniture without worrying you’ll end up like señor stormtrooper here.
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Here are 5 fun, real-world movements and where you can slot them into your program 🙌
Skipping is something that most of us probably haven’t done since grade school, but it’s awesome physical preparation for jumping and sprinting.[2]
It builds coordination, rhythm and lower-leg stiffness, all while getting your heart rate up.
Try adding a couple minutes of skipping into your warm up (or marching if your knees don’t like the impact!)
As a fun challenge – see if you can maintain a serious frowny face while doing it. (Hint: it’s impossible and you’ll end up laughing at yourself instead. 😂)
The Safety Vault (AKA “The Step Vault”) is a foundational parkour movement and it deserves it’s time in the sun.
It’s essentially the safest, most efficient way to get yourself over an obstacle. Plus, it’s fun to learn!
Imagine you’re on a hike and there’s a fall tree in your path, or you need to hop a low barrier wall or fence to chase down your dog who got out…AGAIN!
Because this is skill-based work, it’s best done before your main workout or in a separate session all together.
It won’t dramatically increase your strength, but it’ll expand your movement vocabulary and boost your confidence navigating the real-world. 💪
I don’t think there’s much better for building real-world capacity than having to lift an awkward object, carry it to another spot, and safely put it down.
And it doesn’t have to be a sandbag.
Have an extra bag of mulch lying around? A backpack full of books? A kid that wants to be a part of your workout? Great!
Set a timer for 5-10 minutes at the end of your workout and get to work for a great piece of conditioning.
If there’s one thing most gym movements miss, it’s training outside of traditional flexion and extension movements (i.e. the sagittal plane.)
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The pivot lunge gets you a bit of multi-planar movement and adds a fun new variation. I just added them for one of my clients, Diane, and she LOVED them. 😍
This can sub right in for any unilateral lower-body lift (for example, in place of a Split Squat) in your strength routine!
And last but not least, I give you: the Medicine Ball Side Throw.
Not only does this introduce another rotational movement to the mix, it helps us operate at different levels along the speed/strength continuum.
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Traditional lifts tend to focus on lifting things as heavy as possible (i.e. Max Strength side of the spectrum.)
Movements like the Medicine Ball Rotational Toss operate at a fraction of the strength, but help develop speed and rotational power.
We typically place Power-based exercises like this before your maximum strength exercises in your program.
Shoot for a few rounds of 6-8 reps. Go full speed with each 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 I cut open and filled with sand and just tossed it around the yard a bit. 💪
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And there you have it, my picks for 5 overlooked movements for real-world fitness.
One big caveat here: The goal of this list is to give you more ideas and options to explore – NOT make you feel like you’re falling behind if you can’t immediately add all these things in.
You don’t need to totally overhaul your training. Sprinkle these in as able. 😃
Now, it’s your turn:
Are you going to give any of these movements a try?
What other exercises would you include on this list?
-Matt
P.S. Want help with a personalized workout routine that actually fits your goals, your schedule, and your level? Find which coach is right for you.
[1]: They are huge bang-for-your-buck movements that scale really well to a wide variety of ability levels. Heck, I’ve been doing some version of each of these for the last 25 years, and I expect I’ll be doing them for another 25.
[2]: When talking with P.E. teachers around the country, one observation they’ve made 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 that video! 😅