A question I am sometimes asked is how do you know where to start with a beginner to strength training. With a beginner you want to assess their current level of movement efficiency to determine where to start. Do you need to help them learn how to move better or are they already moving well and need load to strengthen their body? As you can imagine it is near impossible to have a template that will apply to every person for there are so many variables to consider such as previous injuries, current injuries, what job or sport do they play, health considerations, age etc. What I like to do is use a relatively simple functional movement as the “ideal exercise” for each of the 7 fundamental movement patterns and then either work backwards to a regression if it is too hard or work forwards with a progression if it is too easy.
Start With An Assessment
In my detailed assessment I will also have completed a mobility assessment and basic stability assessment as well as taking into account their health and medical history to look for specific dysfunctions or problems. But from a movement perspective I will use something very similar to what I use in this video.
You could say this is the movement assessment and this would apply to a 10 year old and a 90 year old. The only time I really change this is due to injury or disability where some of the movements are just not practical but for the sake of this article I will keep it simple.
You can read the more detailed article about how to do this here – How to complete a mobility assessment
Once I have identified mobility restrictions I want to assess their movement skills with functional movement patterns. It is important to understand that I am not testing their strength yet, I just want to see how well they move and if I can add load or not. The movement patterns I am referring to are shown in the video below.
Once I have a better idea of how they move and I can then put the program together. This article I will show you what I would use the most and how I might regress or progress each exercise.
You can watch the overview video where I go over all the movements in order below. This is just a really quick summary of each of the exercises but to see a more detailed explanation of each keep reading the article below.
Okay, let’s get started with the first movement pattern which is in no particular order.
PULLING Movement Pattern – Squat Row
The best part about this exercise is anyone can do it. The skill requirement is quite low making it a great choice for beginners and those who struggle with coordination and understanding of how to move with other functional movements. This is my preferred choice of dual arm pulling exercises for it can produce big strength gains quite quickly.
However, the main reason I like this so much is the fact you learn to use your legs in sync with the upper body and understand that to create force and strength you need your legs. Many people are familiar with the seated cable row, and while it is a good exercise it has one disadvantage in that it removes the ability to coordinate and stabilize the body in a standing position.
An excellent exercise to use at the start of a workout to get your whole body warmed up and ready for the more complex exercises to come.
You can read more about the technique of this exercise and the various progressions in this article – How to correctly execute pulling movements
Regression – Single Cable Pull
If this exercise is too difficult which is very unusual if it is I could use the single cable pull where I do not need to use my legs to move but just to stand still. This exercise mimics the action of walking without the legs moving but forcing the glutes on the front leg to act as a stabilizer.
Progression – Single Cable Pull with Lunge
The progression would be to use the lunge instead of the squat as the leg component of the exercise. This is much more difficult to get right and requires a greater degree of leg strength and coordination.
2: PUSHING Movement Pattern – Single Cable Push
When we first meet a new client and perform an assessment their biggest obstacle is often coordination.
Every movement they do is awkward and feels uncomfortable and they look like they are trying to exercise while standing on roller-skates. This compromises their strength immensely and forces their body to slow things down to try and make sense of what is going on. This is a disaster for certain movements like the single cable push that require a faster timing in order to move efficiently and is the main reason why their performance suffers at first.
This also explains why they are very exposed to injury.
I could use the push-up as a way of testing the pushing pattern and I often do as well as this, but I rate the cable push more highly for it utilizes so many functions that are needed to move efficiently. For example, this movement utilizes both the left and right side of the brain as it requires you to use opposite sides of the body at the same time.
When you push with the left arm your right leg is the main stabilizing leg and vice versa. This mimics the exact action we use when we throw a ball, and also when we walk and run which are critical to enhancing how we move in daily life. While the push-up develops good scapula stability and strength it does not enhance these other functions.
Read this article to see more – Single cable push is so much more than a simple strength exercise
Regression – Kneeling Push-up
Once again I don’t often need to do this as the single cable push is arguably easier anyway but I might need to do this if there is some problems with the legs or lower back. If this is too hard in that case I might even just use the bird-dog exercise as the test for the pushing pattern. This would be the case with most shoulder and neck related problems and I may have to drill down further with specific serratus anterior and scapula related exercises before doing this.
You can read more about this in the article – Why Serratus Anterior is so important to the shoulder
Progression – Single Dumbbell Chest Press
It would be very unusual for me to use this exercise with a beginner straight away although I do use this a lot with people with hip pain from lateral pelvic tilt very early on.
While it looks like it is more of an arm and chest exercise, it really begins to become more of a glute and abdominal movement! The single arm being loaded up forces instability into the core and the only thing that can stop you from falling to the ground is your glutes, hamstrings and abdominals all working together as a team to keep you still while your upper body does the movement. An excellent exercise for improving glute and pelvic control.
3: BENDING Movement Pattern – Kettlebell Deadlift
Without a doubt the Romanian Deadlift is one of the best exercises you can learn to prevent back pain and is the number one exercise I teach to people of all ages. Whether you are a keen sporting athlete, someone recovering from injury, or even an 80 year old looking to maintain quality of life, this exercise provides amazing benefits and is something we use every day in life.
In the rehab field the RDL is often referred to as a hip-hinge as it requires very little knee movement but a large degree of hip movement. Anyone working with lower limb injuries will know how much influence the hips have with these injuries, and often tightness with the hip flexors and weakness with the hip extensors is a big part of the problem.
I like to use the kettlebell with beginners as it gives them some reference points to help line up the legs in the correct alignment and be able to get a better idea of how to do this with very little risk. They can make mistakes here and it won’t cost them.
Regression – Kneeling Deadlift
Some people will get the deadlift straight away but I would say most people will take some time especially if they have a back or hip problem. If a person fails the standing exercise with the kettlebell I use this exercise between sets or even by itself for a bit longer and continue working on mobility until they can eventually master the position.
This exercise obviously is amazing for the person coming back from back pain as it reduces the risk of injury and pain but teaches them the necessary basics they are missing in the bending movement.
Progression – Barbell RDL
This is the logical progression to use but I would avoid making this too heavy with a beginner. Even if their form is good you want to give them some time to really master the movement and get used to the breathing mechanics and improve their grip strength gradually before progressing to more strenuous deadlift variations.
You can read more about the different deadlift variations you can progress to in this article – Which deadlift is right for you?
4: SQUAT Movement Pattern – Body-weight With Heel Plates
Once I am sure the person has adequate hip mobility, strength in the glutes, and the ability to demonstrate good form with the Romanian Deadlift I know I can begin teaching the squat. It is always best to learn the deadlift before the squat which you can read more about in this article- Why I teach deadlifts before squats
One of the best ways to do this is to use a technique that encourages greater range of motion than the parallel depth most often used.
This encourages a greater range of motion which is good when working with the person who is quad-dominant as it takes their over-reliance on the quads out of the equation and makes them learn how to integrate correctly with other joints and muscles.
When someone learns to squat with more depth they gain a better understanding of how to use their glutes in combination with stabilization of the pelvis and core by the inner unit abdominal muscles to initiate the vertical movement up to parallel, where the quadriceps and hamstrings can then take over.
This is where I like to use the REVERSE PATTERN SQUAT shown in the video below.
You can also read a much more detailed analysis of squat technique in the article – Why your knees should go over your toes when you squat
Regression – Crab Walk
There are many regressions I could use like the Swissball Wall Squat, decline board squat or even just a box squat but I like to use the crab walk for the simple reason it gets them to feel the glutes becoming more engaged with the quadriceps. I don’t mind too much if their upright form is not perfect for I can come back and address this with one of the versions I just mentioned.
Progression – Goblet Squat
The progression I usually use with beginners is to hold a dumbbell on the chest which is often referred to as a goblet squat. I don’t use a barbell until later on once they have developed a bit more skill, strength and body awareness for it can be too much compression on the body if used too early.
The version I like to use is the Deadlift & Squat combo which is shown below and a great way to understand the difference between the two movements.
5: LUNGE Movement Pattern – Body-weight Forward Lunge
When people ask me “why do I need to do lunges” or even worse, “I have been told lunges are bad for your knees and not to do them”. I then explain that without the lunge you lose your ability to move efficiently and will not be able to get up off the floor! Meaning that getting out of bed or being able to get to ground as much as get back up, now is going to become impossible.
If you don’t believe me try for yourself to get up off the ground onto your feet without using what looks like a lunge stance at any point. You will need to have some gymnastic skills to do this without the lunge.
The lunge is unique to the other movements in that it is often completed on the move as opposed to standing still which is one reason why it is a close relationship to GAIT (walking and running). It can also be difficult to get right so you do need a few regressions in your toolkit.
You can read more about this in the article – Lunges are essential to your fitness success and this is why
As with the squat my version I use for a beginner is either a forward lunge or reverse lunge to see how the control the motion.
Regression – Kneeling Stability Lunge
If it is too hard I could give them a stick to hold onto and learn how to position correctly or I could use the kneeling stability lunge shown in the video below. This is a reflex stability drill to establish whether you can stabilize your body by using your inner unit abdominal muscles or if you are using your hip flexors as stabilizers. The best part about this exercise is it mimics the position you need and the stability but does not need the strength of the standing version.
Progression – Hold Dumbbells
The progression for the body-weight lunge is quite simple and that is to hold some dumbbells. I don’t try to do too much too soon such as walking lunges or BOSU lunges for example just to give the person time to get comfortable with the basics. The first few times you do them your leg muscles are usually screaming at you for a few days so there is no need to do too much with this early on.
6: ROTATION Movement Pattern – Cable Wood-chop
The wood-chop exercise is an amazing way to improve core strength and rotational power as seen in sports like golf and tennis. However, its value is not limited to those who play sports, for rotational movement is a critical part of daily life and something we should be trying to maintain and improve. Learning rotational exercises can be difficult for it is one of the movements that must be trained at a relatively high speed in order to get it right, and with so many moving parts it is easy to make a real mess of it.
I like to start with the high to low with beginners as it is easier to control and you do not need a lot of leg strength as your body has good leverage over the weight. The low to high version is much more difficult as you need significant more strength and power to execute it perfectly.
You can read more about this in the article – How to improve core rotation using the wood-chop
The video above explains the technique and how to avoid the common mistakes.
Regression – Pallof Press
The Pallof press is often referred to as an “anti-rotation” or “anti-flexion” exercise in that it trains the muscles of the core to resist rotation or flexion instead of providing it like the wood-chop.
This exercise is usually used with a cable machine or with resistance bands that you hold out in front of your torso while pressing it out and back. This tension pulls you toward the anchor point and your core resists to keep your torso front on. People who experience shearing of the spine will find this type of exercise invaluable as it teaches you how to effectively brace the core while completing movements with your upper body.
I can then teach the person how to complete the leg action separately so they can understand how to do the weight shift.
Progression – Low To High Woodchop
This is one of those deceptively hard exercises that leaves you feeling exhausted and out of breath. It is also quite difficult to master as it has a high demand on the legs and core working together at high speed in perfect harmony. For that reason I would very rarely use this with a beginner.
This particular movement relates very well to many “throwing” sports like golf, baseball, and tennis and allows you to build specific strength and power into the movement that can complement your game. It also can cause serious damage to the lower back if performed poorly so great care must be taken to learn good form.
7: GAIT Movement Pattern – Hip Airplane, Toe Touch Drill or Farmers Walk
Out of all the fundamental movement patterns this one is the most complex to work with, especially if you have lost your ability to walk. It is also the most important for without your life will change forever as you move towards disability and use of a wheelchair or walking frame.
From an evolution perspective this movement pattern was paramount to our survival to ensure we could find food and avoid being eaten from predators. If you were unable to walk you would not live much longer. Luckily we do not live in those times anymore, but this has also made us very lazy and ignorant to maintaining the health of this pattern.
A gait cycle is a sequence of events in walking or running, beginning when one foot contacts the ground and ending when the same foot contacts the ground again. The human gait cycle is a very complicated, coordinated series of movements. There are so many moving parts within the gait cycle that the use of simple isolated exercises do very little to improve the motor program. But due to this complexity it makes it very difficult to find exercises that are both useful and safe to do.
You can read more about this in the article –The most critical movement you need to master to improve your ability to walk and run efficiently
To master gait you must have great single leg stability and this is where I like to start. I might try to start with the hip airplane exercise shown below as it forces incredible foot stability in combination with hip stability.
Regression – Toe Touch Drill
This is a very similar exercise but much easier to execute. This is an excellent exercise I use right at the beginning of most people’s programs to help them learn how to stabilize the stance leg but with little risk of injury or harm. If they make a mistake there is no consequence, only frustration on their behalf for mucking it up.
Progression – Farmers Walk
When you are walking with load the stability demands of the entire body are amplified, for the body must provide mobility to joints under extreme stress in order to move your legs. We pay great attention to our technique during exercises like chest press, squats and deadlifts but we don’t pay much attention to how we grab the dumbbells, barbells and weight plates. We just assume we are able to it perfectly and that it all is okay.
The only problem with this is you really need to master the deadlift first but if the person is capable I might try to do this early on.
You can read more about this in the article – Why Farmers Walks Are So Under-rated
Do You Need More Help?
If you want even more exercise ideas, circuit workouts, strength programs and even cardio and sporting workouts, make sure you get a copy of the Little Black Book of Training Secrets where I share 101 amazing programs all done for you to copy.
Click here to see more about what is inside this special report and download your digital copy instantly.
Summary
Now there is obviously a few other exercises I have not included such as core exercises like lower abdominal strengthening, side planks and also foot stability or basic floor hip stabilizing exercises. I usually like to create a simple stability program for people to work on that separately at home which can greatly complement the strength program. Also the stretches and mobility work would be included with this home program too.
But with regard to the strength workout this is how I would try to approach it. Obviously I will be making many changes to any specific needs and including many more specific tests depending on the person. Hopefully this gives you a good idea of how you can approach your training to get the most out of each workout.
About The Author
Nick Jack is owner of No Regrets Personal Training and has over 20 years’ experience as a qualified Personal Trainer, Level 2 Rehabilitation trainer, CHEK practitioner, and Level 2 Sports conditioning Coach. Based in Melbourne Australia he specializes in providing solutions to injury and health problems for people of all ages using the latest methods of assessing movement and corrective exercise.
References
•Movement – By Gray Cook
•How To Eat Move & Be Healthy – By Paul Chek
•Athletic Body In Balance – By Gray Cook
•Anatomy Trains – by Thomas Meyers
•Motor Learning and Performance – By Richard A Schmidt and Timothy D Lee
•Assessment & Treatment Of Muscle Imbalance – By Vladimir Janda
•Advanced Program Design – By Paul Chek
•Built From Broken – By Scott Hogan