Back before I had kids or a business to run, I used to have hours to spend in the gym every day. It would be normal for me to do 1.5-2 hour sessions to get in strength, conditioning, and skill work. I loved it, and it felt like I had all the time in the world to dedicate to my fitness.
However, now that I have a family and a long list of responsibilities running our business, time is a precious commodity.
Sound familiar? For many of us, the idea of spending hours in the gym feels like a distant dream, or simply an impossibility. Yet, no matter what, a non-negotiable for me is my own training. I know that prioritizing my physical well-being is essential for my energy, my mental clarity, and my ability to show up fully for my family and my work.
Nowadays, though, I have to have a program that delivers results efficiently and effectively – in one hour or less a day. This isn’t just about convenience; it’s about necessity. And that’s where the magic of foundational movement patterns comes in.
These fundamental movements – squat, hinge, push, pull, step, and carry – form the bedrock of functional fitness. They are the universal language of movement, the very actions our bodies are designed to perform.
Mastering them translates to being stronger and more capable, both inside and outside the gym. It’s the style of programming we use at Telos, and it’s the reason why I am fitter TODAY than I was as a Division I college athlete or when I spent 2 hours in the gym daily.
This isn’t just a new or flashy theory; these movements have been around for decades, helping people gain strength and live long and healthy lives.
Why These Movements Matter
Think of these movements not as complicated exercises, but as the essential building blocks of everyday life. They are the actions you perform dozens, if not hundreds, of times a day without even realizing it. When you master these movement patterns, you’re not just lifting weights; you’re building a more resilient, efficient, and powerful body for everything you do.
- Squatting helps you lower yourself to the ground to play with your kids, pick up a dropped toy, or sit comfortably in a chair. It’s the foundation of lower body strength and mobility.
- Hinging allows you to bend over safely to tie your shoes, pick up groceries from the floor, or garden without straining your back. It’s crucial for a strong posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, lower back).
- Pushing involves moving objects away from you, whether it’s opening a heavy door, pushing a stroller, or getting up off the floor.
- Pulling involves bringing objects towards you, like opening a car door, pulling a heavy bag, or even just maintaining good posture.
- Stepping keeps you mobile and agile, whether you’re navigating stairs, stepping over obstacles, or simply walking confidently. Lunges and variations are key here.
- Carrying strengthens your core and all the muscles used for daily tasks like carrying an awkward laundry basket, a sleeping child in from your car, or bringing in groceries in one trip.
Mastering these patterns translates directly to a concept known as GPP (General Physical Preparedness). This means you’ll be stronger, more coordinated, and have better balance – all essential ingredients for a healthy and active lifestyle. GPP is about building a broad base of fitness that makes you adaptable and resilient, ready for whatever life throws your way, reducing your risk of injury, and enhancing your overall quality of life.
Build Strength & Get Toned with These Fundamental Movements
Here’s how Telos uses these foundational movements to create a program specifically designed to help busy professionals like you get stronger, toned, and more capable, all within a time-efficient framework:
1. Squat: Build Powerful Legs & Glutes
The squat is arguably the most fundamental human movement. It’s a full-body exercise that primarily targets your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, while also engaging your core for stability. Mastering the squat means you’re building powerful lower body strength and shaping a toned backside.
- For Beginners: Start with bodyweight squats, focusing on depth and form.
- Adding Resistance: Progress to goblet squats, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest level. This helps maintain an upright torso and deepens the squat.
- Advanced Variations: Bulgarian split squats (one leg elevated on a bench) challenge balance and work each leg independently, building incredible unilateral strength and muscle symmetry.
Beyond the gym, a strong squat means you can easily get up from a low chair, pick up your kids, or navigate stairs with confidence.
2. The Hinge: Strengthen Your Backside & Protect Your Spine
The hinge movement is distinct from a squat; it’s all about pushing your hips back while maintaining a neutral spine. This movement is crucial for strengthening your posterior chain – your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back – which are vital for good posture, preventing lower back pain, and developing explosive power.
- Core Hinge Exercises:
- Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs): Performed with dumbbells or a barbell, RDLs teach you to load your hamstrings and glutes effectively while keeping your back safe.
- Kettlebell Swings: A dynamic, powerful hinge movement that builds explosive strength in your hips and glutes, while also providing a fantastic conditioning effect.
- Good Mornings: A bodyweight or light-barbell exercise that emphasizes the hinge pattern and strengthens the entire posterior chain.
Mastering the hinge means you can safely bend over to pick up anything, from a heavy box to a small toy, without putting undue strain on your lower back.
3. The Push: Strengthen Your Upper Body & Enhance Daily Function
Pushing movements involve extending your arms to move objects away from your body. These exercises primarily build strength in your chest, shoulders, and triceps, sculpting a toned upper body while also engaging your core for stability.
- Versatile Push Exercises:
- Push-ups: A classic bodyweight exercise. At Telos, we often use incline push-ups with hands on a barbell set in a power rack to modify difficulty while maintaining perfect form and full range of motion.
- Dumbbell Bench Press: A great way to build chest and shoulder strength, allowing for a natural range of motion.
- Overhead Press: Whether with dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell, this exercise builds powerful shoulders and triceps, essential for overhead lifting and everyday tasks.
A strong push helps you open heavy doors, push a stubborn lawnmower, or even get yourself up off the floor with ease.
4. The Pull: Build a Strong Upper Back & Improve Posture
Pulling movements are often neglected but are absolutely critical for balanced upper body strength, good posture, and overall shoulder health. They work your back muscles (lats, rhomboids), biceps, and rear shoulders.
- Effective Pulling Exercises:
- Rows (various options): From dumbbell rows to seated cable rows or inverted rows (using a barbell or rings), these build thickness and strength in your back.
- Pull-ups: The ultimate bodyweight pulling exercise. Don’t worry if you can’t do one yet – we have many assisted versions and progressions at Telos to help you build up to it!
- Banded Lat Pulldowns: A great way to feel your lats working and build foundational pulling strength.
Strong pulling muscles counteract the effects of sitting and screen time, helping you stand taller, improve your posture, and reduce the risk of shoulder and neck pain.
5. The Step and Carry: Master Mobility, Balance & Real-World Strength
These two categories are all about dynamic, real-world movement and building robust core stability. They enhance your mobility, balance, coordination, and overall functional strength, mimicking how you move and interact with the world every day.
- Stepping Exercises:
- Lunges: Forward, reverse, or walking lunges work your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, while also significantly improving balance and coordination.
- Step-ups: Using a box or bench, step-ups build single-leg strength and power.
- Carrying Exercises:
- Farmer’s Carries: Holding a heavy kettlebell or dumbbell in each hand and walking. This builds incredible grip strength, core stability, and full-body endurance.
- Suitcase Carries: Carrying a single weight in one hand. This is fantastic for unilateral core strength, challenging your body to resist leaning to one side, just like carrying a heavy bag of groceries.
- Goblet Carries: Holding a weight at your chest while walking, which reinforces an upright posture and core engagement.
By focusing on these fundamental patterns, your workouts will be incredibly time-efficient and deliver the results you’re looking for in a short amount of time. You’ll build strength, improve your GPP, and achieve a toned look – all while fitting into your busy schedule.
Sample Workout
This GPP workout is designed for beginner athletes and incorporates a variety of exercises to hit all major muscle groups. It utilizes bodyweight exercises and a single kettlebell, making it accessible and adaptable for home or gym.
Strength Training (Approx. 30 minutes): This circuit will be performed 3 times through, with 30-60 seconds rest between exercises and 2-3 minutes rest between rounds. Focus on the quality of movement over speed.
- Squat (10 reps): Choose bodyweight squats, goblet squats holding the kettlebell at chest level, or Bulgarian split squats (one leg elevated on a bench).
- Kettlebell Deadlifts (10 reps): Focus on a controlled hinge motion at the hips, keeping your back flat.
- Push-ups (10 reps): Choose incline push-ups against a wall or bench for easier modification. If comfortable, try regular push-ups on the floor.
- KB Rows (10 reps per side): Single arm, supporting your non-working arm on a bench or sturdy surface. Focus on pulling the elbow back and squeezing your shoulder blade.
- Step and Carry (10 reps per leg, then 100m carry): Perform 10 walking lunges per leg. Immediately after, perform a 100m Farmer’s Carry (kettlebells in each hand, or one heavy dumbbell). Maintain proper form with a tall posture throughout the carry.
Remember: This is just a sample workout. Listen to your body, use proper form, and don’t hesitate to modify exercises as needed. Aim to do this workout 2-3 times per week for optimal results. As you progress, adjust the exercises, sets, reps, and rest periods to keep challenging yourself.
The Telos Difference
At Telos, we don’t believe you need to spend endless hours in the gym to get real results. Our philosophy is built on the power of these fundamental movements, expertly programmed for your individual needs. We take the guesswork out of your training. All you have to do is show up and be ready to work hard – we will take care of the rest for you.
We provide science-backed programming, personalized coaching, and a supportive community to ensure you’re not just working out, but truly progressing. This means you get stronger, fitter, and more capable faster and without injury. We’re here to help you build that strong foundation for a lifetime of active living.
Ready to stop guessing and start seeing real, efficient progress? Join us at Telos and experience the power of foundational movements.