Why Human Movement Is More Than Just the Big Seven

Why Human Movement Is More Than Just the Big Seven

In the world of strength training, we often hear that all human movement boils down to five key patterns: squat, hinge, push, pull, brace, lunge, and rotate. These movements form the backbone of many strength programs—and for good reason. They’re foundational strength patterns that have adapted our programming thinking towards a more human-centric approach over traditional isolation body building approaches of the 90s.

But here’s the thing: that list, while useful, is also a product of the strength world’s lens of movement. It reflects the goals and priorities of lifting, not necessarily the full spectrum of human movement.

Human movement is more dynamic than just seven neat categories. Think about crawling, climbing, rolling, throwing, catching, jumping, sprinting, climbing, hanging, dancing, balancing—there’s a richness to the way we move that goes far beyond isolatory movement categories. These aren’t just “accessory” skills; they’re fundamental to how we explore and interact with the world, especially in real-life or sport-specific contexts.

Strength training is an amazing tool, and movement categories help us think more about function but it's only part of the puzzle. If we want to move better—not just lift better—we need to zoom out and look at movement as a broader, more diverse language. One that includes play, unpredictability, and adaptability.

So yes, squat, hinge, brace, lunge, and rotate are progressive and efficient ways to develop strength as an isolated quality, but getting better at pulling won’t necessarily get you better at climbing. Let’s not forget to climb a tree, roll on the floor, or jump into a game of tag once in a while. That’s movement, too.

One thing is for sure: natural movement training will give you practical and applicable movement skills while developing a range of fitness qualities such as strength. The same can not be said the other way around.