Training the BIG 6
There’s a well known secret among strength coaches and I think it’s time you were in on it: a well designed program does NOT have to be complicated. In fact, the best programs are the least complicated ones.
You don’t need tons of bells and whistles in your program if you’re looking to gain strength and improve your body composition.
So, how do you know WHAT to program?
That’s where the BIG 6 comes in to play.
Throughout the course of your day to day life, you essentially use and reuse 6 patterns of human movement. These patterns can be broken down into a variety of exercises, but the pattern itself remains the same.
What is the BIG 6?
Your basic movement patterns can be broken down into 6 areas:
Put your thinking cap on…..we’re about to SCIENCE.
Take a second and think about the normal events of your day to day life.
Chances are, you use all 6 of these patterns more than you realize.
You squat when you sit and stand.
You hinge when you pick things up.
You lunge anytime your legs stride (um, like walking? yes) as in walking and especially STAIRS
You push things when standing up and when pushing yourself away from a desk/table/etc.
You pull things toward you and yourself toward things.
The carry and rotation are antagonists to each other and I usually prefer to train them together. Carrying is an anti-rotational movement (bringing groceries in from the car, carrying your kids), and rotational movements (reaching into the backseat, turning in your chair) are best trained with them to create a stronger core.
How do these fit into your program?
You can put together a variety of exercises for each pattern OR train several patterns together, depending on your strength training split.
Options for training splits:
There is NO one training split superior to another. You want to pick a split that fits your ability and schedule. This will keep you consistent and have you seeing results faster.
Split option #1: Total Body
A total body training split works well for beginner to intermediate lifters who don’t have a ton of time throughout the week to hit the gym.
This split is typically performed for 3 days, with a rest day in between.
You can incorporate all the movement patterns throughout your split like this:
Monday: Hinge, Push
Wednesday: Squat, Lunge
Friday: Pull, Carry/Rotation
Split Option #2: Push/Pull
The push/pull split is a favorite for intermediate to advanced lifters looking to get stronger and improve their body composition a little faster.
This split is 4 days a week and involves training opposing muscle groups on consecutive days.
This helps you to progressively overload the muscle for greater gains without the fear of overtraining.
Monday: Push; bench press, squats, overhead press, tricep work
Tuesday: Pull; hinge, lunge, pull (row, pull up), carry/rotation
Thursday: Push; bench press, squats, overhead press, carry/rotation
Friday: Pull; hinge, lunge, pull, bicep work
Split Option #3: Body part split
This option is favored by bodybuilders all over the world because it enables them to make training alterations based on how specific body parts are adapting. NOTE: the human body does always work together, so true isolation isn’t possible.
This style of training usually consists of 5-6 workouts per week, broken down by body part.
Monday: chest (push)
Tuesday: legs (squat/lunge)
Wednesday: Back (pull)
Thursday: Accessories (arms)
Friday: Hinge (deadlifts)
You can incorporate all 6 movement patterns into your daily routine, making an extra workout day for any lagging movements.
Split Option #4: Specific Patterning for Overload and Improvement
This is my favorite option as it pertains to a measureable way to make sure you’re getting stronger. Power lifters, Olympic lifters, kettle bell athletes, etc. all use these kinds of splits to increase strength in their chosen sport.
The number of workouts and days per week will depend on your experience as a lifter, time available, and your GOAL.
Monday: Hinge, pull, anti-rotational core work
Tuesday: typically accessories
Wednesday: Press and core work (rotational)
Thursday: recovery
Friday: Hinge, pull, anti-rotational work, grip strength
Now that you have an idea for your training split, the best thing you can do is KEEP IT SIMPLE!
Overcomplicating any program will make you feel overwhelmed, decrease adherence, and can sometimes cause injury.
If you are beginner lifter, check out the FREE WORKOUT FRIDAY from last week for a sample total body split.
Stay tuned this Friday for a free workout taken from my personal current program. Right now I am in a hypertrophy (muscle growth) phase, which means I lift 4-5 days per week. I focus on the key movements and reigning in the weak areas.
As always, it would be terrible if I didn’t remind you that programming is what I do!
So, if you looking to start a program tailored to your skills, time and personal goals, contact me today to set up a consult.
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