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Exercise library

The movements you will meet

Every plan is built from a small set of patterns. These are the ten that carry most of the work, with the cues that matter and the faults worth watching for.

Patterns

Nine patterns, not a hundred exercises

Almost every useful movement belongs to one of these. Learn the pattern and the individual exercise name stops mattering so much, because you can always swap within it without losing the training effect.

SquatKnees and hips bend together, torso stays relatively upright. The pattern behind standing up from anywhere.
HingeHips travel backwards, knees stay quiet. The pattern behind picking things up without paying for it later.
Horizontal pushLoad moves away from the chest. Bench press, push-up, and everything between them.
Horizontal pullLoad moves towards the ribs. The counterweight to everything you press.
Vertical pushLoad moves overhead. The pattern most limited by shoulder mobility, and the one worth earning slowly.
Vertical pullLoad moves down towards the shoulders. Pull-ups and their assisted relatives.
Single legOne side at a time, which exposes the imbalance a barbell lets you hide.
Carry and coreHold a position while something tries to move you. The least glamorous category and the one that transfers most.
The library

Ten movements, in detail

Red marks the muscles doing most of the work, pink the ones assisting. Every movement in your plan links to a page like this inside the portal.

Front
Back
Squat

Back squat

Muscles worked
quadsglutesabshamstringscalves
Set-up
Bar on the upper back, feet a little wider than the hips, toes turned out slightly. Brace as if about to be pushed in the stomach.
Coaching cues
  • Sit between the hips rather than folding forward
  • Knees track over the middle toes throughout
  • Drive the floor away on the way up, chest stays proud
Common faults
  • Heels lifting, usually an ankle mobility limit
  • Knees collapsing inward under load
  • Cutting depth as the weight climbs
Easier / harder
Goblet squat, holding one weight at the chest
Pause squat with two seconds at the bottom
Front
Back
Hinge

Romanian deadlift

Muscles worked
hamstringsglutesbackforearms
Set-up
Bar at the hips, feet under them, soft knees. The bar stays in contact with the legs the whole way down.
Coaching cues
  • Push the hips backwards, do not bend the knees further
  • Stop where the hamstrings run out, not where the floor is
  • Squeeze the glutes to stand rather than pulling with the back
Common faults
  • Rounding through the lower back at the bottom
  • Turning it into a squat by dropping the hips
  • Letting the bar drift away from the thighs
Easier / harder
Dumbbell RDL with a shorter range
Single-leg RDL, same weight split across one side
Front
Back
Horizontal push

Bench press

Muscles worked
chestshoulderstricepsabs
Set-up
Eyes under the bar, shoulder blades pulled together and down, feet flat and driving into the floor.
Coaching cues
  • Lower to the lower chest, not the throat
  • Elbows at roughly 45 degrees from the body
  • Keep the shoulder blades set for the whole set
Common faults
  • Bouncing the bar off the ribs
  • Elbows flaring straight out to the sides
  • Hips lifting off the bench to finish a rep
Easier / harder
Dumbbell press, which lets the wrists find their own path
Tempo press, three seconds down on every rep
Front
Back
Vertical pull

Pull-up

Muscles worked
backbicepsforearmsabs
Set-up
Hands slightly wider than the shoulders, hanging with the shoulders active rather than fully relaxed.
Coaching cues
  • Pull the elbows down towards the ribs
  • Chest travels to the bar, not the chin over it
  • Lower under control, all the way to straight arms
Common faults
  • Kipping to get the last two reps
  • Stopping halfway down and shortening the range
  • Shrugging up into the shoulders at the top
Easier / harder
Band-assisted pull-up or a slow negative only
Add load at the waist, or pause at the top
Front
Back
Vertical push

Overhead press

Muscles worked
shoulderstricepsabstraps
Set-up
Bar on the front of the shoulders, elbows just in front of it, ribs down and glutes tight.
Coaching cues
  • Move the head back to let the bar pass, then push it forward again
  • Finish with the bar over the middle of the foot
  • Squeeze the glutes so the lower back does not arch
Common faults
  • Leaning back to turn it into an incline press
  • Pressing around the face instead of past it
  • Losing the brace and letting the ribs flare
Easier / harder
Seated dumbbell press with back support
Strict press with a pause at the forehead
Front
Back
Horizontal pull

Barbell row

Muscles worked
backbicepshamstringsforearms
Set-up
Hinged to roughly 45 degrees, bar hanging under the shoulders, spine long from head to hips.
Coaching cues
  • Pull to the bottom of the ribs, not the chest
  • Elbows drive back rather than out
  • The torso angle does not change during the set
Common faults
  • Standing up a little on every rep
  • Yanking with the arms and no back involvement
  • Rounding the upper back to reach further
Easier / harder
Chest-supported row on an incline bench
Pendlay row, resetting on the floor each rep
Front
Back
Single leg

Split squat

Muscles worked
quadsgluteshamstringsabscalves
Set-up
One long stride forward, back heel lifted, torso tall. Most of the weight sits through the front foot.
Coaching cues
  • Drop straight down, back knee towards the floor
  • Front shin stays close to vertical
  • Push through the whole front foot to stand
Common faults
  • Stride too short, which turns it into a knee-only movement
  • Leaning forward over the front thigh
  • Pushing off the back foot to make it easier
Easier / harder
Hold a rail or a doorframe for balance
Rear foot elevated on a bench
Front
Back
Hinge

Hip thrust

Muscles worked
gluteshamstringsabs
Set-up
Upper back on a bench, feet flat and roughly shin-vertical at the top, chin tucked slightly.
Coaching cues
  • Finish with the hips level, not arched past it
  • Ribs stay down for the whole rep
  • Pause for a beat at the top of every rep
Common faults
  • Arching the lower back instead of extending the hips
  • Feet too far forward, which shifts it to the hamstrings
  • Rushing the top and losing the squeeze
Easier / harder
Glute bridge from the floor, bodyweight only
Single-leg hip thrust
Front
Back
Carry

Farmer carry

Muscles worked
forearmstrapsabsobliquescalves
Set-up
One heavy weight in each hand, arms hanging, shoulders set back and down.
Coaching cues
  • Walk tall, ribs stacked over the hips
  • Short controlled steps rather than long ones
  • Breathe, do not hold your breath for the whole walk
Common faults
  • Leaning back to counterbalance the load
  • Letting the shoulders round forward
  • Going so heavy that grip fails in ten seconds
Easier / harder
Suitcase carry, one weight at a time
Longer distance at the same load, not heavier
Front
Back
Core

Plank

Muscles worked
absobliquesshouldersglutes
Set-up
Elbows under the shoulders, feet hip width, body in one line from head to heels.
Coaching cues
  • Tuck the pelvis slightly so the lower back flattens
  • Squeeze the glutes, they do half the work
  • Push the floor away to spread the shoulder blades
Common faults
  • Hips sagging towards the floor
  • Hips piked up into an easier position
  • Holding for time with no tension
Easier / harder
From the knees, same line from head to knee
Add a slow reach forward with one arm

How to use this page

Read the cues before the session, not during it. One cue per set is plenty; trying to hold three in your head at once usually produces a worse rep than holding none.

The faults are listed in the order they normally appear. The first one on each list is the one that shows up as soon as the weight gets genuinely heavy, which makes it a useful signal that the load is close to your current limit.

Swapping a movement

If a movement does not suit your body or your equipment, take the easier or harder version listed, or pick another movement in the same pattern. The training effect survives the swap; that is the point of organising a plan by pattern rather than by exercise name.

These descriptions are general technique guidance for healthy adults. They are not a substitute for in-person coaching, and they are not clinical advice. If a movement causes pain, stop and speak to a qualified professional.

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