Library · 40 movements · 8 min read

The exercise library: 40 movements, the cue, the mistake

Every movement you will meet in a Sanctuary Fitness class or PT session in Clydebank, with the one cue that fixes it and the mistake everyone makes.

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Every movement you will meet in a Sanctuary Fitness class or PT session in Clydebank, with the one cue that fixes it and the mistake everyone makes.

Forty movements, one line each: what it is, the cue I will say, the mistake I will fix. Bookmark it. Every class scales these up or down, so the names are the same whether you are on an empty bar or a heavy one.

Section

Squat pattern

  • Bodyweight squat. Cue: sit between your heels. Mistake: heels lifting.
  • Goblet squat. Cue: elbows inside the knees at the bottom. Mistake: dropping the chest.
  • Back squat. Cue: big breath, brace, push the floor away. Mistake: knees caving in.
  • Front squat. Cue: elbows high. Mistake: letting the bar roll forward.
  • Box squat. Cue: touch, do not sit. Mistake: collapsing onto the box.
  • Split squat. Cue: straight down, not forward. Mistake: front knee wandering.
  • Reverse lunge. Cue: step back, drop the back knee. Mistake: short steps.
  • Walking lunge. Cue: tall chest. Mistake: rushing.
  • Step-up. Cue: drive through the top foot only. Mistake: pushing off the bottom foot.
  • Wall sit. Cue: thighs level. Mistake: hands on knees.

Hinge pattern

  • Hip hinge with a dowel. Cue: bum back, dowel stays on head, back and tailbone. Mistake: bending the knees instead.
  • Kettlebell deadlift. Cue: shins vertical, chest up. Mistake: rounding the back.
  • Barbell deadlift. Cue: pull the slack out of the bar first. Mistake: hips shooting up early.
  • Romanian deadlift. Cue: bar slides down the thighs. Mistake: bar drifting away.
  • Kettlebell swing. Cue: it is a hinge, not a squat; snap the hips. Mistake: lifting with the arms.
  • Glute bridge. Cue: squeeze at the top. Mistake: arching the lower back.
  • Hip thrust. Cue: chin tucked, ribs down. Mistake: overextending.
  • Good morning. Cue: light and slow. Mistake: going heavy too soon.

Push pattern

  • Press-up. Cue: body one straight line, elbows at 45 degrees. Mistake: hips sagging.
  • Incline press-up. Cue: same body line on a bench or bar. Mistake: head dropping.
  • Dumbbell bench press. Cue: shoulder blades pinched into the bench. Mistake: flaring the elbows wide.
  • Barbell bench press. Cue: feet planted, bar to the lower chest. Mistake: bouncing it.
  • Overhead press. Cue: squeeze the glutes, bar over the mid-foot. Mistake: leaning back.
  • Dumbbell shoulder press. Cue: elbows slightly forward. Mistake: shrugging.
  • Dips on a box. Cue: shoulders down. Mistake: going so low the shoulders hurt.
  • Landmine press. Cue: push up and forward. Mistake: twisting.

Pull pattern

  • Ring or TRX row. Cue: pull the chest to the hands. Mistake: hips dropping.
  • Dumbbell row. Cue: elbow to the hip. Mistake: rotating the torso.
  • Barbell row. Cue: hinge and hold, pull to the belly. Mistake: standing up with it.
  • Band pull-apart. Cue: squeeze the shoulder blades. Mistake: shrugging.
  • Lat pulldown or band pulldown. Cue: elbows to the pockets. Mistake: leaning way back.
  • Chin-up, assisted. Cue: chest to the bar. Mistake: half reps.
  • Face pull. Cue: thumbs to the ears. Mistake: too heavy.

Carry, core and conditioning

  • Farmer's carry. Cue: tall, walk like you are late. Mistake: leaning to one side.
  • Plank. Cue: squeeze glutes, push the floor away. Mistake: hips up in the air.
  • Dead bug. Cue: lower back glued to the floor. Mistake: rushing.
  • Pallof press. Cue: do not let the band turn you. Mistake: leaning away.
  • Rower. Cue: legs, then body, then arms. Mistake: arms first.
  • Bike sprints. Cue: sit, spin, breathe. Mistake: saving something for later.
  • Burpee. Cue: step out if you need to; a step-back burpee still counts. Mistake: worm-ing the chest to the floor.

Every one of these is coached live in the gym. If a movement hurts, it is swapped. If you are not sure, ask. That is what the coach is for.

Reading is the easy part. Message Stevie, free ten-minute chat

Questions

Quick answers.

I do not know any of these.

Nobody does at the start. The first week of classes teaches most of them with light loads and a coach beside you.

Which classes use which movements?

Sanctuary Conditioning leans on the conditioning and bodyweight list. Sanctuary Strength is the squat, hinge, push and pull lists with a bar. Sanctuary Functional mixes carries, kettlebells and the rest. Saturday is a bit of everything.

Can I get a video of the cues?

Ask Stevie at a session. Clips are added to the members area as they are filmed.

On the site: classes for Sanctuary Conditioning, Strength, Functional and Total · training for football, runners and golf · holiday prep, Christmas, January and summer · start here.

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