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.

Forty movements, one line each: what it is, the cue Stevie will say, the mistake he 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.

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 room. If a movement hurts, it is swapped. If you are not sure, ask. That is what the coach is for.

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?

HIIT leans on the conditioning and bodyweight list. Barbell and Dumbbell is the squat, hinge, push and pull lists with a bar. Functional Fitness 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.

Ready to get started?

You don't need to have everything figured out before you begin. Send me a message, tell me what you'd like to achieve and we'll have a chat about the best way to start. Free consultation, no pressure, no long-term contract.

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