Six Fundamental Basic Moves

6 basic fundamental moves



There are literally thousands of exercises. But ultimately, they’re all created from just a few basic human movements. In this section, B.J. Gaddour, Men’s Health Training Adviser, shows you how to master six fundamental movements, demonstrating several variations of each. This teaches you how to quickly make any of these movements easier or harder.

Consider this knowledge you can use for any exercise within the Lose Your Spare Tire program. If you find that an exercise in our plan is too difficult, use what you learn in these videos to find a movement that fits you better.

The best part: If you can do these movements with perfect form, you'll have the know-how to safely do almost any exercise on the planet.


Movement 1: Hip Thrust

The hip thrust targets your glutes, which are your body's largest muscle group. What's more, it requires you to activate your abdominals—so it doubles as a core exercise. The secret to doing the hip thrust right is to raise your hips by using your glutes, not your lower back. In the video that follows, B.J. will show you how to do just that, along with several variations that allow you to get the most out of this exercise, no matter what your current fitness level is.


Movement 2: Pushup

There may be no exercise that's more synonymous with working out than the pushup. For good reason: It works your chest, shoulders, and triceps, and if done correctly, also trains your abdominals, lower back, upper back, and glutes. So it bestows a bevy of total-body benefits. Even if you can't yet do one pushup, B.J. will show you where to start. And then he'll show you how to progress to harder and harder variations—all the way to a single-arm pushup, one of the ultimate tests of upper-body strength and core stability.


Movement 3: Squat

From the time you can stand, you know how to squat. For a great example, just watch a baby (Seriously.) However, many of us "forget" how to squat as we get older. Which is a problem, since poor squatting technique can lead to knee pain and even injury. This this has led some to believe that squats are dangerous. But it's important to know that a well-performed squat—including a deep squat—is not only a highly effective exercise, but also a safe one, according to research at Auburn University. In the video on the next page, B.J. will show you how to squat like a pro.


Movement 4: Row

Rows are one of the most important exercises you can do. They target your upper- and mid-back muscles, which are key for good posture and shoulder joint stability. If that doesn't sound very sexy, consider: Unstable shoulders limit your strength in exercises for your chest and arms. Want to curl more? You better have a strong upper back. Here, B.J. will show you how to master the bodyweight row.


Movement 5: Hip Hinge

If we could only give you instruction on one exercise, it would be the hip hinge. Because frankly, everyone seems to screw it up—at least initially. But perfecting the hip hinge will help you learn to protect your lower back when lifting, and give you mastery of a movement that works a ton of muscles, including your glutes, hamstrings, and core. This makes it a great calorie-burner, and also a terrific movement for strengthening areas of your body that are commonly weak.


Movement 6: Single-Leg Squat

When you see "single-leg squat," you may think: No way. After all, a classic single-leg squat requires you to squat down until your butt almost touches the floor and then push yourself back up—all on one leg. It's an impressive feat of strength. But as always, B.J. will show you where to begin, starting with a version that most anyone can do.  And then he'll demonstrate several more variations—deep stepups, staggered squats, forward lunges, reverse lunges, levitating lunges, and more—to show you how to reap the benefits of this terrific movement.