***This is an article I published for BreakingMuscle.com, a fitness and strength website for athletes and coaches alike.
READ THE FULL COACHING ARTICLE HERE, on My BreakingMuscle.com Author Page
The deadlift lies at the root of all primitive movement patterns. When our ancestors faced immovable boulders or had to heave saber-toothed cats from the ground to over their shoulders to carry their prize home to the tribal feast, the hip hinge pattern was critical.
No matter who you are or what your goal, strength will always set you free. The big three movements - push, pull, and press - are the most basic and foundational movement patterns that determine overall performance capacities in many, if not all sports.
For beginners, simply deadlifting more and heavier will develop strength and success. But as strength improves, that gray area between frequent deadlifting and overtaxing the pattern and your nervous system becomes distinct. Stronger athletes need to balance training volumes and intensities. This makes supplemental exercises that much more important to not only increase foundational lifts, but also to stave off injury and overtraining.
These five movements are imperative for troubleshooting the weak points in your training to maximize your results.