We've made it halfway through our first month in 2026! How are your resolutions holding up? If one of your resolutions was to hit the gym more frequently, and you're struggling with knowing what to do when you get there, I've got you covered this week.
No more hopping on the treadmill, doing a couple pushups and leaving! Let's get right into it.
If you read this previous blog post, you know that no matter which exercises you choose, it's important to keep a consistent and progressive routine for about 4 - 8 (sometimes up to 12) weeks to obtain the most effective results from your workouts. This might mean, for instance, doing one workout on Mondays, a different one on Wednesdays, and a third on Fridays. Each week you'll keep the same or similar exercises, but you'll increase the reps, weight, time under tension, etc. to increase the challenge to your muscles.
So, what should you be doing in the gym?
There are lots of ways to split up your weekly workout sessions. For now, let's focus on a full-body workout. These are the six essential movements to include in every full-body workout: squat, hip hinge, lunge, push, pull, and carry. These movements will also translate directly to your everyday functions outside of the gym!
#1: Squat
The squat is essential for movements like picking something up off of the floor, sitting down in a chair or getting up off of a toilet! Squats will build up your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves.
In the gym:
#2: Hip Hinge
The hip hinge is one of the trickiest movements to learn but is incredibly important for proper functioning of the hips and lower back, and for developing strength and power in the posterior chain. It also engages your abs! In your everyday life you use hinging to bend over and put on your pants, reach down to pick a box up off the floor, garden, clean, and more.
In the gym:
#3: Lunge
Lunges target the muscles of the legs, improve balance and coordination, and work the core muscles! Lunge movements are important for activities like climbing the stairs of your home.
In the gym:
#4: Push
Pushing exercises develop strength and power in the chest, shoulders, and triceps. We use pushing for things like pushing a grocery cart or pushing a child on the swings.
In the gym:
#5: Pull
Pulling builds strength and power in your back, biceps, and forearms. Pulling exercises will (literally) open doors! You also use pulling for activities like raking leaves and climbing. You should pay special attention to pulling exercises if you work on a computer at a desk. The pulling will help open up the rounding of the shoulders that occurs when we hunch over our laptops all day.
In the gym:
#6: Carry
The carry builds strength and stability in the core and upper body and helps improve grip strength. You use carry movements when you bring in the groceries or carry your toddler around the house.
In the gym:
These exercises are by no means an exhaustive list of your options for each movement type — branch out and get creative! Don't feel confident in your technique or building workout routines just yet? Reach out and we can build together!
Hi, I'm Cassandra! I'm a Certified Personal Trainer, Nutritionist, and Pre/Postnatal Fitness Specialist based in New York City where I've also been performing in theatre and film since 2015. I began studying with the National Academy of Sports Medicine so that I could help battle the harmful effects of diet culture and body shaming I was seeing online by spreading evidence-based information that will help you lead a more balanced, healthy, and mobile life!