Core Competency: The Movements That Matter

At Method, we keep things simple, but we don’t oversimplify. When it comes to exercise selection, we focus on the movements that matter most—those that build real-world strength, resilience, and carryover to everyday life. If you’ve trained with us for more than a week, you’ve likely seen the usual suspects: squats, deadlifts, presses, pulls, and carries. These aren’t random. They’re what we call core competencies—the bedrock of human movement and performance. There are more, but these make up the basics of any one of your programs, so let’s break down why these movements are at the heart of our programming.

Squatting Patterns: A Jack of All Trades

Squatting is one of the most fundamental patterns we have. Babies do it before they learn to walk. You do it every time you get in and out of a chair, climb stairs, or pick something up off the floor. The squat trains the hips, quads, glutes, and core to work together, building lower-body strength, mobility, and coordination.

Why we coach it:

• Progressively overloading squats creates full body strength that transfers to other activities

• Neural recruitment, bone density, strength, muscular endurance, mobility and even posture are improved via advancing on squats

• Teaches spinal alignment under load

• Improves joint health and balance when trained smart

• Supports long-term independence via all mentioned mechanisms(yes, squats are tied to aging well)

The Deadlift: The King of Picking Things Up

Deadlifts teach you how to hinge from the hips and pick something up safely—a 200-pound barbell or your 40-pound toddler. We coach deadlifts to reconnect people to posterior chain strength: hamstrings, glutes, lats, and spinal erectors. For many of our clients, this is the antidote to sitting all day.

Why we coach it:

• Restores strength in the posterior chain (backside, where most people are weak)

• One of the best movements for teaching full body tension & coordination

• Reinforces safe bending and lifting mechanics

• Motor unit recruitment transfers to any task requiring strength and control (from yard work to luggage-hauling)

Heavy Pressing & Pulling: The Ace Up the Sleeve

Most adults live in a forward, slouched world—emails, driving, kids, stress. Pressing (especially overhead and horizontal) and pulling (like rows and pull-ups) are how we reclaim upper-body function and fight off the modern posture epidemic.

Why we coach it:

• Builds shoulder and upper back strength for posture and pain mitigation

• Combining with overhead mobility restores overhead range of motion and solidifies it

• Teaches force production and bracing through the trunk

• Boosts confidence (everyone feels like a superhero after a strong overhead press!)

Carrying: Wild Card of Strength and Ability

Carrying heavy things is one of the most primal—and productive—things we can do. Whether it’s farmer’s carries, suitcase carries, or sandbag work, this movement pattern builds what we call functional grit. You feel it in your grip, your core, and your mindset.

Why we coach it:

• Full body coordination is built in an everyday pattern

• Develops core & spine stability in motion

• Reinforces grip and shoulder health

• Mimics real-world tasks like groceries, carrying kids, and weekend projects

Why These Cards In Your Deck Helps You Win

Here’s the truth: You don’t need 30 exercises to get fit—you need the right 5 to 8 done consistently, under good coaching. These movements:

• Offer maximum return for minimal time

• Train multiple muscle groups and joints at once, including directly training the spine

• Improve movement quality while building strength and resilience

• Reduce risk of injury inside and outside the gym

• Build confidence and capacity for life beyond the workout

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At Method, we train hard—but we also train smart. These movements are our curriculum, and you are the athlete we’re preparing for the sport of life. Whether you're running a business, raising a family, or both—we want your body to support your ambitions, not hold them back.

References

1. McGill, S. (2016). Back Mechanic: The secrets to a healthy spine your doctor isn’t telling you. Backfitpro Inc.

2. Contreras, B. & Schoenfeld, B. (2016). To Squat or Not to Squat: A Review of the Biomechanics and Training Effects of Squatting Exercises. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 38(4), 58–68.

3. Stone, M. H., et al. (2007). Principles and Practice of Resistance Training. Human Kinetics.

4. Boyle, M. (2010). Advances in Functional Training: Training Techniques for Coaches, Personal Trainers and Athletes. On Target Publications.

5. Calatayud, J., et al. (2015). Overhead Pressing and the Shoulder: Muscle Activity and Risk Considerations. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29(4), 1071–1077.