Discover the 10 best exercises & movements that all athletes should be including in their training program to improve performance, speed, and power.

Exercises come in all shapes and sizes.  Body Weight.  Barbell.  Kettlebell.  Tires.  Ropes.  Ladders.  The list goes on and on.  Therefore, when asked to select the ONE exercise that I feel all adult athletes must be doing is a challenging feat.   Depending on the sport, athletes need to develop strength, stamina, power, endurance, coordination, agility, balance,and a finite list of other skills to excel on the field or road.  And while I completely believe in a training program that includes a wide variety of exercises and movement patterns to develop these skills, I also understand that the average adult athlete is not blessed with the luxury of endless hours in the day.  Therefore, exercise selection becomes not only about what muscles need to be strengthened and skills developed, but the ones that will give the “biggest bang for their buck”.

When I am developing training programs for my endurance athletes  I focus on the movement patters important for their sport (primarily forward and back in nature), and what supporting muscles need to be strengthened to allow for better movement patterns.  Over the years I have held different belief patterns in regards to training endurance athletes.  Everything from “endurance athletes should only include body weight training in their routines so as not to tax their muscles for endurance activities”, to “endurance athletes who incorporate heavy Olympic style lifting into their off-season training regimen will develop better strength and power for competition” (check out these two articles from the  for more – ; ).  As I have progressed in my career as a Strength & Conditioning Coach for endurance athletes, I have come to realize that both statements are true and necessary.  Endurance athletes should incorporate both types of training into their weekly schedule, it will just vary basedon the time of year and competitive season they are in.

This is not a blog about the importance of periodization for the endurance athlete, but instead, a post about the 10 exercise movement patterns and common variations that athletes should be include in their yearly training cycle.  The use of weights, body weight, functional equipment, plyometrics, etc. will greatly depend on where they are at in their training cycle.  So pull out your training log, take a look and see if you have been doing the same tired routine for ages.  If so, it is time to develop a routine that is cyclical in nature and includes these 10 exercises and variations.

So without further ado, here are the 10 exercises all athletes should be doing:

Exercise Common Variations 1. Push-ups.  If I HAD to name a #1 favorite, the push-up would be it.  Despite the fact that many people hate the push-up it is one of the most functional total body strength exercises you can do.  A proper push-up requires core strength & stability, shoulder stability, scapular retraction, glute activation, and proper spinal alignment, and this is just to get into proper set-up position!  Finding full range of motion for a push-up includes core strength, upper body strength, and lower body stability.  You can tell so much about a person’s total body strength just by watching them do a push-up.  Plus, there are lots of variations that take it from a basic strength move to an upper body plyometric exercise, so for this, I love push-ups! Wall Push-up Knee Push-up Toe Push-up Single Leg Push-up Biased Arm Push-up Incline Push-up Decline Push-up Plyometric Push-up 2. Squats. Right now.  STAND UP.  Yes, really.  Stand up.  Now sit down.  Stand up.  Sit down. Okay, you get the point.  We squat daily.  Athletic Ready is a squat stance, therefore, it is key that we have the strength & mobility to perform them correctly.  Watching a person squat is a good indicator of lower body strength, hip mobility, ankle mobility, core stability, and upper body mobility/stability.  Variations can help develop strength, power (plyometrics), and deceleration mechanics (aka. stopping ability). Front Squat Back Squat Single Leg Squat Bulgarian Split Squat Pistol Squat Jump Variations 3. Lunges. While many people HATE lunges, they are another movement pattern that is necessary for everyday life.  No matter how hard people try to avoid stairs (yes, I am staring at YOU, who takes the elevator to the 2nd floor of a building), they are part of daily life.  Having the strength and function to lunge properly will allow for effective movement patterns.  In sport Lunges are key to develop hip stability, overcome muscle imbalances, and strengthen the quads to jumphigher, run faster, and take down the opponent! Stationary Lunge Backward Stepping Lunge Forward Stepping Lunge Walking Lunges Bench Lunges Lunge Jump Variations 4. Step-ups. Similar to Lunges, it is important for the body to understand how to effectively push off the ground, using the muscles of the glutes, hamstrings, and calves, to properly drive the body forward while running, biking, swimming, etc.  Step-ups are a great way to engage the leg muscles while also eliciting a heart rate response.  There is a lot you can tell about a person’s glute firing abilities simply by having them step up and down on a box. Single Leg Step-up Alternating Leg Step-up Lateral Step-up Plyometric Step-up 5. Woodchops. From head-checks in your car, to getting the laundry out of the dryer, rotational movements are almost as common in daily life as squatting.  Yet for some reason we often neglect including rotational movements in our training plans.  While woodchops sound like a silly exercise (becausehow many of us REALLY chop wood on a daily basis), they do train the movement patterns that help us rotate better throughout life and in sport.  How many golfers and tennis players do you see out on the greens/court who are barely able to rotate to drive their ball?  They need to get into the gym and practice rotational movements to improve functional abilities on the field. Low Woodchops High Woodchops Woodchop Slams Woodchop Throws 6. Deadlifts. One of the MOST common INCORRECTLY done exercise in the weight room, but one of the most effective when done correctly.  Most often you see people rounding the spine and bending forward at the waist. When this happens extra pressure is placed on the lower spine, which can result in injury occurring to the back.  However, when a deadlift is properly executed with the hinge initiating from the HIPS then it can become one of the most effective exercises for increasing strength and stability in the spine and posture chain (muscles of the back,glutes, hamstrings, calves).  *Ask a certified trainer for tips on how to properly execute a Deadlift. Straight Bar Deadlift Hex Bar Deadlift Bent Knee Deadlift Single Leg Deadlift 7. Rows. Pulling motions are another common movement in everyday life, therefore it is important to create a strong back to support and stabilize those pulling activities.  Rows strengthen the postural muscles of the back including the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and trapezius.  These muscles help you stand taller, decrease chances for back injury, and help with activities of daily living.  Many variations of the Row also require the core to be fully activated and engaged in order to properly hinge forward at the hips and initiate movement from the back.  Just like deadlifts, they can do a host of good when done correctly, but can really mess you up if done wrong. Single Arm Row Bent over Row T-Bar Row Rotational Row Renegade Row Inverted Row 8. Burpees. Being able to get on and off the floor quickly is animportant skill that everyone should have.  Sure, maybe you aren’t typically throwing your body down to the ground and getting up as quickly as possible after doing a push-up and a squat, but it is still a great skill to work on.  (A even cited that easily standing up from a seated position on the floor was linked with longevity!!)  Plus, the burpee combines 2 of my other favorite exercises – squats & push-ups – into one total body cardiovascular challenging exercise.  They are awesome!  Yes, I have even figured out modifications that allow my active older adult athletes to successfully complete a Burpee! Chair Burpee Bench Burpee Step back Burpee Squat Jump Burpee Chest to floor Burpee Burpee with jump variations (at end)   9. Planks. Who doesn’t love a good ol’ fashioned plank challenge?!?  Get down on the floor RIGHT NOW and see how long you can hold a standard plank (on hands and toes) before your form starts to slack.  Can you maintain scapular retraction, core bracing, andposture chain support the whole time?  A plank is another awesome exercise to discover someone’s total body strength and abilities.  There are SOOOO many variations on the standards plank (or hover) that I can’t even begin to list them all, but know that the plank is by far one of my favorite core activation exercise.  (This said, know that the plank is an ISOMETRIC exercise – meaning you are holding your body in one static position and NOT MOVING – therefore it should NOT be the only core exercise one does.) Plank on Hands/Elbows Plank on Knees/Toes Plank Upper body movement Plank Lower body movement Plank rotational movement Plank added resistance Plank added instability 10. Box Jumps. These are plyometric exercises (plyometric exercises are simply those that enable a muscle to reach maximum strength in as short a time as possible), and one of the best ways to build fast twitch muscle fibers and improve power output in the legs.  (For more on the physiology of plyometricscheck back in a few weeks for a new article!)  While they are not appropriate for the beginner athlete, they are awesome for those who have a sound foundation in strength and flexibility. Alternating Push-Off Single Leg Push-Off Front Box Jump Lateral Box Jump Multiple Box-to-Box Jump Pyramiding Box Hop Multiple Box-toBox Squat Jum Single Leg Landing Box Jump Variations

Now that you have a sneak peek inside my head as to the 10 exercises that are vital for success and performance in sport & life, get into the weight room and start doing them!  Want help with how to put a routine together using these 10 awesome exercises?   I would love to help you establish a program that is right for you!

Copyright © 2015 by Summer Sides Fitness, LLC

Authored by: Summer N. Sides, M.S., CSCS, ACSM EP-C.  At heart Summer is a coach, and has a passion for helping improving athletic performance in adult athletes while inspiring fitness professionals as a national fitness educator.  Whether working one on one with clients, or in the group studio, she combines her education as an NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, RRCA Certified Running Coach, Sports Psychology (MS), Exercise & Sports Science (BS), with her overall passion for performance to help everyone perform at their peak.  For more about Summer, check out her full bio .