Movement library

Sports & movements

Each movement is broken into phases, with the muscles and joint actions that drive them. Open one to see the exercises that transfer best.

Water

  • ButterflyA simultaneous, powerful two-arm pull with an undulating dolphin kick. It is the most demanding stroke on the lats, shoulders and the whole front/back chain of the trunk.
  • Freestyle (front crawl)Alternating arm pull with body rotation and a flutter kick. Lats and triceps propel, the core transfers rotation, and the shoulders must stay healthy over thousands of strokes.
  • BackstrokeAlternating overhead pull on the back with continuous body roll. The lats, rear shoulder and hip flexors (flutter kick) work hard, and the body must stay flat and long.
  • BreaststrokeThe most leg-dominant stroke: a powerful whip kick driven by adductors, glutes and quads, combined with an outsweep–insweep arm pull and a quick lunge forward.
  • Surf paddling & pop-upProne paddling is endurance work for the lats, shoulders and upper back while the lower back holds the chest up for hours. Catching a wave adds sprint paddles and an explosive push-up into the pop-up.
  • Stand-up paddle (SUP)A standing, rotational paddle stroke: power comes from the lats and trunk rotation, legs absorb the board's motion, and balance is constant.
  • KayakingSeated, alternating double-blade stroke: trunk rotation delivers most of the power, with the pulling arm (lats) and pushing arm (chest, triceps) working at once.
  • Rowing (boat / erg)Legs–back–arms sequence: roughly 60% of the power comes from the leg drive, transferred through a braced trunk and finished by the back and arms.

Land

  • Distance runningThousands of single-leg landings: calves/Achilles, quads and glutes absorb 2–3× bodyweight each step while the hips must stay level. Strength work here is about economy and injury resilience.
  • SprintingMaximal horizontal force in very short ground contacts: glutes and hamstrings drive hip extension, hip flexors whip the leg through, calves stay stiff and springy.
  • Trail running & hikingLong climbs and technical descents: step-up strength for the uphill, eccentric quad strength for the downhill and ankle/hip stability on uneven ground.
  • CyclingRepeated knee and hip extension in a flexed, forward-leaning posture: quads and glutes produce power, while the trunk and upper back hold the position.
  • Climbing & boulderingGrip and pulling strength relative to bodyweight, locked-off arms, tension through the core to keep the feet on, and antagonist work to keep elbows and shoulders healthy.

Racket & throw

  • Tennis (serve & groundstrokes)Force starts in the legs, is transferred through fast trunk rotation and finishes with internal rotation of the shoulder — while the rotator cuff and back of the shoulder must decelerate the arm after every shot.
  • Golf swingA ground-up rotational swing: hips lead, the trunk stores and releases rotation, and the lead arm and wrists transmit it to the club. The lower back must be protected by strong glutes and core.
  • Volleyball (jump & spike)Repeated maximal vertical jumps and overhead hitting: explosive legs, a strong core to link them, and a durable hitting shoulder.

Combat

  • Boxing & punchingPunching power comes from the back foot through hip and trunk rotation into a fast arm extension. Rounds demand shoulder endurance and a stiff core to absorb blows.

Team

  • Football / soccerRepeated sprints, cuts and kicks: hamstrings and adductors are the most-injured muscles, the hip flexors power the kick, and single-leg stability is constant.
  • Basketball (jump & cut)Vertical jumps, hard landings and lateral cuts: explosive legs, resilient knees and ankles, and a stable trunk for contact.

Snow

  • Alpine skiingLong isometric and eccentric quad work in a flexed stance, constant edging through the hips (adductors, abductors) and a trunk that stays quiet while the legs turn.

Everyday

  • Desk posture & back healthHours of sitting shorten the chest and hip flexors and switch off the upper back and glutes. The fix: pull more than you push, strengthen glutes and the deep core, and keep the neck and lower back resilient.
  • General strength (full body)A balanced foundation: squat, hinge, push, pull, carry and brace — for when you just want to get stronger all over.

Mind

  • ChessFive hours hunched over a board is an endurance event for the neck, upper back and the sitting hips — and top players train aerobically because a tired body plays blunders. Also: the clock deserves a decisive hand.
  • YogaYoga already owns the stretching. What it borrows from the weight room is the strength to hold what the stretching opens: wrists and shoulders that carry you through a hundred chaturangas, hips that balance on one leg without wobbling, and a spine that folds and arches from strength, not slack.
  • MeditationForty minutes of sitting still is a posture hold, and the body notices long before the mind settles. Erectors and deep core keep the spine tall without effort, open hips let the knees drop to the floor, and a ribcage that moves makes slow breathing feel like rest rather than work.