Understanding the Purpose Behind Every Exercise

When it comes to exercise selection, it’s crucial to understand that not all exercises are created equal. Every movement we perform in the gym or during training has a specific purpose, whether it’s to build muscle, enhance power, or increase strength. By identifying the purpose behind each exercise, we can tailor our training programs more effectively and achieve our goals faster. In this article, we’ll explore the key reasons exercises are performed, how they are executed, and how you can assess their efficacy based on the principle of specificity and basic biomechanics.

Three Main Reasons for Performing Exercises

Explosiveness: Increase Power/Speed
- Power and speed are critical for many athletes and individuals aiming to improve their explosive capabilities. Exercises like Olympic lifts, plyometrics, and sprint drills are designed specifically to enhance these qualities.
Hypertrophy: Increase Muscle Size
- For those focused on hypertrophy, exercises are selected and performed with the goal of maximizing muscle growth. This typically involves moderate to high rep ranges, controlled tempos, and exercises that target specific muscle groups, like bicep curls or leg presses.
Strength: Increase in General and Specialized Strength
- Strength training is about improving the ability to move heavier loads in specific movement patterns. Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are staples for building strength, often performed in lower rep ranges with heavier weights.

Three Main Factors That Influence How Exercises Are Performed

General Movement Patterns
- When training for general physical qualities like strength, power, or hypertrophy, exercises are typically performed with a focus on fundamental movement patterns. These include pushing, pulling, squatting, and hinging. The goal is to develop these qualities in a way that applies broadly, improving overall physical capacity.
Sport-Specific Movement Patterns
- Athletes often need to train in ways that mimic the movements required in their sport. For instance, a baseball player might perform rotational exercises to improve their swing, while a sprinter focuses on drills that enhance their start and acceleration. The principle of specificity is paramount here—training should directly enhance performance in the specific movements needed for the sport.
Individual Movement Patterns Based on Structure, Pain, and Injury History
- No two bodies are the same, and individual differences in structure, injury history, and pain should guide exercise selection and modification. An exercise that works well for one person might be inappropriate or even harmful for another. Understanding these personal factors allows for more customized, effective, and safe training.

Evaluating the Efficacy of an Exercise

To assess whether an exercise is suitable for your goals, consider the following:

Specificity: Does the exercise align with your specific goal (e.g., strength, hypertrophy, power)?
Biomechanics: Is the exercise biomechanically appropriate for your body, considering your structure and movement patterns?
Progression: Can the exercise be progressed safely and effectively over time to continue providing results?

Offering Better Options

When evaluating exercises, it’s important to remain open to alternatives that might better suit your goals or physical needs. For example:

If you experience discomfort during a standard deadlift, a trap bar deadlift might be a better option.
If a traditional back squat isn’t ideal for your hip structure, a front squat or goblet squat might offer a safer and more effective alternative.
For hypertrophy, incorporating exercises that emphasize different points in the range of motion (like lengthened or shortened partials) can optimize muscle growth.

Conclusion

Understanding the reasons behind each exercise and how they should be performed allows for a more targeted and effective training approach. Whether you’re training for general fitness, sport-specific performance, or addressing personal physical needs, the principle of specificity and basic biomechanics should guide your exercise selection. By evaluating and potentially modifying exercises, you can ensure that your training is not only effective but also safe and aligned with your individual goals.