The Big Five

• By vishwa on Training

• March 7, 2016

The five most important movements which you have to perform for maximum muscle gain and fat loss are the basic movements.  These basic moves are, though, called old school but  still hold true, pertinent and will never die.    Ask any trainer or coach who has worked in the trenches and he would agree that these basic movements are all what you need to build muscle and burn fat the fastest way.

These basic movements are termed as multi-joint movements.  Multi-joint movements or compound movements can be defined as:  Any exercise that engages two or more different joints to fully stimulate entire muscle groups—multiple muscles.

What are these big five Moves?

Squat

Deadlift

Clean and press

Bench press

Pull-up

Perhaps, for example, you may argue that the dip or a single leg exercise is more important than the bench press and pull-up.  By all means do them.  However, if you want to play around with squat, deadlift, and clean and press, I simply will have to reject with what you do and say.  The squat, deadlift and the clean and press are the moves which give the biggest bang for the buck.  Period.

In other words,   you will have to—

Squat

Push (Clean and press, bench press, military press)

Pull (deadlift, pull-up, pull a sledge)

However, if you want to neglect the first three movements do so at your peril.  On a similar note, my gym clients, the younger brigade, often complain about deadlifting every week, as they get bored.  I say to them that there is no other way, and the only way is through and through them.