Learn the exercises
Every exercise here comes with a video, the three cues that matter most, the common faults and its variations. Organised by movement pattern — the same way your plan is built. Use the muscle groups to filter.
A training plan is not a random collection of exercises. It is built from movement patterns: push, pull, squat, hinge, carry. Once you understand the patterns, you understand any plan. That is why this section is organised by pattern rather than by equipment.
The 7 basic movements
Basic human strength training movements — the foundation of every plan
Push · horizontal
Pressing forward — chest, front delts, triceps: bench press, push-up, dips8 exercises with pages · 7 coming soon
Dumbbell Bench Press
The horizontal push with dumbbells. Each arm works on its own, which makes the movement freer than a barbell — and how you set up on the bench matters more than the load.
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Dumbbell Chest Flys
Lie on a flat bench with the dumbbells above your chest, palms facing each other and elbows very slightly bent. Very slowly open your arms out to the sides in a wide arc, pause briefly at the bottom, then bring the dumbbells back over your chest along the same arc.
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Dumbbell Pullover
Lie on a bench holding one dumbbell in both hands above your chest. With your arms slightly bent, lower it in a wide arc behind your head, as far as you can control. Pause briefly, then slowly bring it back over your chest.
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Push-Up
You support yourself on your hands, your body one straight line from head to heels. From there you lower until your reference point touches the floor — nose, chin or chest — and press back up until your arms are straight. Your chest, front shoulders and triceps do the pressing; your trunk holds the line.
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Suspended Push-Up
You hold the handles of the suspension trainer, feet on the floor, your body one straight line from head to heels. From there you lower yourself between the handles and press back up until your arms are straight. The handles want to drift — you keep them on their track.
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Plank Push-Up
You start in a forearm plank, your body one straight line from head to heels. Then you press up onto your hands one arm at a time — and lower back onto your forearms the same way, one arm at a time. Your hips stay still and in the line throughout; that is the real work.
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Dumbbell Floor Pullover
Lie on the floor with your knees bent and hold one dumbbell with both hands above your chest. With your arms slightly bent, bring it back in a wide arc behind your head until it lightly touches the floor. Then slowly bring it back over your chest.
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Dumbbell Floor Press
Lie on the floor with your knees bent and hold a dumbbell in each hand above your chest. Lower the dumbbells slowly until your upper arms touch the floor, pause briefly, then press back up hard.
Learn the exercise →Push · vertical
Pressing overhead — shoulders, triceps: overhead press, Arnold press, landmine3 exercises with pages · 2 coming soon
Barbell Press
You stand tall with the barbell resting in front of your shoulders and your elbows under the bar. From there you drive it up fast until your arms are straight and the bar is stacked over the middle of your feet. Then you lower it under control back to your shoulders.
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Kneeling Dumbbell Arnold Press
The dumbbells start in front of your shoulders, palms facing you, elbows under the dumbbells. On the way up your palms turn to face forward, and at the top your arms are straight. The whole press happens from a tall kneeling position, with your torso upright throughout.
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Seated Dumbbell Arnold Press
Sit upright on a flat bench with the dumbbells in front of your shoulders, palms facing you. Press powerfully overhead, turning your palms to face forward, until your arms are straight above your shoulders. Then lower slowly, turning back as you go.
Learn the exercise →Pull · vertical
Pulling from above — lats, biceps: pull-up, lat pulldown2 exercises with pages · 3 coming soon
Lat Pulldown
Sit tall, as close to the cable machine as you can, with a handle in each hand and your arms reaching up overhead. First draw your shoulder blades down, then drive your elbows down to your sides. Pause briefly, then let your arms travel slowly back up until they are fully extended.
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Pull-Up
You hang from the bar with straight arms, with an overhand grip, hands at roughly shoulder width or a little wider. First your shoulder blades travel down, then you pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. You hold that top position for a beat, then lower slowly back into a full hang.
Learn the exercise →Pull · horizontal
Pulling towards you — upper back, rear delts: rows in every variation1 exercise with a page · 7 coming soon
Squat
Squatting — quads, glutes: goblet squat, back squat, leg press4 exercises with pages · 6 coming soon
Dumbbell Goblet Squat
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out, holding one dumbbell vertically in front of your chest. From there, slowly squat down as deep as you can while keeping your upper body upright. Then stand back up.
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Squat Jump
From a squat, drive through your legs, swing your arms and jump straight up as explosively as you can. Land back in the squat as quietly as possible and go straight into the next jump.
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Squat to Bench
Stand with your back to a bench, one foot's length in front of it, feet shoulder-width apart, arms reaching forward. Squat down until your glutes lightly tap the bench, then come back up with your upper body upright.
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Kneeling Quad Curls
Kneel down with your feet pointed behind you, the tops of your feet on the floor. Sit back on your heels, then drive your hips forward into a tall kneeling position with your glutes tight, and lower slowly. The further you take your torso back, the harder it gets.
Learn the exercise →Hinge
Bending and extending at the hip with a flat back — glutes, hamstrings: deadlift, RDL, hip thrust6 exercises with pages · 7 coming soon
Glute Bridge
You lie on your back with your feet planted. From there you drive your hips up as far as they go — driven by your glutes, with your abs lightly braced. At the top you squeeze your glutes hard, then lower your hips slowly again.
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Gym Ball Hamstring Curl
You lie on your back with your heels on a gym ball and your hips extended, so your shoulders, hips and heels form one line. From there you slowly pull the ball towards you as far as you can, then slowly roll it back out. Your hips stay at the same height the whole time.
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Hip Thrust
You sit with your upper back against a bench or box, the barbell resting across your hips. From there you drive your hips up until your knees, hips and shoulders form one line — then lower them slowly again. Your glutes do the work; your back holds its shape.
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Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
The barbell travels down from your hips and back up again, and it never touches the floor. Your hips push back, your knees stay soft and hold the angle they started with, and your back stays flat. This is the hinge pattern under load.
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Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
You stand on one leg and reach the other one back behind you. Your chest tips forward, your hips travel back, and the dumbbell travels down close to your standing leg. Then you come back up. It's the hinge you already know from the Romanian deadlift, done one leg at a time.
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Glute Bridge Leg Raise
You hold a glute bridge: hips up, glutes tight, abs braced. From there you extend one leg forward, set it back down and extend the other — alternating. Your hips stay up and level throughout, and your knees stay hip-width apart in one line.
Learn the exercise →Loaded carry
Carrying load — grip, trunk, shoulder girdle: farmers carry, suitcase carry, sled3 exercises · pages coming soon
Accessories and prerequisites
What keeps the basic movements clean, stable and pain-free
Single-leg
One leg does the work — lunges, step-ups, split squats3 exercises with pages · 1 coming soon
Bulgarian Split Squat
The back foot sits up on a box behind you; the front leg does the work. It all comes down to the distance — get that right and there isn't much left to get wrong.
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Reverse Lunge
Stand tall and take a long step back with one leg. Lower yourself with control until both knees are at roughly right angles, then drive back up through your front leg and bring your back foot forward again. Your front knee stays steady over your foot the whole time.
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Step Up
Single-leg step onto a bench. One leg takes the weight, the other stays out of it — and lowering yourself is where the work happens. Works on a gym bench or any sturdy chair.
Learn the exercise →Core and rotation
Bracing, flexing, rotating the trunk — plank, dead bug, Pallof press, rotation12 exercises with pages · 10 coming soon
Alternating Side Plank
From a high plank, turn onto one side, top arm up towards the ceiling, hold for a moment — then back through the plank and onto the other side. It trains the side of your trunk. All you need is floor space.
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Alternating Superman
Lying face down, body long, legs just off the floor. One arm slides onto your lower back while the other stays out in front — alternating. Shoulder mobility and strength in one movement, with no equipment at all.
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Cable Core Rotation
You stand side-on to the cable in a wide stance, hold the handle with both hands in front of your chest and rotate your chest away from the machine. Your hips, knees and feet stay where they are. Then bring your chest back slowly.
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Hanging Knee Raises
You hang from the bar with straight arms. From there you pull your knees up as high as you can, curling your pelvis forward at the top. Then you lower slowly until you are back in a full hang.
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Hanging Leg Raise
You hang from the bar with straight arms and lift your straight legs — in the full version, all the way up to the bar. Your pelvis curls under as you go. Then lower them slowly until you are hanging still again.
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Lying Straight Leg Raises
You lie on your back with your hands under your glutes, legs straight and heels just clear of the floor. From there you lift both legs to roughly vertical, hold for a beat and lower them slowly until your heels are just clear of the floor again.
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Miniband Side Plank Clamshell
A side plank on your forearm with your knees bent and a mini band just above them. The top knee opens towards the ceiling and closes again — a side plank and a clamshell in one movement.
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Mountain Climber
A forearm plank where you drive one knee at a time up to your upper arm. Your torso stays put while your legs do the work — the next step once a plank has got easy.
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Plank Hold
A forearm hold, elbows under your shoulders, body in one line. Nothing moves — you hold. Your abs link your ribcage to your pelvis and stop your midsection sagging.
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Windshield Wipers
Lie on your back with your arms out wide and your legs straight up. From there, sweep your legs slowly through a flat arc to one side and just as slowly to the other, like a windshield wiper. The middle of your back stays on the floor.
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Bird Dog
On all fours, one arm reaches forward and the opposite leg reaches back until arm and leg are in line with your back — no higher. Hold briefly, lower them, swap sides. The work is keeping your trunk completely still while they move.
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Plate Superman
Lie face down with your upper body and arms slightly lifted, holding a small, light weight plate. Pass the plate around your body in a wide circle: out in front with straight arms, back along your side past your hip, from one hand to the other behind your back, and forward again. Change direction every so often.
Learn the exercise →Arms
Biceps and triceps in isolation — curls, extensions6 exercises with pages · 4 coming soon
Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight and elbows directly above your shoulders. From there, bend your elbows and slowly lower the dumbbells as far as you can beside your head. Then straighten your arms powerfully until they are fully extended.
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Dumbbell Rotation Curls
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides and palms facing in. Slowly curl both dumbbells up together, turning your palms up as you go, until they reach chin height with your palms facing your shoulders. Pause briefly at the top, then lower slowly and turn your hands back.
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Dumbbell Hammer Curls
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides and thumbs pointing forward. Keeping this grip, curl both dumbbells up together as far as you can, pause briefly at the top and lower slowly. Your hands stay in the same position the whole time.
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Seated Dumbbell Triceps Press
Sit upright on a flat bench and hold one dumbbell with both hands, arms straight above your head. Keeping your elbows as high as you can, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head as far as you can. Then straighten your arms powerfully back up.
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Dumbbell Supination Curls
Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides and your hands turned out as far as they go. Keeping that position, slowly curl both dumbbells up and lower them slowly. Your hands stay turned out the whole time.
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Dumbbell Floor Triceps Extension
Lie on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight and elbows above your shoulders. From there, bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells slowly beside your head, as far as the floor allows. Then straighten your arms hard to full extension.
Learn the exercise →Shoulder health
Rotator cuff, scapula, posture — face pull, external rotation, reverse flys7 exercises with pages · 11 coming soon
Banded Reverse Flys
You stand tall, hold the band out in front of you at shoulder height and pull it apart until your arms are open out to the sides and your shoulder blades draw together. Then you bring it back slowly. Your thumbs point up and your palms face each other.
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Face Pull
A horizontal pull at eye level that finishes in external rotation — the antagonist to every push exercise, and key to keeping the head of the upper arm stable in the shoulder.
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Banded External Rotation + Elevation
A mini band around your wrists, elbows in at your sides, rotate out — and hold. Once you can hold that, the arms go up as well. It builds mobility and stability together.
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Shoulder Dislocate
Stand tall holding a sturdy band with a wide grip in front of you. Keeping your arms straight, take it in a big arc over your head and down behind you until your hands are level with your hips, then bring it back the same way. Your grip is wide enough that you get through the whole arc without pain.
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Standing Band Shoulder Extension
Hook two loop bands onto the door at hip height and stand with your back to it. The loops sit around your wrists rather than in your hands — your hands stay open and relaxed. Your arms hang straight at your sides. From there, draw them back against the bands, palms facing backwards. As you do, lift your sternum, draw your shoulder blades back and down, and bring your chin back. The bands stay light.
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Standing Band Shoulder Extension with External Rotation
The same set-up as the neutral version: two light loop bands on the door at hip height, the loops around your wrists, your back to the door. The difference is the rotation. Turn your arms out until your thumbs point outwards, let them move a little away from your sides, out to the side, and draw back from there. Sternum lifted, shoulder blades back and down, chin back. The bands are lighter than in the neutral version.
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Banded Shoulder Circles
Stand on the middle of a resistance band and hold one end beside each hip. Your arms hang straight down and the band draws them gently towards the floor. From there, circle your shoulders: up, back, down and forwards. After 15 to 20 circles, change direction. Your head will tend to drift forwards — keep drawing yourself back into an upright posture.
Learn the exercise →Mobility and animal flow
Joint control and flow — CARs, bird dog, animal flow6 exercises with pages · 8 coming soon
Hip Airplane
Stand on one leg with your hands resting on a bench, a rail or a wall. Your torso leans forward and your free leg points back. From there, rotate your standing hip inwards as far as it goes, then rotate it back out.
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Hip CARs
Stand on one leg and take the other slowly through everything your hip can do: knee up in front, out to the side, back into extension and round to the front again. One rep takes a long time — that's the point.
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Dynamic Downward Dog
Start in a low quadruped position: hands under your shoulders, toes tucked, knees low. From there, push your hips back and up until your body forms an inverted V — arms straight, shoulder girdle pushed back, heels drawing towards the floor. Then come forwards and down again. You move rhythmically in and out, roughly one rep every two seconds.
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Inchworm
Support yourself on your hands and feet with your hips high. Keeping your core braced, walk your hands forward until you are almost in a plank, then follow with your feet in small steps. Your shoulders stay over your hands the whole time, and your hands keep contact with the floor: only one hand moves at a time. If space is tight, simply move forwards and backwards.
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Alternating Lunge Get-Up
Sit back on your heels and drive your hips forward until you are kneeling tall. Then place one foot forward, with your front hip and knee at right angles. Lift your front toes slightly, stand up and bring your back foot next to your front foot. The same leg stays in front: step back with the other leg into a long lunge, lower yourself slowly, lay the top of your back foot flat, bring your front knee down beside it and sit back on your heels. Then switch legs.
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Squat Thoracic Rotation
Sit in a deep squat with your torso as upright as it will go and both arms between your knees. From there, open one arm upwards and follow your hand with your eyes while the lower hand pushes the opposite knee outwards. Then back to the middle and over to the other side. If you can't get into a deep squat yet, raise your heels or support yourself with your lower hand on the floor.
Learn the exercise →Hands and forearms
Grip and wrist — wrist curls, gripper, finger extension4 exercises · pages coming soon
Feet and lower legs
Foot, ankle, calf — short foot, calf raises, pogo hops1 exercise with a page · 16 coming soon
In the ThriveZone app every exercise shows a short movement loop and the cues — enough for a session. These pages are the long version: why the exercise, which variations exist, which faults are common.
Seeing it done right is not the same as doing it right
Video, cues and variations take you a long way. What they cannot give you is an outside eye at the moment the movement isn't quite there yet. That is what training with me is for — in the studio or in a workshop.
See the workshopsNew exercise pages are added all the time — the newsletter keeps you posted.