The 7 Root Patterns for Holistic Movement

Let Me Introduce Paul Chek

People that know me, or follow me on instagram,

have seen that I am a huge Paul Chek enthusiast.

Paul has in many ways paved the way for the whole holistic health revolution that is happening.

He has pioneered so many things, it is kind of ridicilous to believe! One person being so much ahead of his time. He is a pioneer.

Paul Chek runs the C.H.E.K Institute, which stands for Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology.

This institute specializes in

• holistic health,
• fitness, and
• wellness education.

It offers advanced training programs for fitness professionals, health practitioners, and enthusiasts.

The C.H.E.K Institute is recognized internationally, providing education and certification programs worldwide.

It has trained thousands of health and fitness professionals across various countries.

Its influence and reach in the health and fitness industry are significant.

One of his many creations is the primal pattern movements® system, which re-introduced integrated & functional movement into the fitness scene.

One of his many creations is the primal pattern movements system, which re-introduced integrated & functional movement into the fitness scene.

You see many people now reproducing his system, but keep in mind he published and trademarked this concept in 1988.

And now the functional fitness movement gained a lot of traction and is exploding. You really have to live behind the woods to still be in your little “gym machine workouts” bubble.

Raw butter here,

regeneratively raised there,

holistic approach this,

primal that.

Holistic health is undeniably hip & cool now.

But, why are people getting into this wellness trend? What is it about holism?Why is it important to train functionally? What downsides does it have?

We will cover these questions today.

For the introduction of this system, we dive into the 7 movement patterns that govern our physical activities since we have been walking on 2 legs.

But lets’ clarify why functional movement, in general, is necessary.

Traditional Training vs. Functional Training

Why even bother Tarkan?

I will tell you why it’s important to be functional.
Traditional weight machines don’t use stabilizers & core stabilizers.

This can cause muscle imbalances and weak stabilizers.

Machines provide external stability, so you only work the main muscles, “focus on the squeeze”, so to say.

Functional training is different. It uses unstable surfaces like Swiss balls, engaging your core. This promotes overall stability and coordination. It challenges your stabilizer muscles by making you balance and control your body on unstable surfaces.

— think about it: by training with free weights, maybe even doing an balancing exercise, there is hundreds of muscles involved trying to balance your whole body.

You need to balance stabilizer training with prime mover training. Focusing too much on one can lead to problems.

What are prime movers?

Prime movers are the main muscles responsible for generating movement in a particular exercise or activity.

They are the muscles that provide the primary force to perform a specific action.

For example, during a bench press, the prime movers are the pectoral muscles (chest muscles), which are primarily responsible for pushing the weight upward.

Overemphasizing prime mover training can neglect stabilizers, leading to

• weaknesses and
• injuries.

But also only focusing on stabilizer training can make you stiff and disrupt natural movement.

So it is about balance.

— Imagine training your quadriceps (leg extensors) on an isolating machine for years, now you start seriously sprinting for the first time after a while.

Your body has developed the prime mover (quadriceps) over the years, but because you have isolated it, there is no strength in the stabilizer muscles.

It’s like putting a 1500 horsepower engine into a small car: The chassis/ or in other words the whole structurcal integrity can not hold the sheer power of that engine/prime mover.

A balanced approach, integrating both stabilizer and prime mover training, is crucial for optimal performance and injury prevention.

Always keep that in mind.

What is Required of an Exercise as a Prerequisite to Improve Function?

The ability to maintain one’s center of gravity over one’s own base of support.

As conditioning improves, the athlete should be able to maintain their center of gravity over progressively less base of support.

1. Maintain and improve flexibility.
2. Improve inter-muscular coordination.
3. Improve general and/or sport specific motor skills.
4. Improve biomotor abilities as dictated by program goals and needs analysis.

In other words, if these parameters don’t apply, you are not improving in functionality.

The Primal Patterns Movements ®

Primal Pattern® Movements definition:

A movement pattern required for survival in our developmental environment. They are sometimes referred to as a "root pattern."

Let's break down the 7 primal movement patterns. These are the basic movements your body naturally performs.

We have been doing these for hundreds of thousands of years. They are deeply engraved in our physiology.

Mastering them is key to overall fitness and health.

You fundamentally don’t need anything else. Promise!

1st: Gait (walk, jog, run)

The most basic movement.

It’s how you move from place to place.

Walking, jogging, and running are fundamental for cardiovascular health and coordination.

Walking Tall with the the feet on the ground.

Your feet consist of:

• 26+ Bones
• 33 Joints
• 20 intrinsic muscles
• 10-14 extrinsic muscles
• 200.000 nerve endings

The feet are for most of the time our only contact point with the earth.

The health of your feet is essential for the way you interact with the ground. There is a depth of knowledge here to uncover. But for the sake of this introduction epsiode, we keep it simple.

When we walk, approximately 200 muscles are involved in the process.

Walking is a complex activity that engages muscles throughout the entire body, including the legs, hips, core, and even the upper body for balance and coordination.

2nd: Twist

This involves rotating your torso. It's crucial for activities that require turning or twisting your body.

Think of swinging a bat or reaching for something to the side.

Throwing a spear, rock, or bone to hunt.

Twisting was essential for survival.

Also today it is an essential movement.

Think about it:

Most human motion involves rotation:

• throwing a ball,
• playing golf,
• running,
• or even walking.

Twisting is rotating from your pelvis to your ribcage.

The issue? Most training programs only focus on sagittal and frontal planes. They skip rotational movements.

For a program to be functional, it must include rotational movements in the transverse plane.

There are two types of twisting movements: rotation and anti-rotation.

• Rotational exercises are twisting movements like the woodchop or kettlebell shoveling swing.
• Anti-rotational exercises prevent rotation, like the standing single arm bent over row or the Pallof press.

3rd: Pull

Pulling motions engage your back, biceps, and forearms.

This includes exercises like:

• pull-ups,
• rows, and
• deadlifts.

Pulling is essential for building upper body strength.

The pull pattern is the opposite of the push motion.

It’s used for pulling an object closer or moving your body closer to something, like in a pull-up.

From opening a door to starting a lawnmower, we use the pull pattern in our daily lives.

There are two main pulling movements: horizontal pull and vertical pull.

Horizontal pull: Think seated row or bent-over row. This targets the lats and rhomboids, with help from the trapezius and biceps.

Vertical pull: Think pull-up, where you pull your body up to a bar. This targets the lats, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, and biceps.

4th: Lunge

Lunging strengthens your legs and improves balance. It mimics stepping forward, backward, or to the side. Lunges are great for leg strength and stability.

The lunge pattern is thereby key for lower body movements.

We lunge when walking upstairs, climbing a hill, or stepping over a log.

The lunge is a unilateral exercise that challenges stability, increases flexibility, and builds strength.

There are many variations of the lunge, each offering a unique challenge: forward lunges, lateral lunges, reverse lunges, diagonal lunges, and step-ups.

5th: Bend

Bending involves hinging at your hips. Think of picking something up from the ground. Deadlifts and good mornings are key exercises here, targeting your hamstrings and lower back.

We use the bend pattern when picking something up from the floor, like dropping your wallet and hinging at the hips to grab them from the ground.

The key is to hinge at the hips by driving your butt backward and your knees foward, while keeping a neutral spine, not just leaning over from the shoulders.

This is also where most people injure themselves in every day activities, because they did not learn how to hinge safely.

Bending/hinging movements primarily target the glutes, hamstrings, and erector spinae muscles.

6th Squat

Squatting is a full-body exercise. It’s essential for building leg strength, core stability, and overall power.

We use the squat pattern every day, whether you’re lifting something heavy or just sitting down, squatting is involved.

There are many squat variations, each working the body slightly differently.

In every squat variation, the lower back and abs contract to keep the body upright during the lowering phase.

So, squats are also excellent for strengthening the core, triggering bowel movement and training the pelvis floor.

7th Push

Pushing movements work your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Push-ups, bench presses, and shoulder presses are examples. Pushing is vital for upper body strength.

The push pattern is used to push an object away from the body, like lifting a box overhead to put it on a shelf. Or, to push yourself away from something, like getting up off the floor.

There are two main pushing movements: horizontal push and vertical push.

Horizontal push: Think bench press or push-up. This targets the pectorals, anterior deltoids, and triceps.

Vertical push: Think shoulder press, where you push a barbell or dumbbell overhead. This targets the deltoids, triceps, trapezius, and pectorals.

Switch to a Holistic Approach to Training

Only with those 7 root patterns, you can build all of your exercises upon.

Here you have a video of Elliot Hulse, a strength and conditioning Youtuber, having a conversation about holistic health and lifestyle coaching.

This video is now 9 years old.

By Paul Cheks philosophy, a holistic approach to training covers four key areas:

• diet,
• rest,
• movement,
• and mental/emotional state.

You need all these for overall well-being and health.

Each part plays a role in keeping your body balanced and functional, especially your core.

Diet gives your body the nutrients it needs for

• muscle repair,
• energy,
• and overall function.

Rest lets your body recover and rejuvenate.

Movement means regular exercise that builds

• strength,
• endurance,
• flexibility, and
• coordination.

Lastly, your mental/emotional state affects how well you

• manage stress,
• stay motivated,
• and maintain health.

If you want to learn more about how to keep your lifestyle design simple & in check

— (no pun intended), download my “4 step freedom seekers guide” ebook down below

(it’s for free)

The ebook is built upon Cheks Lifestyle principles.

Freedom Seekers Guide.pdf 2.52 MB • PDF File Download

Here you have the same Elliot Hulse, again confirming how great of a Teacher Paul Chek actually is.

Kiss Kiss,

Tarkan

Other Sources: "Use it Or Lose it" for a Strong & Healthy Body & Mind