FSHP Academy
Functional & Group Training — all lessons

Principles

Overview of functional training principles and conceptsBenefits of functional training for diverse populationsEquipment used in functional trainingFour basic foundations of human movementFundamental movement patterns: push, pull, squat, hingeScience behind functional and constructive trainingDetermining intensity for functional exercise

Functional Workouts by Equipment

Body weight, bands and pulleysDumbbells and kettlebellsMedicine and stability ballsAgility ladder, hurdles and battle ropes

Functional & Group Program Design

Designing functional and group training programmesManipulating training variablesPeriodisation cycles for functional training

Four basic foundations of human movement

A simple framework for organising functional training — locomotion and level changes, pushing and pulling, rotation, and stability — and how it guides exercise selection.

Beginner Evidence: Traditional practice 3 min read Reviewed 2026-10-31 Status: draft

Learning objectives

  • Describe a four-pillar model of human movement
  • Classify exercises into the pillars
  • Use the framework to check programme balance
  • Recognise the model as a teaching tool rather than a law

Before this lesson

Why this matters

A simple framework helps make sure programmes cover the ways humans actually move — not just the exercises a gym’s machines allow.

The four pillars

Santana describes four pillars of human movement [santana2016]:

  1. Locomotion — walking, running, crawling, shuffling.
  2. Level changes — lowering and raising the body: squatting, lunging, getting up from the floor.
  3. Pushing and pulling — moving objects away from or towards the body.
  4. Rotation — turning the trunk and hips; resisting rotation.

All four rely on stability and coordination.

Applying the framework

PillarExample exercises
LocomotionSled push, carries, crawls, sprints
Level changeSquat, lunge, step-up, Turkish get-up
Push/pullPush-up, row, press, pull-up
RotationCable chop, med-ball rotational throw, Pallof press

Limitations

The pillars are a coaching heuristic. Other frameworks (e.g., squat/hinge/push/pull/carry) are equally useful — see movement patterns [boyle2016].

Common mistakes and misconceptions

Case study

A tennis player’s programme is all squats, presses and rows. The coach adds lateral shuffles with resistance bands (locomotion), rotational med-ball throws (rotation) and reverse lunges with reach (level change) — better matching on-court demands.

Further learning: video lessons

Video links are only marked “verified” after a human has watched them. Unverified entries open a YouTube search for that channel and topic rather than a guessed link.

Introductory needs verification — opens a YouTube search

The four pillars of human movement

JC Santana / IHP (search)

You will understand: the movement pillars model

Why: Originator of the model.
Practical demo needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Programme balance checks

strength coaches (search)

You will understand: auditing a programme for movement gaps

Why: Practical tool.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check · 0/5

1. Which is an example of a level change?

Answer B. Lowering and raising the body’s centre of mass.

2. Rotation in daily life includes…

Answer A. Many tasks combine rotation with other movements.

3. Why check a programme against movement pillars?

Answer B. Gaps are common in rotation and locomotion.

4. Gait (walking/running) belongs to which pillar?

Answer B. Locomotion covers moving the body through space.

5. The evidence label is “traditional practice” because…

Answer A. It is a coaching heuristic.

Short-answer & application questions

  1. Classify ten exercises from your gym into the four pillars.
  2. Design a 20-minute session covering all four pillars.
  3. Analyse a sport skill in terms of the pillars.

Key takeaways

  • A common model groups human movement into four pillars: locomotion, level changes, push/pull, and rotation.
  • Most daily and sport tasks combine several pillars.
  • Checking a programme against the pillars reveals gaps (often rotation and locomotion).
  • The model is a practical framework, not an evidence-tested classification.

Connected topics

functional training

Fundamental movement patterns: push, pull, squat, hinge

anatomy

Anatomical terminology, planes, axes and movement directions

biomechanics

Basics of biomechanics in sport: kinematics and kinetics

References

  1. Santana JC (2016). Functional Training. Human Kinetics. Textbook check pending
  2. Boyle M (2016). New Functional Training for Sports (2nd ed.). Human Kinetics. Textbook check pending

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.