The 4 Pillars of Movement (and How to Program Them)

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down with new trainers to put together a training program and they’ve sat there stumped. No clue how to begin. Almost as if they had absolutely no idea where to start — or maybe they had too many ideas running through their heads.

That’s exactly why principles, systems, and structure are non‑negotiable in program design. Without them, we end up with aimless workouts — and aimless workouts are responsible for imbalances, injuries, and a general lack of progress.

At SHAPE, we anchor all movement around an approach crafted by legendary coach Juan Carlos Santana. His Four Pillars of Movement form a simple, powerful framework that keeps programs balanced, adaptable, and scalable for any client. This system doesn’t just organize training — it gives our coaches a repeatable lens for thinking through every client and every session.

Let’s explore the Four Pillars and how we expand their application in our RREPS™ programming.

At SHAPE, each phase of our RREPS™ system highlights one of the movement skills that bring these pillars to life — from crawling and sprinting to rotation, jumping, and beyond. These phases aren’t just workouts; they’re focused practice blocks that develop the body’s ability to apply the Four Pillars in motion. When the skill of the phase changes, so does the way we emphasize each pillar.

The Four Pillars of Movement

1. Push / Pull

A metaphor for life can always be found in the gym, right? We all need to find some balance. Every movement involves creating or resisting force—usually through pushing or pulling. Striking the right balance in these exercise selections lays the foundation for our programs.

• Upper Push Patterns: 

• Horizontal pressing (push-ups & bench press)

• Vertical pressing (overhead press & landmine press)

• Upper Pull Patterns: 

• Horizontal pulling (rows & face pulls).

• Vertical pulling (pull-ups, pull-downs, upright rows & cleans)

• Lower Push Patterns: squats, split squats, step-ups—driving force through the ground to extend hips and knees.

• Lower Pull Patterns: hinges and deadlifts—posterior chain–dominant patterns that pull the body toward the ground or resist gravity.

Programming Tip: Maintain muscular balance by implementing 3 Pulls to every 2 Pushes and specifically 2 Horizontal pulls to every 1 Vertical pull.

Coach’s Note: Balancing push and pull work across both upper and lower body creates better joint mechanics, more efficient force transfer, and total-body coordination that carries into every other pillar.

2. Rotation

While the majority of major strength movements tend to live in the sagittal plane (moving front/back and up/down), it is important to remember we live in a 3-Dimensional world. Especially so when it comes to athletic movement patterns like throws, punches, and kicks. 

Rotation is also where stability meets power — the bridge between foundational strength and athletic expression. 

• Create Rotation: chops, lifts, med ball throws, rotational swings.

• Resist Rotation: unilateral loads, anti-rotation presses (Pallof), planks with reach.

• Control Rotation: controlled pivots, banded patterns, crossover steps.

Programming Tip: Include at least one rotational or anti-rotational exercise each session. Even simple chops and one-sided movements count.

3. Level Change

Life requires moving up and down: sitting, standing, climbing, lowering. In fact, a recent study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology showed one’s ability to stand from the floor without assistance has even been correlated with longevity and all-cause mortality. This pillar builds conditioning and overall functional capabilities.

• Squat Patterns: bilateral squats, goblet squats, front squats, overhead squats.

• Hinge Patterns: RDLs, deadlifts, hip bridges, swings.

• Lunge & Step Patterns: split squats, step-ups, lateral or rotational lunges.

• Ground-to-Stand Patterns: Turkish get-ups, bear to stand, kneel-to-stand transitions.

Programming Tip: Use a mix of bilateral and unilateral movements to train both strength and balance and never include burpees in your programming.

4. Locomotion

Locomotion integrates all the other pillars into purposeful, athletic movement. It’s how strength becomes skill. This is where we reconnect movement with meaning — taking strength off the rack and putting it into motion.

• Crawling & Carrying: farmer’s carries, front rack carries, suitcase carries, bear crawls, crab walks, and any other imaginative animal movement patterns you can think of.

• Gait & Run: marches, skips, runs, sprints, shuffles, change-of-direction drills.

• Jumping & Landing: vertical, horizontal, and lateral variations; double- or single-leg.

• Climb & Traverse: sled pushes, rope climbs, sled drags, crawling patterns.

Programming Tip: Add one locomotion pattern to every workout—it ties strength and coordination together.

Expanded Movement Map Within the 4 Pillars

Windmills are rotational hinges - photo by Kassi Lea Photography https://www.kassileaphotography.com/

While the 4 Pillars form the structure, each expands into sub-patterns that create variety and progression.

Push / Pull

• Sub-Patterns: Horizontal Push/Pull, Vertical Push/Pull

• Planes: Sagittal, Frontal (and Transverse!)

• Examples: Push-Up, Row, Press, Pull-Up, Cleans, Face Pulls

Rotation

• Sub-Patterns: Create, Resist, Control

• Plane: Transverse

• Examples: Chop, Pallof Press, Med Ball Throw

Level Change

• Sub-Patterns: Squat, Hinge, Lunge, Step-Up, Get-Up

• Planes: Sagittal, Frontal, Transverse

• Examples: Goblet Squat, RDL, Lateral Lunge, Get-Up

Locomotion

• Sub-Patterns: Crawl, Carry, March, Run, Jump, Land

• Planes: Sagittal, Frontal, Transverse

• Examples: Bear Crawl, Suitcase Carry, Sprint, Hop

Common Coaching Mistakes

• Training only sagittal patterns (forgetting lateral/rotational competency).

• Over‑isolating muscles instead of integrating patterns.

• Changing too many variables at once (can’t measure progress).

• Neglecting carries, crawls, or ground work—the simplest forms of locomotion.

• Over-programming pushes more than pulls and upper body more than lower (the bro code).

Takeaway

When you understand how people move — and how to structure those movements into your programming — you build more than workouts. You build systems that create lasting change. The Four Pillars are just one of the principles we use to get results year after year. Because at the end of the day, we don’t just build programs — we build people who move, live, and perform better