How to Build an Athletic Body: Train Movements, Not Muscles

Mighty Oak Athletic Podcast S2:E30 - How to Build an Athletic Body: Train Movements, Not Muscles

Which movements build a strong, supple, and useful body?

Which movements are essential for a long and healthy life?

It’s time to ditch the fancy contraptions and joint-crushing weights and return to basics. Embrace natural body motions that support strong bones and muscles, preserve joints and tendons, and progress through a natural range of movement.

The Importance of Healthy Movement

Healthy movements improve mobility, build muscular strength, and increase cardiovascular endurance. But they also need to be enjoyable. While not all movements will spark excitement before a workout, they should all serve the end goal of enhancing healthspan—the part of life when someone is generally in good health.

To achieve this, let’s shift from the mindset of exercise as punishment or obligation to movement as a joyful and natural expression of physicality. Reframing exercise into intentional movement sets the stage for decades of improved quality of life.

A truly healthy body is:

• Mobile: Able to pass through a full range of motion at the joints.

• Agile: Moving quickly and efficiently.

• Balanced: Stable on various surfaces and during complex motions.

• Coordinated: Muscles working together in harmony.

• Strong: Capable of moving heavy objects safely and effectively.

• Lean: Maintaining healthy body composition.

This kind of body can effortlessly perform everyday activities—squatting down, pushing up, pulling up, lifting, and carrying objects—while also enjoying sports, games, and even defending itself when necessary.

Functional Strength Over Isolated Strength

Strength training is often associated with lifting weights. While that can be effective, it’s a narrow view of how to build true, functional strength. Increasing the amount of weight lifted doesn’t always translate to better movement or improved health.

Instead, strength training should focus on functional strength—strength that applies to daily activities. For example, leg extension machines build muscle, but they don’t train the coordinated effort required to jump, squat, or run. Functional strength combines balance, coordination, and stability to produce efficient, effective movement.

Train movements, not muscles. Isolating muscles with single-joint exercises (like bicep curls) can create motor confusion. In life, muscles work together as an integrated system; training should reflect that reality.

Building a Foundation with Bodyweight Movements

Strength training is a tool, not the end goal. Start by mastering basic bodyweight exercises to develop strength, balance, and coordination before progressing to external resistance. These foundational movements establish healthy patterns and prepare the body for more advanced training.

Why Bodyweight Exercises?

• Accessibility: No equipment needed.

• Joint-Friendly: Moves through natural ranges of motion.

• Scalability: Easy to modify based on ability level.

• Integrated Strength: Engages multiple muscle groups in coordination.

Anywhere, Anytime Bodyweight Workout

Here’s a simple bodyweight workout that you can do anywhere—at home, in a park, or while traveling. This workout improves strength, mobility, and cardiovascular endurance. Perform each movement with control and focus on quality over quantity.

Workout Structure:

• Warm-Up: 5 minutes of light cardio (jogging, jumping jacks, or dynamic stretches).

• Circuit: Perform 3 rounds, 30 seconds per exercise, with 15 seconds of rest between exercises.

1. Air Squats

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down as if sitting back into a chair, keeping your chest up and knees tracking over your toes.

• Focus: Depth and control.

2. Push-Ups

• Start in a plank position with hands under shoulders. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor, then push back up.

• Modification: Drop to your knees if needed.

3. Reverse Lunges

• Step one foot back into a lunge, lowering your back knee toward the ground. Alternate legs.

• Focus: Stability and balance.

4. Plank

• Hold a forearm plank with your body in a straight line. Engage your core and avoid sagging hips.

5. Glute Bridges

• Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Lift your hips while squeezing your glutes, then lower down with control.

6. Bicycle Crunches

• Lie on your back, lift your legs, and alternate bringing opposite elbow to opposite knee.

• Focus: Slow, controlled movements.

Cool Down: 5 minutes of static stretching (hip flexors, hamstrings, chest, and back).

The Path to Lifelong Health

Movement is more than exercise—it’s an expression of life. By focusing on functional, natural movements, you build a body that can handle whatever life throws your way. Whether it’s playing sports, lifting groceries, or enjoying a hike, a strong, supple body enhances every aspect of your life.

Ditch the “exercise” mindset. Embrace movement. Improve your healthspan, and enjoy a lifetime of strength and vitality.