Six Human Movement Patterns

by Carl Raghavan, SSC | August 19, 2026

Starting Strength can be refined into these six general human movement patterns: Squat, Press, Deadlift, Bench Press, Power Clean, and Chins. To make the comparison clearer, I’ve mapped each onto a radar graph. All rated across three domains: strength, technique, and mental demand, on a scale of 1 to 5. The highest score is 5, and 1 the lowest.

Squat is the king. Nothing drives overall strength development like the Squat. The challenge it places on all three domains is high, which is why novice lifters spend most of their early training here. It forces adaptation across the entire system. The Squat remains the most productive strength-building exercise ever devised.

Press is the most balanced upper body lift. It requires full-body tension, from feet to hands, with every muscle in the body contributing. The Press demands balance, coordination, and control while standing under a load. It’s simple to understand but difficult to master.

Deadlift is the ultimate test of will. A heavy deadlift is brutally hard. The bar either leaves the floor or it stays put. As lifters age, the Deadlift often holds up remarkably well for maintaining strength. It’s the lift that rewards cast-iron grit and sheer tenacity.

Bench Press is the modern rite of passage for males: “How much do ya Bench, bro?” echoes in weight rooms across the globe. The bench press allows the greatest load to be handled with the upper body, which explains its dominance worldwide. Whether you like it or not, the Bench has earned its place on the mantle of strength training and is here to stay.

Power Clean is the most avoided lift in the program – and that’s exactly why it matters. Don’t skip the Power Clean; don’t be that guy. And here’s why: you can’t grind this lift. You can’t overthink this movement pattern. You can’t separate speed from technique. Its fast nature is why it helps develop explosive force production and improves athleticism in a way no slow lift can.

Chins are the 6th man on the team. We classify Chins as an ancillary movement, as they can’t be replicated with a barbell, yet they provide valuable assistance to the five barbell lifts. They serve as a useful diagnostic tool and demonstrate a different general human movement pattern: can you pull your bodywight directly up towards an object? If not, you’re either fat, weak, or injured. Chins don’t care about excuses – it merely reveals them.

When you step back and look at the radar graphs, a pattern emerges. Each lift places a unique demand on the lifter and exposes a different stress. Viewing these six human movement patterns through the lens of the radar graph makes programming far more intuitive. These six patterns challenge so much more than just muscle groups; they tax the body in a far more complex and nuanced way. Together, they develop a complete, balanced lifter, with each lift contributing its own voice to the whole process of systemic and loadable stress, like a symphony orchestra rather than a switchboard.

Make these six lifts stronger over the next decade, and you will be bigger, faster, and stronger. When your training stalls, resist the temptation to complicate it. Single-joint movements are rarely the answer. Return to the six. Are they progressing? Keep going. If they aren’t, identify the true underlying factor. Is it technique, programming, or recovery? Fix it. That’s the game.