Blog 4: Biomechanics of Athletes Explained.
Part 4: Movement Patterns - Good vs Bad Mechanics
Welcome Back to Biomechanics of The Athlete Explained!
In Parts 1-3, Dr. Keirstyn covered what biomechanics is, how your body works as a kinetic chain, and how forces affect your tissues. Now let's get practical: what does "good form" actually look like, and how do you know if your mechanics are breaking down?
All human movement can be broken down into fundamental patterns. Whether you're running, lifting, playing sports, or just moving through daily life, you're using variations of these same patterns.
Understanding these patterns—and how to perform them correctly—is the foundation of injury-free movement and optimal performance.
The Five Fundamental Movement Patterns
1. Squat
2. Hinge
3. Lunge
4. Push
5. Pull
Master these five patterns, and you've mastered most athletic movement.
Pattern 1: The Squat
What It Is: Hip and knee flexion with a relatively vertical torso
Where You Use It: Sitting, standing, jumping, landing, defensive positions in sports
Good Squat Mechanics:
Feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out
Knees track over toes (don't collapse inward)
Hips move back and down simultaneously
Torso stays relatively upright
Weight stays mid-foot (not on toes or heels)
Full depth (if mobility allows)
Common Faults:
Knee valgus: Knees collapse inward → stress on MCL, patellar tendon
Heels lift: Limited ankle mobility → compensatory forward lean, stress on knees
Excessive forward lean: Weak core or limited hip mobility → excessive lower back stress
Asymmetry: One knee/hip moves differently than the other → compensation pattern
Why It Matters: Poor squat mechanics show up in landing from jumps, getting out of defensive positions, and any movement requiring hip/knee flexion. If you can't squat well, you can't land well—and injury follows.
The Fix:
Improve ankle dorsiflexion mobility
Strengthen glutes and core
Practice tempo squats (slow, controlled descent)
Pattern 2: The Hinge
What It Is: Hip flexion and extension with minimal knee bend
Where You Use It: Deadlifting, bending over, sprinting (hip extension), jumping (hip extension)
Good Hinge Mechanics:
Hips move back (not down)
Spine stays neutral (no rounding or excessive arching)
Knees bend slightly but minimally
Hamstrings and glutes do the work
Weight stays mid-foot
Common Faults:
Lumbar rounding: Weak core or tight hamstrings → excessive disc stress
Squat instead of hinge: Knees bend excessively → not training hinge pattern properly
Hyperextension at top: Excessive lower back arch → facet joint compression
Why It Matters: The hinge is the foundation of power generation (sprinting, jumping) and safe lifting. Poor hinge mechanics lead to lower back injuries and weak posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings).
The Fix:
Practice hip hinge with a dowel on your back (ensures neutral spine)
Strengthen glutes and hamstrings (deadlift variations, glute bridges)
Improve hamstring flexibility if needed
Pattern 3: The Lunge
What It Is: Single-leg dominant movement with hip and knee flexion
Where You Use It: Running, skating, lunging for a ball, any single-leg activity
Good Lunge Mechanics:
Front knee tracks over toes (doesn't collapse inward or drift outward)
Torso stays upright
Hips stay level (don't rotate or drop on one side)
Back knee drops straight down
Weight distributed evenly on front foot
Common Faults:
Knee valgus (front knee): Collapses inward → MCL stress, patellar tracking issues
Hip drop: Pelvis drops on one side → weak glute medius, compensation patterns
Torso lean: Excessive forward lean → hip flexor and lower back stress
Asymmetry: One side feels significantly different than the other
Why It Matters: Lunges expose single-leg stability issues. Since most sports involve single-leg movements (running, jumping, cutting), poor lunge mechanics predict injury risk.
The Fix:
Strengthen glute medius (lateral band walks, single-leg deadlifts)
Practice slow, controlled lunges with mirror feedback
Address hip mobility restrictions
Pattern 4: The Push
What It Is: Pressing or pushing something away from your body
Where You Use It: Push-ups, overhead pressing, pushing off the ground (sprinting), blocking (volleyball, basketball)
Good Push Mechanics:
Shoulder blades move smoothly (scapular upward rotation during overhead press)
Core stays engaged (no excessive lower back arch)
Elbows track properly (not excessively flared out)
Full range of motion without compensation
Common Faults:
Scapular winging: Shoulder blades stick out → weak serratus anterior → shoulder impingement risk
Excessive lumbar arch: Weak core → lower back stress during overhead movements
Limited range of motion: Stiff thoracic spine or tight chest → shoulder compensates excessively
Why It Matters: Poor push mechanics lead to shoulder impingement, rotator cuff issues, and lower back pain in overhead athletes (volleyball, swimming, baseball).
The Fix:
Strengthen serratus anterior (scapular push-ups, high bear crawls)
Improve thoracic spine mobility (cat/camel, thoracic rotation)
Build overhead stability progressively (don't rush into heavy overhead work)
Pattern 5: The Pull
What It Is: Pulling something toward your body
Where You Use It: Rowing, pull-ups, picking things up, pulling in sports (tug-of-war, swimming stroke)
Good Pull Mechanics:
Shoulder blades retract and depress (pull back and down)
Elbows track close to body (not excessively flared)
Core stays engaged (no excessive arching)
Lead with shoulder blades, not just arms
Common Faults:
Shoulder shrugging: Using upper traps instead of lats and mid-back → neck and shoulder tension
Elbow flare: Elbows drift away from body → rotator cuff stress
Lumbar hyperextension: Excessive lower back arch → compensating for weak lats or core
Why It Matters: Poor pull mechanics create upper back and neck pain, shoulder dysfunction, and postural issues (especially in desk workers).
The Fix:
Strengthen mid-back (rows with scapular focus)
Practice scapular retraction drills (band pull-aparts)
Improve lat flexibility if excessively tight
How to Self-Assess Your Movement Patterns
Film Yourself:
Set up your phone and record yourself performing:
Bodyweight squats (front and side view)
Single-leg deadlifts (side view)
Lunges (front view)
Push-ups (side view)
What to Look For:
Asymmetries (one side moves differently)
Compensations (excessive lean, knee collapse, etc.)
Limited range of motion
Lack of control (wobbling, jerky movements)
Use a Mirror For Real Time Visual Feedback:
Perform movements in front of a mirror. Watch for:
Knee tracking (do they stay aligned with toes?)
Hip levelness (does one side drop?)
Torso position (excessive lean or arch?)
When Movement Patterns Break Down
Fatigue:
Late in a game or workout, mechanics deteriorate. This is when injuries happen.
Example: A volleyball player's landing mechanics are perfect in warm-ups but collapse into knee valgus by the third set. Fatigue has compromised neuromuscular control.
Injury:
Pain causes compensation. You favor the non-painful side, creating asymmetries and overloading tissues.
Example: A runner with right knee pain shifts load to the left leg. Left hip and knee now take excessive stress, developing secondary injuries.
Poor Training:
If you never train fundamental patterns correctly, your body defaults to compensatory movement under load.
How Dr. Keirstyn Can Help
At Endurance Therapeutics, Dr. Keirstyn specializes in movement pattern assessment for athletes. Through video analysis and hands-on testing, she identifies:
Which movement patterns are breaking down
Where compensations are occurring
What's causing the dysfunction (mobility, stability, strength, or motor control)
How to retrain proper mechanics
Education and treatment include:
Teaching you what correct movement looks and feels like
Identifying your specific faults and why they're happening
Creating corrective exercise progressions
Monitoring improvement over time
Many athletes have trained with poor mechanics for years without realizing it. Once you learn what good movement feels like and train it consistently, performance improves and injury risk drops.
Book an assessment to analyze your movement patterns and learn how to move better, perform better, and stay injury-free.
What's Next
In Part 5, we'll wrap up the series by applying biomechanics to your sport and training. We'll cover sport-specific movement analysis, how to self-assess during training, and when biomechanics break down (fatigue, injury, poor programming). We'll tie everything together so you can use this knowledge practically.
📍 Endurance Therapeutics | Oakville, Ontario
📞 905-288-7161