Strength is the engine that powers every athletic movement. Whether you’re sprinting down the field, jumping for a rebound, or grappling on the mat, your body is relying on muscular force to move, stabilize, and react. That’s why I believe every athlete should build their training around the most effective and time-tested movements: the foundational lifts every athlete needs.
These are not flashy, trendy exercises. They don’t require fancy equipment or overly complex variations. They’re simple, effective, and brutally honest. Done right, they develop power, coordination, resilience, and strength that translates directly into better performance. Mastering these lifts is like building a solid frame before designing the rest of the structure.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the six foundational lifts every athlete needs. I’ll explain how they work, why they matter, and how you can implement them into your training, regardless of your sport or experience level.
The Power of Simplicity in Training
Overcomplicating workouts is easy, especially with so many programs and influencers promising rapid gains. But the most successful athletes I’ve trained and trained alongside all share one thing: mastery of the basics. Instead of bouncing between gimmicks, they build strength using tried-and-true compound lifts.
Foundational lifts work multiple joints and muscle groups at once. They challenge your core stability, coordination, and mental toughness. And most importantly, they improve athletic movement patterns—hinging, squatting, pushing, pulling, and rotating—so you perform better when it matters most.
The Back Squat: Building Lower Body Power
The back squat is a cornerstone of athletic training. It targets the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and core, and it develops explosive lower body strength better than almost any other movement.
I’ve used the back squat to help athletes increase vertical leap, improve sprint mechanics, and gain better control of their movement under fatigue. It teaches you how to brace your core, maintain posture, and drive force through the ground—skills that apply to nearly every sport.
Key Points:
- Keep feet shoulder-width apart
- Maintain a neutral spine throughout the lift
- Push knees out and chest up on the descent
- Drive through the heels to rise
- Start with 3–5 sets of 5 reps, progressing over time
The back squat is one of the foundational lifts every athlete needs because it trains the raw power required for acceleration, agility, and impact resistance.
The Deadlift: Total-Body Strength From the Ground Up
The deadlift builds serious strength in the posterior chain—the hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, and traps. It’s a full-body movement that teaches you how to pick weight up off the floor with good mechanics and force production.
I incorporate deadlifts into nearly every athlete’s program because they improve posture, reinforce the hip hinge pattern, and develop grip strength. It’s also one of the safest heavy lifts when done with proper form.
Key Points:
- Stand with feet hip-width apart
- Keep the bar close to your shins
- Hinge at the hips, keep your back flat
- Drive through your heels and lock out at the top
- Perform 3–4 sets of 3–6 reps
Out of all the foundational lifts every athlete needs, the deadlift offers some of the best carryover to real-world performance. It makes you stronger in any position that starts from the ground.
The Bench Press: Upper Body Strength for Power and Control
The bench press is a classic upper body lift that trains the chest, triceps, shoulders, and upper back. While it’s often seen as a “gym bro” movement, I’ve found it plays an important role in developing pushing power for football, wrestling, basketball, and even sprinting.
Done properly, the bench press also teaches shoulder stability and scapular control—two elements that help prevent injury in overhead athletes.
Key Points:
- Keep feet planted and glutes tight
- Create an arch in your upper back without lifting your hips
- Lower the bar slowly to your sternum
- Press the bar explosively back up
- Use 3–5 sets of 5 reps with moderate to heavy weight
The bench press may not be the most “athletic” movement on its own, but it belongs on the list of foundational lifts every athlete needs because of its ability to build pressing strength and upper body endurance.
The Overhead Press: Stability and Power Overhead
The overhead press—sometimes called the military press—is an underrated lift in sports performance. It requires tremendous shoulder stability, core control, and coordination between your upper and lower body. It works the deltoids, triceps, upper traps, and obliques all in one go.
I like using standing overhead presses because they force athletes to stay tight and engaged throughout their entire body. Whether you’re blocking a shot, swinging a racket, or fighting for position, overhead strength matters.
Key Points:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
- Hold the barbell at shoulder height with wrists stacked
- Engage your core and glutes
- Press the bar directly overhead without flaring elbows
- Perform 3 sets of 5–8 reps
For overhead athletes like swimmers, volleyball players, and tennis players, this lift helps build balanced strength and prevent shoulder overuse issues. It’s one of those foundational lifts every athlete needs for total-body control.
The Pull-Up: Mastering Bodyweight Control
Pull-ups are a true test of relative strength—how well you can control your own body weight. They target the lats, rhomboids, traps, biceps, and core. Athletes who can’t do pull-ups often struggle with posture, shoulder stability, and pulling mechanics.
I use pull-ups as a benchmark for athletic readiness. They reveal imbalances and highlight weaknesses in the upper back or grip. Plus, they translate well into climbing, grappling, swimming, and almost any sport requiring upper body resilience.
Key Points:
- Start from a dead hang
- Pull your chin over the bar without swinging
- Engage your lats and drive elbows down
- Control the descent
- Begin with 3 sets to failure or add assistance as needed
Out of all the foundational lifts every athlete needs, the pull-up is often the most humbling. But that’s what makes it such a powerful tool for growth and performance.
The Power Clean: Explosive Strength for Sports Performance
The power clean combines speed, strength, coordination, and power into one movement. It involves pulling a barbell from the ground to the front rack position in one explosive motion. It targets the entire posterior chain, along with the traps, deltoids, and core.
Athletes benefit from the power clean because it mimics real-world explosive efforts—like jumping, sprinting, and tackling. It also teaches triple extension (ankles, knees, hips), which is the foundation of athletic movement.
Key Points:
- Start with a clean setup: feet under hips, bar over mid-foot
- Explode through your legs and hips
- Pull the bar up your body and shrug hard
- Catch the bar in a front rack position with bent knees
- Use 3–5 sets of 2–4 reps with moderate load
This is one of the most advanced lifts on the list, but it’s definitely one of the foundational lifts every athlete needs if they’re looking to unlock explosive potential.
How to Program These Lifts for Athletic Development
Mastering these lifts takes time. I always recommend prioritizing form over load, especially in the early stages. Once technique is locked in, progressive overload becomes the name of the game. That’s how you build long-term strength and prevent plateaus.
Here’s a sample weekly template I’ve used effectively:
Day 1 – Lower Body Power
- Back squat – 5 x 5
- Deadlift – 4 x 4
- Core work + mobility
Day 2 – Upper Body Strength
- Bench press – 5 x 5
- Pull-ups – 3 sets to failure
- Dumbbell presses and rows
Day 3 – Explosive Work + Conditioning
- Power cleans – 5 x 3
- Overhead press – 4 x 6
- Med ball slams, sprints, or agility circuits
Day 4 – Recovery and Technique
- Light technique work on weak lifts
- Mobility, foam rolling, active stretching
By rotating intensity and giving attention to each movement pattern, you can build a bulletproof body that’s strong, fast, and resilient.
Avoiding Common Mistakes with Foundational Lifts
One of the biggest mistakes I see athletes make is chasing numbers over technique. Don’t rush to add weight until you’ve earned it with clean reps. Another mistake is skipping warm-ups—these lifts demand preparation.
Neglecting unilateral work (like lunges, single-arm presses, or one-leg deadlifts) can also create imbalances. I often use these as accessory work to complement the big six foundational lifts every athlete needs.
The Long-Term Benefits of Mastering the Basics
Foundational lifts build the base for everything else you want to achieve. Better sprint speed, higher vertical leap, stronger hits, longer endurance—they all depend on how well your body can move and apply force.
These lifts also build discipline. They teach you how to focus, grind, and execute under pressure. They’re measurable, so you can track progress and stay motivated. And perhaps most importantly, they give you the confidence to perform at your peak when it matters most.
Conclusion
The flashiest workouts might get attention, but mastery of the basics wins in the long run. The foundational lifts every athlete needs are timeless, effective, and universally beneficial. They prepare your body for the demands of sport, reduce injury risk, and create the kind of strength that translates into every performance arena.
If you’re serious about becoming a better athlete, don’t overlook these movements. Build your training around them. Refine your technique. Progress with intention. The results will speak louder than any physique-focused program ever could.
