The 5 Primal Lifts Your Body Craves (And the 5 Gym Machines to Abandon Forever)

THE 5 PRIMAL LIFTS: A BLUEPRINT FOR POWER

These are not "exercises." They are fundamental human movements. They are your birthright. To neglect them is to accept weakness. To master them is to build a body capable of conquering its environment.

1. THE SQUAT: THE THRONE OF STRENGTH

Forget the leg press. The squat is the genesis of all lower body power. It is the movement of rising from rest around the fire, of lifting a fallen log, of generating force from the very earth itself. It teaches the hips, glutes, hamstrings, and core to fire in unison, building a foundation of unshakable stability. It is not a leg exercise; it is a full-body expression of strength.

2. THE DEADLIFT: THE ULTIMATE TEST

There is no more honest measure of raw, primal strength than lifting a heavy object from the ground. The deadlift is the act of conquering inertia. It is hoisting the slain beast, moving the unmovable stone. It builds a back of iron, a grip of steel, and a posterior chain that translates to power in every single thing you do. It teaches you to use your entire body as one powerful weapon.

3. THE OVERHEAD PRESS: THE MARK OF A WARRIOR

Pressing a heavy weight from the shoulders to lockout overhead is a pure demonstration of upper-body might. This is the movement of hoisting a heavy stone onto a ledge or thrusting a spear. It forges powerful shoulders, strong triceps, and a stable core, demanding full-body tension to succeed. It is the true measure of pressing strength, not laying on a bench.

4. THE ROW: FORGING THE PULLING CHAIN

The modern man is a creature of the push. We sit hunched, we type, we press. This builds imbalance and weakness. The row is the antidote. It is the act of pulling a heavy kill towards you, of scaling a cliff face, of drawing a heavy bow. It builds the thick, powerful muscles of the upper back and biceps that create a posture of strength and prevent injury. A weak back cannot support a strong front.

5. THE LOADED CARRY: THE PURPOSE OF STRENGTH

What good is strength if it cannot be used? The loaded carry—the farmer's walk—is the very embodiment of functional power. You pick up a heavy burden, and you walk with it. This is the journey home from the hunt. It builds a crushing grip, a core of solid rock, and the endurance to apply your strength over time and distance. It is perhaps the most "functional" training there is, turning the body into a resilient, capable machine.

 

THE 5 MACHINES TO ABANDON FOREVER

These are the idols of the weak. They isolate, they coddle, and they build bodies that are decorative, not dominant. Abandon them to the scrapyard of modern weakness.

1. THE SMITH MACHINE

The ultimate cage. By forcing the barbell into a perfectly straight, unnatural path, it robs you of the single most important element of strength: stability. It neuters the small, vital stabilizer muscles around your joints, teaching your body to be rigid and fragile. It is a crutch that creates weakness, not a tool that builds power.

2. THE LEG EXTENSION MACHINE

This machine is a lie. It pretends to build your quads while putting unnatural shearing force on your knee joint, a movement your body was never designed to do under load. It has zero functional carryover. It is the anatomical equivalent of learning how to spell a single letter but never being able to write a word.

3. THE PEC-DECK (CHEST FLY) MACHINE

Do not be seduced by the "pump." This machine isolates the chest in a weak, non-functional range of motion. True pressing power comes from the integrated strength of the chest, shoulders, and triceps working together. The pec-deck teaches them to be separate and weak. It is for building show muscles, not the primal strength needed to push a threat away.

4. THE SEATED ABDUCTOR/ADDUCTOR MACHINE

The pinnacle of uselessness. Squeezing your thighs together or pushing them apart while seated in a comfortable chair has absolutely no connection to how your hips are meant to function. It is a distraction, a way to feel like you are "working" without doing any real work. Your stability comes from squatting, lunging, and carrying—not from this machine of weakness.

5. THE CRUNCH MACHINE

Your core was not designed to curl forward in a short, weak movement. Its true purpose is to remain rigid, protecting the spine and transferring power from your legs to your arms. The crunch machine trains the opposite, promoting a weak, flexed posture. True core strength is built with squats, deadlifts, and loaded carries. Throw this machine, and the sit-ups it imitates, into the fire.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS: FORGE OR FAKE

The path is clear. One way lies the cage of comfort—the padded seats, the fixed paths, the illusion of fitness. It leads to a body that is weak, fragile, and unprepared for the demands of the real world.

The other way is The Old Way. It is the way of the barbell, the kettlebell, the stone. It is harder. It demands more. But it leads to a body that is powerful, resilient, and connected to the primal strength that is your birthright.

Abandon the machines. Embrace the Primal Lifts. Go to

The Hunt page on our site and begin the Primal Foundation Plan today. Stop pretending to be strong. Start building the strength your ancestors would recognize.