Ally Taylor explores the power of Loaded Movement Training and why these exercises are perfect for beginners.

Video 1: Beginners ViPR core 360

When starting a new fitness routine, it’s important to build a strong foundation with movements that not only strengthen the body but also prepare it for real-life demands. That’s where Loaded Movement Training (LMT) comes in. Unlike traditional resistance training, which often isolates muscles, LMT combines full-body, task-oriented movement with resistance, making every exercise more functional and effective.

ViPR (Vitality, Performance and Reconditioning) is designed to enhance this approach. It integrates strength, mobility, balance and agility in a way that reflects how we move in daily life. When beginning a ViPR-based workout, start simple, focusing on fundamental movements before progressing with different grips, stances and lever lengths.

This Core 360 workout is part of a beginner-friendly video series designed to build resilience, improve movement efficiency and develop real-world strength. It consists of two supersets, each combining two exercises, plus a warm-up and a recovery phase. This workout leans heavily into the Vitality aspect of ViPR training, helping beginners build confidence while enhancing stability, co-ordination and strength.

Let’s break down why each exercise was chosen and how it benefits the body.

Why standing core training comes first: Superset 1

The core is not just about having a six-pack; it’s a crucial force conduit that transfers energy between the lower and upper body while stabilising movement. Instead of traditional floor-based exercises that work the core in isolation, standing core work mimics real-life scenarios where the core helps control forces during movement.

The first superset focuses on standing core strength through the following:

1. Wide hold clean to overhead press:

  • Performed with a wide grip (modifiable to narrow for an easier variation).
  • Moves through a squat, clean, press and optional lateral tilt of ViPR.
  • Utilises ground reaction forces, driving power from the feet through the hips and core to the shoulders.
  • Why it works: This movement integrates multiple muscle groups – hamstrings, glutes, obliques, lats and shoulders – while training the body to control lateral flexion and deceleration of the spine.

2. Running swing to lunge anywhere:

  • Similar to a kettlebell swing, requiring power to drive ViPR up and control to brake at the top.
  • The front-loaded position of ViPR increases core recruitment, especially when combined with a lunge and press forwards.
  • Why it works: This exercise develops agility, balance and stability, forcing the body to adapt dynamically to changes in movement and load.

Superset benefits: By pairing a power-based movement with an agility-driven movement, the body learns to generate force and control it across multiple planes of motion, critical for both athletic performance and everyday life.

From ground to standing: Superset 2

Building from the standing movements, the next superset introduces ground-to-standing exercises, reinforcing core stability, hip strength and movement efficiency.

1. Kneel to stand with X-Press:

  • Starts in a kneeling position, then stands up into a lunge, pressing ViPR in an X-Press pattern.
  • The neutral grip creates forward resistance, forcing core stabilisation.
  • Why it works: The glutes are heavily engaged, supporting hip drive and overall stability. The X-Press not only strengthens the shoulders and chest but also demands core control to resist forward pull from ViPR.

2. Backward roll to sit-up and press (progression: full stand-up):

  • Uses ViPR’s weight to assist in rolling back and then sitting up, pressing ViPR overhead.
  • Can be progressed to a full stand-up movement, reinforcing functional ground-to-standing strength.
  • Why it works: This exercise mimics how we get up from the floor in real life, making it one of the most practical movements for building core strength, mobility and power.

Superset benefits: This pairing enhances core-to-lower-body connection, improving stability and resilience while also ensuring we train how to move safely and efficiently from the ground – a key skill for injury prevention and longevity.

Why this beginner’s workout works

This beginner-friendly core ViPR workout was specifically designed to do the following:

  • Introduce movement complexity gradually, making it accessible while allowing room for progression.
  • Strengthen the body dynamically, mimicking real-life movement demands.
  • Develop co-ordination, balance and resilience, reducing the risk of injury in everyday activities.
  • Improve core engagement in functional ways, moving beyond traditional, isolated core exercises.

By integrating Loaded Movement Training principles, this workout ensures every exercise builds strength, stability and agility across the entire body, not just in isolated muscles.

So, whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your movement mechanics, this approach to training ensures you build a more adaptable, powerful and resilient body – one that’s prepared not just for workouts but for life itself.

Ally has been a personal trainer and group exercise instructor for over 21 years and runs a private studio in East Horsley, Surrey. She specialises in training the human being, not just the human body and believes we need more focus on movement for health, rather than just aesthetics. She has also worked in fitness education for over 12 years and has trained over 1000 trainee fitness instructors in that time. 

@movewellfitness
@ally22004