How do I know what muscles I'm working in a strength session?

AlterMe strength sessions are organized by movement pattern rather than muscle group — here's what that means and what you're actually training in each one.

Functional strength training is built around the way your body actually moves, not around isolating individual muscles. In real life, your body rarely uses one muscle in isolation — it works in coordinated patterns. Training those patterns builds strength that transfers beyond the gym.

Squat:

A knee and hip dominant movement where you lower your body toward the ground and drive back up.

Lunge:

A single-leg variation of the squat pattern that also challenges balance and stability.

Hinge:

A hip-dominant movement where you push your hips back and hinge forward — think deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts.

Push:

Any movement where you press away from your body — horizontally (push ups, chest press) or vertically (shoulder press).

Pull:

Any movement where you draw weight toward your body — rows, band pull-aparts.

Brace:

Stability-focused movements that train your body to resist motion rather than create it — the foundation of a strong, injury-resistant core. AlterMe uses three brace positions: Prone (face down) — plank variations that build anterior core strength and full-body tension. Side — side plank variations that target the obliques and hip stabilizers. Supine (face up) — movements like dead bugs that train deep core stability while protecting the lower back

Rather than thinking about the muscle, think about the pattern. Drive through your heels in a squat. Push the floor away in a push up. Squeeze your shoulder blades together in a pull. When you focus on the movement cue, the right muscles naturally activate.