Setting a Fitness Baseline
In 2010, I heard about an assessment tool that was gaining traction and being used in the military and professional sports. The name of the assessment was the Functional Movement Screen (FMS). It took me another year before I bought in to the value of the screen and became certified as an instructor. I wasn’t working with military, nor did I have any professional athletes at the time. It piqued my interest because it provided a baseline on someone’s movement competency. Prior to using the FMS, when I started someone in a strength training program, I would introduce a “vanilla” or basic workout. Each exercise was accompanied with a lot of “How’s that feel?” questions from me.
I knew there was a better approach, I just didn’t know what it was. I did know that someone could have poor shoulder stability and or mobility and perform an overhead press, for example an overhead kettlebell press, and not experience immediate pain. The problem would most likely be identified months down the road, after volume (sets and repetitions) has been applied to a poor movement pattern. The person who wanted to get stronger and drop a few pounds, now has inflammation in their shoulder from doing what their coach instructed them to do.
In the personal training textbook, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (Fourth edition) published by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA):
“Testing helps athletes and coaches assess athletic talent and identify physical abilities and areas in need of improvement. In addition, test scores can be used in goal setting. Baseline measurements can be used to establish starting points against which achievable goals can be set.”
The key is how the assessment is administered. When dealing with the general population, most people hire a trainer when they are deconditioned and out of shape. As with many testing tools, the FMS can greatly de-motivate people by bringing attention and putting a spotlight directly on where someone is weakest. That’s a good thing for the coach creating a program, but terrible for the person looking for inspiration to do the program.
The J & D Fitness Approach to the Functional Movement Screen
At the studio, we do our best to take an approach that we’re collecting data. It’s not a test, but rather a screen. People are motivated to pass test, even if that means working through pain. From a management perspective, the FMS is ideal because it provides a means of communication between coaches. My team and I can quickly communicate. Members can efficiently work with varying coaches without fear of injury. This eliminates the need for someone new to our studio to explain multiple times about their nagging shoulder problem.
What I learned, after a couple of years of using the FMS, was that most people in the general population suffer from poor hip mobility from sitting too much and have poor core strength. Add to that formula the common forward head position from looking at our phones and computers excessively. I was able to create one of the drills we use in our warmup as a mobility drill. Here’s video demonstrating the drill:
The jury decision on if, when, and the value of assessments has changed throughout the years. The pendulum is currently swinging against the usage of screens. What I know is that I don’t want to ruin the self-esteem of someone who walks through my doors who wants to improve their overall health. In addition, I don’t want to make someone worse by having them perform an exercise that may be detrimental to them long-term. I wish I had MRI imaging on the back, shoulders, and hips on everyone we work with, but I don’t. So, until I come across a better and safer way to set a baseline, I’ll stick with using the Functional Movement Screen.
I’ll see you at the studio.
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