Have you ever noticed that you cannot quite get to parallel on squats, or that knees cave too far forward? These are just a few of the cues that strength coaches look for when evaluating the movement of the squat, and they represent problems. However, what do these cues mean? Knees caving forward during a squat could represent poor ankle mobility or strength, and/or weak hips, or none of the above. Is this confusing? It could be confusing for a strength coach who wants to find out where these problems stem from, so they can better program corrective exercises to strengthen those problem orientations. Luckily the functional movement screen (FMS) developed by internationally known strength coaches, Gray Cook and Lee Burton, can be used to help find those problem areas.
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| Gray Cook, one the of the creators of the FMS. |
Put simply, the FMS is a ranking and grading system that documents movement patterns that are key to normal function. By screening these patterns, the FMS readily identifies functional limitations and asymmetries. These are issues that can reduce the effects of functional training and physical conditioning and distort body awareness. What the grade of the FMS is designed to do is create a functional baseline to mark progress and provide a means to measure performance, or standardize the process. The ability to execute these screens properly can be taught through actual certifications which helps the reliability of the system. The interrater reliability of the FMS is sound. “A study compared novice raters and expert raters after rating the battery of 17 tests of the FMS. The novice raters demonstrated excellent or substantial agreement on 14 of the 17 tests, whereas the expert raters did the same on 13 of the 17 tests. When the novice raters were paired with the expert raters, all 17 components demonstrated excellent or substantial agreement. These data indicate that the FMS can confidently be applied by trained individuals.” 2)
As a strength coach programming workout plans for athletes, a FMS is one of the most important step one take when starting out. Identifying a problem of mobility or flexibility can better allow the coach to prescribe exercises which will correct the problem. For instance, if the FMS identifies a thoracic spine mobility problem, a coach will realize that this could adversely affect the athlete’s ability to remain upright during a back squat. The coach could then prescribe exercises such as thoracic spine rotations and barbell goodmornings to increase mobility and strength in that area. For if one does not properly address this problem and eventually tries to fight through the mobility issue, this could lead to future injury. A study concluded that if a football player’s score on the FMS was 14 or less (21 is perfect mobility and flexibility), their probability of suffering a serious injury increased from 15% to 51% (p = .15 and .51, respectively). 1)
The functional movement screen is a useful tool that every trainer and coach should at least have a familiarity with, or preferably have a certification involving FMS. This would greatly improve the athlete’s ability to stay healthy and keep gaining strength to be competitive in the sport they are involved in.
- Kiesel, K., Plisky, P., & Voight, M. (2007). Can serious injury in professional football be
predicited by a preseason functional movement screen? North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 2(3), 147-158.
- Minick, K., Kiesel, K., Burton, L., Taylor, A., Plisky, P., & Butler, R. (2010). Interrater
Research, 24(2), 479-486.
Great write up on the FMS process and on how it helps trainers improve individuals imperfections in mobility and flexibility. I personally didn't know FMS was prior to reading this article, but now have a good understanding of it.
ReplyDeleteI never have heard of these functional movement screens. I think its wonderful that this can locate weaknesses or strengths. I think all trainers and coaches should have these.
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