A little info about The Functional Movement Screen (FMS)

FMS for Exercise Professionals (Find a Certified FMS trainer below)

The FMS signifies an intuitive evolution of the fitness profession. The system is the product of years of innovation and groundbreaking research. The FMS provides a standardized approach to assessing fundamental movement, identifying limitations and asymmetries, and developing individualized corrective exercise programs.

The philosophy behind the FMS is rooted in the concept that, in order to maximize performance, the whole body must be functioning properly. When the body is considered as a chain of individual elements, it’s reasonable that a weak link weakens the entire chain. Ignoring a weak link increases the potential for disaster, and strengthening the wrong links will not improve the integrity of the chain. The FMS provides the means to identify and resolve any weak links that may be jeopardizing the body and its healthy motion.

The FMS is applicable to any population in fitness or sports conditioning. Its standardization streamlines assessment and makes recommending exercises more efficient. And the language of FMS makes it easy to communicate with physicians, reducing the risk of misdiagnosis and redundant work.

Benefits of the FMS

• Focus on the fundamentals of movement
• Facilitate communication with both clients and physicians
• Identify physical imbalances, limitations, and weaknesses
• Establish a functional baseline to mark progress
• Improve fundamental movement patterns with simple corrective exercises
• Individualize training and conditioning programs for specific results
• Reduce the potential for training and sports injuries

Orgainzations that Utilize the FMS (Functional Movement Screen)

Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Brigham Young University
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Indians
Cooper Institute
Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts Mayo Clinic
Montreal Canadians
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
Orange County Fire Department
San Francisco 49ers
Secret Services
Stanford University
Texas A&M University Recreational Sports
Toronto Blue Jays
United States Government Organizations
University of Georgia
United States Military
University of Maryland
University of Texas
University of Wisconsin

  

Find a Certified FMS trainer here in Pennsylvannia. You will see Advanced Fitness and Dr. John Wilkins, CSCS listed (owner of Advanced Fitness).

Advanced Fitness has been using the FMS to understand how to personal train clients in the most effective way possible. By identifying and rehabilitating movement deficits, you can ensure a person will be able to train at the highest level and get the best results.

Top 10 Fitness Myths

I came across this article a little while ago reading the news on my iPhone. It really hits the bulls-eye. Every day I appear to be doing battle with one of these Top 10 Fitness Myths. Briefly read through this list and check out the full version on the Foxnews.com website. If you read this list and have a hard time believing that any of these are myths, send us and email or comment on this list. We can offer some insight or answers on what to do.


The Top 10 Fitness Myths (summarized)


1. Static stretching decreases risk of injury
Pre-activity static stretching increase the risk for injury. This doesn't mean static stretching is not good. Static stretching should be a part of every persons recovery and rehabilitation plan.

2. Getting in shape is good for fat loss
Your body will accommodate to whatever training method you utilize after a certain time period. Doing your everyday aerobic video, run or body pump class will have diminishing returns after a little while and not provide the benefit of fat loss. Confuse the body as some infomercials say. If you're confused, email us.

3. Long-distance cardio is good for fat loss
The only people that should ever do long-distance cardio are competitive endurance athletes. For those of you that aren't competitive endurance athletes, pay close attention. Long distance cardio can do more to de-train your body than you may have imagined. Long duration cardio can cause a significant loss in lean body mass (muscle) which will make a person more prone to tendonitis. Also, if your lean body mass is diminishing, your ability to burn calories is diminishing too! Ask any marathoner about theit IT band or hamstrings. Also, marathon runners have been often compared to sprinters with regard to body fat composition and found to have a higher body fat percentage and less muscle. 

4. Pasta is the ultimate pre-workout meal
This was popular when I was watching the Flinstones and people still believe it today. Evere wonder why 2/3 of America is overweight, consider our infatuation with carbs. 

5. A quick jog and a few stretches is a sufficient warm-up
Not even close. But then again, why go with what works, stick to whatever your used to doing everyone else does. But actually, a dynamic warm-up is the best way to go. Ask Everett, Vicki, Kelly or myself about dynamic warm up.

6. More is better
Training more is not better. Running longer is not better. Adding another training day to your regime is not better. The key to improved athleticism and better performance lies in your bodies reaction to training. In order for your body to adapt, it needs sufficient recovery time.

7. Strength isn’t important for distance running
Why are endurance athletes always dealing with some type of ache or pain? It’s true that every distance runner doesn’t need to be and, well, shouldn’t be built like a powerlifter. With that said, every distance runner should be doing some form of resistance training. Google some images of sprinters and marathon runners, which one has more muscle.

8. Basketball shoes protect against injury
High-top basketball shoes were invented in an attempt to minimize the risk of rolling an ankle as a result of landing on someone’s foot. These shoes, which increasingly have ankle support that mirrors ski boots, effectively limit side-to-side ankle motion. A loss of normal movement at one joint (the ankle) will cause an increase in movement at an adjacent joint (the knee).

9. Squatting is bad for your knees
People that don't like to squat, have never learned to squat correctly or tend to be experts on things they know nothing about. Those anit-squatters hold this ancient belief that squatting is bad for your knees. The reality is that for most people, squatting is bad for their knees and here is why. The average person that I come across in my office doesn't squat correctly. So the average person is not a candidate for squatting in their workout. Throw the baby out with the bathwater. Who needs to squat? Well, do you ever expect to bend down to pick something up or sit down in a chair?

10. Crunches are the best way to get a six-pack
Everyone believes that to get great abs you need to work your abs. Hmmm. And just how fit is America? I could go on for days on how and why classical abdominal training is bad for you, but just ask one of our trainers.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/03/17/10-fitness-myths/#ixzz1HPve6S7K

Predicting Long Term Athletic Success

By Kevin Neeld


As you likely know by now, I think the athletic development model that most youth programs follow is entirely backwards. It drives early specialization without even a loose consideration of psychological and physical readiness. It forces commitment, instead of letting a developed love and passion for the game naturally reveal it. Working smart is replaced by working harder, longer, and more frequently. Burnout and “overuse” injuries are at all time highs. It’s not a pretty picture, and I commend the parents, coaches, and organizations that have taken a stand against this ludicrousy.


Coinciding with the emphasis on early specialization is an emphasis on early talent identification. After all, you want the kid to specialize in whatever sport they’re best at, right? Again, as a seasoned reader of this newsletter, you now know that early athletic success has ZERO correlation to later athletic success. There is superfluous evidence for long-term athletic development sitting right in front of us. That Tom Brady guy has done pretty well for a 6th round draft pick. Michael Jordan, a multi-sport athlete (baseball, football, and basketball) was cut from his high school varsity basketball team as a sophomore because he was too short. He turned out pretty well too. The reality is that these cases are the norm more than the exception. In the cases where early identification DOES work, it is largely because these athletes are then put in programs with more practices and better coaching, not because of some inherent gift that the individual has.


There is now research in academic settings that has been extended to military settings regarding what truly predicts future success. If you’re familiar with the character of athletes like Tom Brady and Michael Jordan, the trait identified in this research probably won’t surprise you. Is it ability? No.


The quality found to be most predictive of future success is grit. Grit can also be described as “stickwithitness”, or an ability to not let short-term barriers interfere with long-term goals. As you may be thinking, early talent identification undermines the very quality that produces top performers. Check out the short video below from Dr. Angela Duckworth, who is responsible for plowing the path of the influence of grit on performance. This is a message that needs to be heard by every athlete, parent, coach, and organization head. Help pass this along by forwarding this email to your friends, family, coworkers, and teammates!


So there you have it, measure your child’s “grit factor” to determine their level of future athletic success. Let them experience the turmoil of what’s not fair and the challenges of a coach who may not be giving them the playing time that they deserve. In other words, stay out of your child’s way. The ups and downs they experience are a part of the process and will help them develop to their true potential.

Watch this video of Dr. Duckworth

Thanks to Kevin Neeld a local Hockey Strength & Conditioning Coach for writing about this on his website www.kevinneeld.com


So there you have it, measure your child’s “grit factor” to determine their level of future athletic success. Let them experience the turmoil of what’s not fair and the challenges of a coach who may not be giving them the playing time that they deserve. In other words, stay out of your child’s way. The ups and downs they experience are a part of the process and will help them develop to their true potential