I think we can all agree that performing an initial assessment on your clients is important. You need to ask questions. Get down to the emotional ties as to what brought them to the gym so we can attach goals to them.
This is important for two reasons:
But…we need to define “assessment”
It is a guide that allows you to figure out the safest and most efficient path for your client’s success.
More specifically, you need a lot of information to get someone started.
Your education background, assessment duration, medical history, injury history, and the client’s particular situation etc.. all play a role in developing that path for individuals.
There are a lot of assessment programs out there.
FMS, Postural Restoration Institute, and pretty much anyone that can grab your money and allow you to put letters after your name.
I am not saying that certain certifications are not good, in fact I have taken a lot of them…and that leads me to my next point.
There are pros and cons to all of them. AND when you practice something for long enough, your process is inevitably going to be a culmination of many different things you have learned.
To this day, I cherry pick from different programs to make sure I make the best choices for our clients at the gym.
What Grinds My Gears
If you go to a high end gym and receive an assessment, it may look like this:
“You have an anterior pelvic tilt. You lack scapular upward rotation. There is slight extension in your lumbar, your eyes are brown, your thumbs look like toes and you have a horrible first name”
A little cheeky, I know…
I am not saying that a lot of these postural or mobility qualities shouldn't be improved, but what does the client truly care about?
Moving better, keeping up with the grand kids, walking up a flight of stairs without being winded or just simply feeling better.
Postural Positions
Static posture is an odd thing to study. And many people have. Hundreds of top tier athletes have horrible static posture. But…they perform at the highest levels.
Does posture accurately predict pain or injury risk?
I am not smart enough to answer that but...putting all your eggs in the static posture basket seems a bit trivial to me.
One of the biggest things I have learned over the years is using LOADING correctly.
How someone moves and looks under load is different from when they are not.
This is why we load people on day one. This is not to mean we throw 200 lbs on their back, but my main focus is to show people that they are not broken.
It would behoove any trainer to just get their clients moving. Load them, if it looks weird, correct it. things take practice...and getting the boat in the water is what we need to do.
In closing, add a variety of movements that suit your clients, load it appropriately and they will invariably feel much better!
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