<span style="font-weight: 400;">Functional, multi-joint screening and conditioning has been around for 50 years or more.  We have been using those principles for the last 20 years in our facilities and these principles can have a profound effect on human performance, risk reduction and management.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">However, having used them for 10 years we began to realise that functional screening is not the panacea for all ills and there are fundamental areas that it does not address. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">People still get injured and their performances can still be compromised despite being functionally trained.  The problem with the fitness industry, in particular, is that functional training has only been recently introduced so it's not at the point where it's been able to work this out yet, it's not been around for long enough in this area.  As specialists in rehabilitation and conditioning for elite and recreational sportspeople, we have found that there are huge flaws in only using one type of screening. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the last 20 years, we have developed a screen that compliments all other forms of screening, including functional, postural, physiological and even psychological screening. It's called Biomechanical screening. Nothing new in the name, but this is ‘Intrinsic’ Biomechanical screening, not the extrinsic, which is usually associated with the word Biomechanical.  Here we work on single joints and systems. The principle is simple; with functional screening, by definition more than one joint is being tested, otherwise it wouldn’t be functional. The problem is that if one joint is dysfunctional, with the body being a master of compensation, other joints can take over and you can still pass a functional screen and you don’t always have a visual movement impairment. In fact, often you don’t. So it is important to have a single joint screen to compliment any functional screen to ensure this does not occur. <strong> In</strong> <strong>fact, we have found with our work that you can have clients who pass a functional screen but still have single joint problems</strong>; and the biomechanical screen picks them up. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Often we find that by taking someone through a biomechanical screen and getting them through that, they frequently pass a functional screen anyway. The brain is the most sophisticated engine management chip, often you can provide it with the right equipment and it will sort out the functional movement by itself.....that’s what its designed to do, and often far better than any exercise programme you or I can provide.  </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Even our functional training gurus have started to realise this is true. One of our Biomechanics Coaches&#x2122;, who is also an international Strength and Conditioning Coach, sent a quote from an extract by Mike Boyle from a blog, <em>“[Gray] Cook's thoughts were simple and led me to </em>realise<em> that the future of training may be a joint-by-joint approach rather than a movement-based approach. Gray's analysis of the body was a straightforward one; in his mind, the body is a just a stack of joints. Each joint or series of joints has a specific function and is prone to specific, predictable levels of dysfunction. As a result, each joint has specific training needs.”</em>  </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They are right, and I’m delighted for their ‘functional disciples’ that they have finally come round to recognise this essential point of view.  Hopefully now they will open their minds to this critical factor now they have ‘permission’.</span>

&nbsp;

This post was brought to you by Martin Haines, Specialist <span style="font-weight: 400;">Biomechanics Coach&#x2122; &amp; Chartered Physiotherapist.</span>

&nbsp;

<em>And I would like to add a few of my own thoughts... I am sure Martin won't mind....</em>

<em>This brings a whole host of other questions and thoughts... If you can pass a functional screen but fail a single joint screen, then what is going on?</em>

<em>As Martin says, the body is amazing and will help you create whatever movement you want to. The problem is, often you will create the movement in a way that is not the most efficient. Muscles doing other muscles jobs or compensating for their partners etc.</em>

<em>All this leads to a much higher risk of injury or at best a decrease in performance.</em>

<em>As a movement coach, you have the ability to improve their movement and performance dramatically if you help each joint function better.</em>

<i>So this topic is what has driven my desire to release a series of squat video tutorials and of course also a result all of the questions I receive about squatting!</i>

<em>The squat is an example of one of Gray's functional movement screens and also a fundamental human movement required for every day life and yet so many of us struggle with it, why? Well there are so many reasons why due to all of the joints involved and t</em><em>hat is exactly what I will be exploring with you so keep watching....</em>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<em>Rachel France</em>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<hr />

<h2></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Would You Like To Be Able To Reduce Your Clients Risk Of Injury, &amp; Help Them Get Even Better Results?</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Want to be able to help your clients move better, move more freely and get even better results on their programmes?</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;">Then <a href="https://biomechanicseducation.clickfunnels.com/biomechanics-coach-split" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here to find out more about our Biomechanics Coach Diploma</a> and how it could help you become an even better personal trainer.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Not ready to jump on the full diploma? Then come along to one of our 1 day workshops. You will LOVE these! <a href="https://biomechanicseducation.clickfunnels.com/2018-roadshow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Just click here to see when and where they are.</a></p>
<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-5155" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Biomechanics-Coach&#x2122;-Practical-Assessment-1-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" />