I created this custom battery for my coaching clients after years of seeing the same issues pop up over and over, while also tying together all the most important basic elements that need our attention in building a healthy functional injury-free body, which include proper mobility, stability, strength, and coordination. You don’t need to be an athlete or training for sport in order to benefit and learn from this test. Quality movement is something all of us should make a priority. For example, this assessment includes some elements from the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and other movements that I’ve found to be eye-opening and effective ways to implement proper correctives and ultimately prevent pain and injury, boost performance and promote lifelong wellness.
This test is unlike any I’ve ever seen out there. It combines a lot of elements and while it’s not easy nor can you do it all in 10 min, it’s incredibly rewarding and leaves no stone unturned—without being too much of a pain in the butt. It’s best to test and re-test 2-4 times a year, as we’re always changing and evolving. You’ll learn a lot about yourself just going through the exercises. (In fact, between us, I’ve had people ask me for this test but have never given it out to anyone except my clients… until now!)
There are five parts to this battery, each segment has a different theme. It’s recommended that you space the sections apart over two to three days or more if needed depending on your experience with these movements (I don’t want you getting too sore or fatigued from doing too much at once, which would also negatively effect your results).
I also highly recommend that you record video and/or take photos for as many of these exercises and movements as you can—preferably document all in some form.
*** Click Here to Download The Ultimate Functional Fitness & Strength Test ***
- Section 1 & 2 – Non-weight functional movements to test mobility, stability, ROM, bodyweight strength, and the kinetic chain when doing compound movements.
- Section 3 – More coordinated exercises that tie in equipment ranging from kettlebells to jump ropes.
- Section 4 – Mostly coordinated yoga poses that every human should learn in my opinion even if you’re not an aspiring yogi.
- Section 5 – Strength! This final section tests your raw strength with some exercises that involve weight.
What About Your Results?
There are no numbers or scores to add up from this battery. It’s much more of an intuitive, kinesthetic and a visual experience. It needs to be interpreted not given a grade. When I go through an athlete’s results I tie together multiple movements and looks for themes—everything is related and you can begin to see patterns of one’s strengths and weaknesses.
First off, I want you to be your own detective and assess yourself! That’s why I’ve included detailed questions with each exercise for you to answer. A theme of this test is simply exercising your own brain and learning to not only feel the movements but then be able to pick apart your strengths and weaknesses—that’s where the videos and photos come in nicely; I don’t expect you to assess while in the middle of a pose. However, you can assess during exercises by feeling your body, muscles, joints, and tendons—what’s activating, what’s not? What feels fluid vs. what feels tight, awkward and clumsy? All this is very important.
Second, you can take your results to your coach or personal trainer to talk over what’s found. Hopefully your coach or trainer will be familiar with these movements and able to provide feedback.
Third, if you don’t have a coach or trainer, feel free to either a) reach out to me personally to help you draw conclusions on the findings* or b) ask questions on your results right here on LPC in the comment section of this post or on the forums—include your photos so fellow members can help give you guidance; we have some smarties on here who know a thing or two about quality movement.
*As a special offer, if you do want to have me to go over your results and provide a written assessment with feedback and recommendations, then I will offer a discount from my normal consult fees. Just ping me and ask.
Happy moving!