Sunday, October 21, 2018

Functional Range Conditioning Provider Course Review


            I just returned to my hotel room after spending the past two days learning the Functional Range Conditioning method of mobility and joint training.  If you are unsure of what that is, below is the website where you can find more information:


Below I will provide a brief review about the course.  In the first part, my review will be directed towards instructors in the fitness industry thinking about taking this course.  The second part of the review will be directed to the client that may be thinking of going to a Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist (FRCms) for coaching. 

For the Coach:

            First of all, I purposefully traveled up to Woburn, MA for this course for 1 reason. Dr. Andreo Spina (the creator of the method) was teaching this course and I believe it’s extremely valuable to learn from a primary source.   Dr. Spina surely did not disappoint.  It is very powerful stuff when you hear a person talk about something they themselves created.  It is a system he believes in, practices daily, and knows like the back of his hand.  His assistants were great and I do not want to take anything away from them but I believe once things get passed down, personal interpretation can change the way the message is delivered.
            As for the course and content of it, the information provided is so valuable that I would recommend that this be the next course any fitness instructor or coach takes.  If it is your job to produce a better functioning human being, take this course!
           
Pros:
1.     It teaches you a system of how to create a healthier and more mobile joint rather than a bunch of exercises given to you to try with your clients.
2.     It can be modified for any demographic because it is a system and NOT just a bunch of exercises
3.     It is based upon the two most important principles of human exercise physiology: SPECIFICITY & PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD
4.     It will get you outside of your comfort zone on how to think about movement or what you think you know about the human body.
5.     You get access to all the online material (live lectures of the seminar) on the website so you can continuously review after the 2 day seminar.  *This may be one of my favorite parts because its so ridiculous to think that a student could remember everything that they learn in 2 day seminar and try to put it into practice*




Cons: (kind of)
1.     You need to be an intelligent trainer/coach to use this stuff.  You are not going to learn how to program this stuff into an existing routine.  You know why?  Because that’s your job as a trainer or coach to decide what, and how much of this your clients need.
2.     Some of the information is going to conflict what you think you know.  This is only a con if you’re a person who is closed-minded, stubborn, and unwilling to learn.  However, if you enjoy making decisions based off various information from multiple sources this will surely not be a con.
3.     This shit is hard and it will make you feel like all the training you’ve done has been a waste of your time.


For The Client:
            This section will be directed toward clients who are thinking of going to an FRCms provider.  (Please note, I have not worked with any clients using these principles yet but I do have 10 years experience as a trainer doing a bunch of different modalities and systems and think I have a clear understanding of how clients will respond.)

            Pros:
1.     If your goal is to increase your usable ranges of motion in your joints and for your joints to remain healthy (or get healthy), I believe this is the most scientific backed way to do it.
2.     It feels amazing.  Seriously, most of you don’t move your joints in all the ways they can move and when you do, you will be like “WOW!”
3.     Its focused on specific joints, which can yield results, you want relatively quickly!
4.     You can decide how far you want to go down the rabbit hole.  It is a system and if you tell your provider that I want this amount of motion and that’s all, the system can be made to fit your specific mobility goals.
5.     You don’t need any equipment and you can do it anywhere, in any clothing….even at work!

Cons (kind of):
1.     Parts of it are hard.  Strength training itself is hard, but now when you focus on end range strength training, its really hard.
2.     It’s not sexy.  No one on Instagram is going to like pictures of you doing joint work.
3.     It’s very focused.  A lot of people like to workout so they don’t have to focus (in my opinion this is a terrible idea) on their life for an hour.  They like full body, task oriented, high intensity movements that crush their souls for 1 hour.  This will surely crush your soul but in a different manner. 



I literally just got back to my hotel and wrote this so it is not a long thought out review.  It’s an immediate after thought.  I’m sure I’m missing some stuff and forgetting some stuff.  I plan on running a 12 week program in which I use the concepts I learned this weekend to increase my active range of motion in a few joints (tbd) which will be the subject of a later blog.  I’m Sure this will give me greater insight on how I feel about the system and can update you then.

      What I do know, is this: the seminar is easily worth the price of admission and if you are a client who has achy joints or who wants increased range of motion in any of your joints or an athlete looking to perform better, YOU NEED TO AT LEAST TRY THIS STUFF OUT!