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I’m back with another installment of my Assessing our Assessments series. In this series, I look at simple and effective ways of improving the way Fitness Professionals use Postural Assessments and Functional Movement Screens.
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As I mentioned in Part 1, I use my own hybrid style Assessment of Gray Cook’s Functional Movement Screen. Eventually, I may make an assessments for Strength Coaches DVD. Please comment below and let me know if you’d be interested in purchasing that kind of product if I produced one?
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Part 1 of Assessing our Assessments was some what controversial. Today, in Part 2 – I’m simply going to provide you with a piece of advice (from the trenches) everyone can use from Strength Coach to Athletic Trainer to Personal Trainer to Physical Therapist.
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Regardless of who you are or who you work with, if you’re using some sort of Postural of Functional Movement Assessment, take this simple advice piece of advice -
Don’t EVER make your clients feel bad!
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No, I don’t mean you’re going to be nasty to them. I’m talking about when you’re performing their Functional movement/ Postural assessment. Don’t jump at every chance to tell your client what a train wreck they are!
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Keep in mind you are working with someone who knows they need help. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have hired your services in the first place. They may already be uncomfortable with how they look, move and/or feel. Don’t add to that by telling them how horrible their posture is, how poorly the move or that their glutes don’t work. By the way, if you’re telling folks their glutes are off, you must read this post!
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I don’t care how poorly someone performs during a Functional Movement assessment! – I never tell my clients anything but positive stuff like “nice work, you did exactly what I asked of you!” or just simply “good job!”.
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I’ve even seen other presenters at conferences bring up a Fitness professional from the audience, assess all their supposed “dysfunctions”, then proceed to tear this poor volunteer to pieces in front of all their colleagues and friends. You should see the negative body language and uncomfortable facial expressions of these poor folks who were only trying to learn some new training techniques. Instead, they get publicly embarrassed. That’s certainly not what these folks paid for nor is what your clients are paying for either!
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My friends the “let me show you all your dysfunctions, or show you all the ways you suck at moving because I’m so super educated” tactic is certainly not I how I teach nor how I deal with clients. Again – DON’T MAKE ANYONE FEEL BAD! You can still discuss what needs to be improved and help people without seeming condescending or trying to “break people”.
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When doing my assessments, I may be thinking “Man, I’ve got lots of work ahead of me with this person”. But , my client doesn’t need to know that. I’m happy to tell folks in a diplomatic way, what they need to work on and improve. But, I will never say anything that could possibly be discouraging or make them feel bad about their body and how they move.
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Keep in mind that above all the fancy technical training tactics and exercises, we work with living, breathing people with thoughts, feeling and emotions. Your clients mental/ spiritual fitness is just as important as their physical! If you have never seen the movie Patch Adams – There is a great quote where Patch says “The only difference between a Doctor and a Scientist is Doctors deal with live people”. We can take a lesson from Patch!
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I hope you enjoyed today’s post!
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Don’t forget to comment about if you’d like me to produce a DVD teaching my Performance U method of Functional Movement Assessment?
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Nick,
Dude, you are so spot on with this it is crazy. I do my best to instruct those with whom I associate professionally that the main objective of our business is to build and maintain rapport. The Bible states that the power of life and death are in the tongue. It is so true. As someone much smarter than me once stated, it takes years to build a relationship and only a second to tear it down.
Great piece, sir.
SP
Great posts Nick. It would be great if you would produce a good basic assessment tool.
Good post!! I would definitely like a DVD of assessment techniques. Everyone has different ones or variations.
But most importantly, provide the corrections to the findings of the assessment – most give POOR corrections or say “You need to go to PT”
While PT may be required in many cases, some just require proper strengthening, mobility & flexibilty.
Thanks!
I agree and would absolutely purchase an assessment DVD.
Hi, got all your DVD’s so far and have had great experience with them. You should definitely do a Functional Movement Assessment one. Keep us posted.
Definately interested in a DVD of Performance U assessment techniques and how they help you determine the best route to take with a client.
Definately interested.
Hey, Nick.
Great advice. I’d like to add, tell clients what they do well. I learned that when interpreting blood work for people. People want to hear what is working well.
Great post.
Bryan
I would definitely be interested in an assessment DVD
YES I WOULD LOVE ANY INFORMATION U MIGHT PUT ON DVD. BASED ON MY XPERIENCE LEARNING FROM U, U WOULDNT WASTE TIME PUTTING IT ON VIDEO IF IT DIDNT HAVE ENORMOUS MERIT. NOW GET FILMING!
I just recently purchased the 2 disc set on activation and mobility. I would certainly be interested in an assessment DVD.
Nick,
great piece of information. I can admit that I don’t follow this rule enough and this is definitely a kick in the butt for me to point out the positive more.
Always looking to see how different coaches assess their clients, so I would definitely be interested in assessment DVD.
Luka
Get working on the assesment dvd… NOW lol really though
Nice one, keep it positive man!! That DVD would be very useful.
Yes, I love your knowledge and approach. It would be great to have DVD on functional movement assessment for personal training and performance.
God Bless,
Lisa
Excellent advice Nick, and something most of us I am sure can improve on. Sometimes we get so caught up in proving how clever we are we forget how it makes the person feel. It raises another point also, at times when I am assessing someone I remind myself that they are often living their life and doing stuff regardless of the state of their body. I have some elite athletes who I wonder how they can walk across the floor without falling over – yet they are National Champs and competing on the international stage. Surely this tells us that the body doesn’t have to be perfect to function.
Yes please to an assessment DVD. I think we need more clarification and simplication on assessments. Mine are far too complicated and I am focusing to much on micro management rather than the big picture.
Cheers
Susan
I’d be interested in an assessment DVD.
Great advice Nick, and a DVD on functional movement assessment would definitely be helpful, especially to co-incide with your warm up progressions.
John
An assessment video for strength coaches would be awesome