IOL Strength and Conditioning

Functional Movement Systems, presenters Gray Cook and Lee Burton
2nd Edition, 2009, 2 DVDs, 1 CD

On the CD

The set includes a CD with an 84-page screening manual pdf, plus a 53-minute recorded video lecture in which Gray explains the background of the screening system.

DVD Disk One

Disk One is 46 minutes of new video covering Gray’s introduction, followed by Lee teaching the screening action and scoring of the following tests—

• Deep Squat (symmetrical stance)
• Hurdle Step (single-leg, asymmetrical stance)
• Inline Lunge (split stance)
• Shoulder Mobility
  + Shoulder Impingement Test
• Active Straight-Leg Raise
• Trunk Stability Pushup
  + Torso Extension Pressup Test
• Rotary Stability

Each of these screen discussions are about five minutes and include Lee’s verbal description, followed by a demonstration of a top-quality test and the lower levels of each. Lee then guides the viewer through the slight differences between each scoring level, telling us exactly what to look for during screening.

The final few minutes of Disk One is a discussion of scoring, using the score sheet in the included manual pdf, and a brief time where Lee and Gray come back together to conclude the specific movement screening coverage.

An attentive person could watch the DVD  a couple of times, practice the screen on a few friends, watch the DVD again to pick up the forgotten nuances, practice again and become accomplished at movement screening. However, most likely anyone who becomes involved in screening is going to want to make the trek to a Functional Movement Screening workshop where the guys take two days to expand on this material.

DVD Disk Two

Disk Two is the corrections DVD, just over an hour of video of a young Gray Cook teaching through the Reebok University. Even though Gray’s aged in the few years since this material was prepared and I was initially hesitant, as it turns out, it was terrific. I was anything but disappointed—in fact, many of the corrective ideas were new to me. Excellent tricks throughout.

Lecture—This is an nine-minute lecture in which Gray talks about the reflexive core and use of the Reebok Core Board. He also talks about proprioception and reactive neuromuscular training, again using the core board, but the ideas are the same regardless of the tool used, or if no tools are used. However, the exercise progression section that follows does require a core board.

Warm-up and shoulder mobility progression—The subtleties in Gray’s teaching through this eight-minute warm-up segment are slid in sentence after sentence. Don’t let yourself get distracted by some misguided idea of multi-tasking. Give him your full attention and you’ll be rewarded.

Exercise Progressions—Here we have core board progressions for all of the screens. Each section is a few minutes long and is demonstrated by a guy who moves well. There’s an un-named narrator giving instructions, and neither Lee or Gray appear in this section nor the following.

Movement Pattern Sequences—16 minutes of movement patterning, again using the core board and the athlete to demonstrate with the narrator giving verbal instructions. This reminds me of why the core board was so popular, and I’m struck by how it’s lost favor. Regardless, they sure make great use of the device in this video, and I’m pulling mine back out of the dust pile for some experimentation tomorrow.

Movement-based core training with a med ball—Split into five parts (five minutes of lecture, and twelve minutes of squat variations, hurdle step variations,  lunge variations and field testing), here we see Gray introducing core training with a medicine ball. He’s speeding up the action of core training, moving from slow strength and control with the core board to the explosive use of med ball throwing.

Final Thoughts

This DVD set, after a few weeks of practice, will lift a personal trainer or coach into position as a qualified movement screener. Certainly more practice will clear up fuzzy thinking and hesitation. Still, my guess is most people will want to follow this DVD with a weekend FMS workshop, not because the DVD doesn’t offer enough, but because once you’ve started down this path, you’ll probably want more as soon as you’ve mastered the initial training.

You can order this from Perform Better at this link. The cover image is different — I think it’s the first edition cover still in use, but the product will be as described above.