What does it mean to become a movement coach? - by Tony Riddle A.K.A @theprepdoctor

Most days of the week, I find myself presenting on the subject of injury free movement, motor skill milestones, and the 10 natural movements of man to coaches, clients and the members within our club (Gloves Boxing Club).  Personally, I see this as an education that is valuable to all humans - not just the people who practice - as these subjects are of course all entwined. In fact all movement is, it just depends on how it is performed.

Without the understanding of the fundamentals of human movement you are simply teaching movement for movement’s sake - great for the T-shirt muscles and mirror performers, but completely useless for strong, fit and healthy athletic individuals.

For some reason the health and fitness industry went off on a bit of a tangent towards the use of seated equipment to train leverage into the system. To me this has always seemed absurd: sit down all day and then go to the gym and make yourself even stronger at being seated! But luckily we are starting to see a shift in that paradigm. I would say, and this is only my opinion, that the current education in the health industry, is more midstream than downstream.  Rightly so as only the dead fish go down stream!

No "workout of the day" here, with
Ben Medder

Movement has changed of late and we are now bombarded with terms like core stability, functional movement, kettle bells, Cross Fit, barefoot running and TRX, to name just a few. TRX for instance shows a real likeness to gymnastics, and even the Pilates tower. TRX has become a bridge or even a transition to understanding some of the natural movement we can offer, and helps you understand bodyweight, but still applies the unnecessary muscular action that we have been so indoctrinated with. Cross Fit workouts have high repetition/volume and “work out of the day” - great if your coach hasn’t his own mind and can’t configure a routine that is specific to your own requirements and needs. But don't get me wrong, if the TRX or the Cross Fit coach understands how to teach correct technique, these methods are certainly better than static seated machines and a "repetition counting" Personal Trainer.

Climbing - an essential movement,
with Ben Medder

 The problem is that these systems of movement are just part of an even larger system, the same as we are a system within an even larger system. The system I’m referring to is the 10 natural movements of man and the evolution of man and where that sits in our social system, ecosystem, solar system etc etc. We have a tendency as a species to apply reductionism to everything we can lay our intellectual minds on, but only nature has the answers and the knowledge of the Natural Laws in movement is essential for the modern day coach to learn to become an upstream thinker.

Barefoot running, a favourite of mine, has now been accepted by the performance market. But without coaching the individual back into becoming a barefoot runner and how nature had intended with the correct posture, rhythm and technical ability, the participant usually gains an injury along the way. This can be said for all movement. If you look at the discipline you are looking to coach and have the knowledge of the natural laws as your filter to analyze and prescribe, you will create a skilled being. 

The hierarchy in all movement is posture and the understanding of this is fundamental for the coach. You will understand how to make movement efficient and injury free for your client. Most clients will come to you with the desire to lose weight and get fit/fitter, but without the fundamentals in place, you heighten the risk of your client picking up an injury and with the injury comes the inability to train or the fear of movement. Not quite the desired effect the client was looking for!

If your client doesn’t look good, you won’t look good, and believe me this isn’t the best way to build a business within a very competitive market.