Introduction

Movement Training is the first stage of the Christopher Hole Training Method, it’s the foundation to exercise for the person involved. It’s primary aim is re-educate movement, using the fundamental movement patterns and core skills.

“Are you the guy that helps people move better and feel better or are you the guy that just adds strength to dysfunction” Mike Boyle

Tudor Bompa describes a similar principle “ During the general-multilateral phase, strength training is performed in such a way that all muscles groups, ligaments and tendons are developed in anticipation for heavier loads and specific training”. The focus of Movement Training is developing movement not strength although traditional exercises are used and strength maybe a bi-product of that.

He continues “Such an approach will likely lead to an injury free career. This phase may last one to three years, depending on the athlete’s age and abilities. Through this phase, the coach needs to be patient. Overall multi-lateral development is a basic requirement for reaching highly specialised levels of training”. Movement Training doesn’t have a set timeframe but a judgement call from the trainer/coach. It won’t take 1-3 years but longer than 1-4 weeks.

Fundamental Movement Skills and Core Skills

As mentioned previously, there is a set of fundamental movement skills that we develop as children. I have adapted the list but most movements are covered in some way shape or form.

They are:

1. Lifting
2. Carrying
3. Walking
4. Running
5. Pushing
6. Pulling
7. Rotating
8. Rolling
9. Getting Up

Coupled with these movements are the core skills, it could be said they underlie the movements but tend to be taught with the movement skills. They can be taught in isolation, however this can be dependant on the trainer and trainee.

They are:

1. Breathing
2. Joint position
3. Stability
4. Mobility
5. Core Endurance

Move within your means

The beginning of any person’s fitness journey is to understand their movement capabilities, not to prevent them from undertaking an everyday task but to help them understand where they are and a possible path of development

Movement education

Much of exercise is about how much you move, how many reps, how many sets and much weight, Movement Training is about how well you move. No matter whether you want to lose weight or run a marathon how well you move has an impact. It’s a process that will reduce their risk of injury in the future and ultimately improve fitness & fitness longevity. As Craig Lieberwson describes “The ability to explosively lunge during the clean and jerk is influenced by the mobility of the hips”

This isn’t to say you want or are going to be the next great Athlete but its aim is allow to increase fitness over an extended period of time whilst minimising your risk of injury. On many occasions do I speak with people that injured while they exercise or don’t exercise any more because of injury.

Educating movement is foundation to all exercise and your ability to maintain it, determines your fitness longevity.

References

• FMS. (2016). Address Quality before Quantity. Available: https://twitter.com/FunctionalMvmt/status/756898567093051396. Last accessed 2nd Aug 2016.
• Bompa, Tudor, Buzzichelli, Carlo (2015). Periodization Training for Sports. 3rd ed. USA: Human Kinetics. p120.
• Craig Leiberson (2014). Functional Training Handbook. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. p227.