My Education- Functional Range Conditioning

For many coaches their education is only beginning when they become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). To maintain the CSCS many hours are spent completing continuing education. Lecture reviews, quizzes, conferences, etc. . . This is fun, it helps to further education within the field, but sometimes coaches become interested in other certifications in other independent systems.


For me, this came after being introduced to Kinstretch by a coworker. Kinstretch is a wildly fun and complex system designed to constantly provide self-evaluations  while increasing ranges of motion and function. We could “ooh” and “ahh” about it for hours, but we should move on.

​After becoming interested in Kinstretch, I really came  to appreciate the principles that are taught and practiced within the system. Because of that I chose to further my education with the Functional Range Systems (FRS) and to become a Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist (FRCms).


Becoming an FRCms is a prerequisite for becoming a Kinstretch instructor or any of the later FRS certifications. The FRCms is just the beginning.


But what is an FRCms? An FRCms is a person who has completed the Functional Range Conditioning training which consists of dozens of hours of video course work followed by a weekend of live instruction.


The FRC is a system of joint health optimization based on scientific principals and research. All of us are a bit beat up or worn down. Sometimes this comes from years of abuse, other times it comes from inactivity. Regardless, we are all prone to having some physical shortcomings. An FRCms is a person who can use the scientific principles collected over hundreds of years to help another person regain some of their previous abilities.


Let’s paint a picture. A middle-aged man comes to see me at work. He is in fair aerobic condition and considers himself an average athlete. He tells me how he plays tennis three nights a week and has so for the last thirty years. Playing tennis has kept him healthy for many years, but he does complain of occasional lateral elbow pain. Through a variety of assessments, I may notice that the gentleman can’t reach his arm straight up overhead and has some trouble internally rotating his arm. He describes himself as “tight”. An FRCms may look at the missing ranges of motion and develop a science based plan to recover the ranges of motion needed by the shoulder to operate in the way that a shoulder should. Throughout the process we would hope to restore the man’s range of motion, decrease his likelihood of irritation, and perhaps increase his performance.


In theory, a joint that moves the way it should won’t “ask” other joints to compensate and work as they shouldn’t to “pick up slack” for the first joint. Unfortunately, few of us move so well that this isn’t at least partially true.


The FRC is a great tool to help people regain or maintain mobility, increase articular strength, and improve neurological control. FRC principles can be used in rehab, as a bridge between rehab and training, and also as a strength training tool. Some of exercises that an FRCms may use are Controlled Articular Rotations, PAILS and RAILS, Passive Range Lift Offs, and a multitude of other methods represented by cryptic acronyms.


If you look up the FRC, Kinstretch, or other videos of people doing this kind of training, you may think that the system creates weak, bendy circus performers. While the system does help people gain great ranges of motion, the practitioners are not just flexible- they are mobile. They have the flexibility you would expect from a yogi, but in addition they have the control and strength to take themselves smoothly and safely into positions. As a result their tissues have a better shot or remaining healthy and free of injury.


The FRC really caught my eye because it provides a means for a coach to deeply evaluate how a person moves, intelligently develop an evidence based plan, and confidently progress clients into better health.


As many readers may know, my goal in all of this is health. Health for myself, heath for individuals, health for society. I feel very strongly that we, ourselves, need to look after our own health. Doctor’s offices are difficult to visit. Physical Therapy requires a referral. The FDA’s recommendations can be misleading. Media constantly sells us on different ideas of how we should be healthy. What I like so much about the Function Range Systems is their science based approach that allows coaches to empower their clients to be healthy.


I believe that coaches are an important part of a person’s healthcare team. The coaches, alongside with Physicians, Dentists, Therapists, etc . . ., have a great opportunity to work together and help people become healthier.


The FRC has given me confidence in the role of the coach as a staple in the integrated healthcare team.

For Further Reading-
https://functionalanatomyseminars.com/
​https://kinstretch.com/