Why That Instagram Workout Isn't Working For You
I too, like many of you, have found myself saving reels of cool workouts and mobility exercises I come across when scrolling. Many of them remain in my saved-but-never-viewed reels collection, but a few recipes and exercises make it out the chat. While I love the inspiration that can be drawn from our social networks, it's important to note that just because you see it work for someone else doesn't mean your journey or results will look the same.
If you've ever inquired about coaching with me, then you know the first thing we're doing before we ever touch a band, ball, or weight is a wellness consultation. This allows me the opportunity to get to know you and your goals in more depth while allowing you to do the same with me. After all, we're on this ride together!
In addition to learning more about your why, I also need to know how you move currently. My Athletic Training background doesn't allow me the pleasure of guessing what's wrong with you. Before I ever load a joint or progress someone's training, I check it first; how it moves, where it is stable, and where it is not.
That instinct doesn't turn off just because someone doesn't have an injury yet. It's the same reason the Bodí Blueprint opens with two assessments before a single training plan ever gets built.
The Movement Assessment: Checking Your Daily Patterns
To start off our training program, I'm first assessing your body's patterns through five simple movements: an overhead squat, lunge, hip hinge, single leg balance, and dead bug. This is my modified version of the functional movement screen and it gives me a real look at how your body moves when asked to perform specific tasks. This helps to eliminate any assumptions that could be made based on age, physical fitness or activity level.
This isn't guesswork dressed up as science, either. Movement screening tools like this have been studied for over two decades, and the research is consistent on one point in particular: muscular imbalances between sides along with poor movement quality are linked to an increased risk of injury (1). Athletes with lower composite screening scores have been shown to carry up to a 2.7-fold greater likelihood of lower-limb injury compared to those who move well.
That's not a not number we should ignore. It highlights the difference between training that strengthens and protects the body versus training that overloads and eventually breaks something down.
The research is also honest about the limits. While movement screens have earned their place in client programming, no single screen can predict an injury with certainty. It's simply used as one reliable piece of the picture, not the whole diagnosis. That's exactly why it's the first step, not the only step.
The Strength Assessment: Your Real Baseline, Not a Guess About Capacity
For anyone already training and ready for it, the optional strength assessment goes a layer deeper with weighted squats, deadlifts, upper body push, upper body pulls, and core strength. We're not looking to max out here, it's about establishing your strength baseline, so that your program and progressions meet you where you are. Research on individualized, baseline-guided training consistently shows better outcomes than one-size-fits-all programming. In one study on Army personnel, an individualized training program built from baseline testing measurably improved physical performance and reduced key markers of injury risk over generic training alone (4). The pattern holds true across general populations and sports: start with the data, build a solid foundation and watch the results follow.
Why this matters for you
I don't want you to view assessments as tests you pass or fail. Their purpose is to provide you with information about your body and a starting point that everything else is built from. They can be completed at any phase of your training to re-assess where you are and your best plan of action moving forward if you find yourself stuck or at a plateau. Remember, you don't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been. That can apply to any aspects of life.
Can't wait to chat with you soon!
Coach Ki 🌱
Resources and References
Cook, G., Burton, L., Kiesel, K., Rose, G., Bryant, M. Functional Movement Screening research (movement quality and injury risk association).
Systematic review and meta-analysis: "Influence of exercise interventions on functional movement screen scores in athletes" — PMC12277419, National Library of Medicine.
Moran, R.W., Schneiders, A.G., Major, K.M., Sullivan, S.J. "How reliable are functional movement screening scores? A systematic review of rater reliability." British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016;50(9):527-536.
"Impact of a 5-Week Individualized Training Program on Physical Performance and Measures Associated with Musculoskeletal Injury Risk in Army Personnel: A Pilot Study" — PMC9866469, National Library of Medicine.
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