When you remove the obligation to try to get your athlete to complete a specific movement, you unlock an infinite number of scaling options, gamifications, or other ways to engage with your athlete. Our goal isn't to get them to perform a specific exercise, our goal is to get them to perform a variety of movement patterns.

This is the simplest breakdown of patterns in a way that covers every muscle in the body. The more experienced you get, the more you can begin to break this down into muscle groups and other details - but to start, learn to understand the major patterns of the body rather than trying to memorize specific exercises.

Not everyone can squat, but almost everyone can perform SOME type of 'Lower push' exercise. If you can walk up stairs, sit on the toilette, or even just bend your knees through any range of motion - then you're able to perform the lower push pattern.

The goal isn't exercise for the sake of exercise, the goal is to accomplish a broad variety of movements and to work just 10% harder than they want to or have before. With this approach, there is an infinite number of ways to engage your athlete in a way that is fun rather than a chore.

The best workout for your athlete is the one that they do. Don't overcomplicate it or set the bar unattainably high. 30 minutes once a week is 1,000x better than nothing, and 30 minutes 2x / week consistently over an extended period is enough to make some major life changes for athletes of any age or ability.

Exposing our body to stress in a controlled environment, whether physical or emotional, is how we adapt and grow as human beings. Teaching regulation to athletes through their physical body is MUCH easier then trying to get inside their heads, but as they learn physical regulation, the emotion regulation follows right behind.

If you're working with an athlete who spends a lot of time already doing a specific sport (or movement pattern) then if you remember our goal of ensuring athletes complete a broad range of patterns - then our most effective use of time to ensure a balanced and health athlete is to train the ones they're not already doing.

The goal is long term progression, not short term goals. Don't scare them off by making it too hard. As long as you can get your athlete to do 10% more than they wanted to, or have before - then the workout was a win. Maintain this approach over extended periods of time, and the results will speak for themselves.

My SCHOOLS.FIT web-app of Resources

Check-out the full list of resources, with on demand workout videos, movement demos, workout builders and more coming soon on my web app I'm building specifically for educators, parents, and anyone who works with youth.

SCHOOLS.FITA resource from coach Thor for parents, educators, and anyone who works with youth.Raincity School Resources

In January of 2020, at the age of 12, Jonah was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. After having it removed and undergoing multiple bouts of chemo, Jonah was left unable to walk. After lots of physiotherapy work with Maria at Kids Physio Group, he was referred to me (Coach Thor) in May of 2022, and we started training together weekly. At this point, he had regained his ability to walk but still lacked a lot of function and proper motor control on the left side of his body. He'd already come so far he was more than ready and willing to put in the work.

We started with basic motor function and re-strengthening work, but with such limited coordination on one side of his body, we quickly moved into utilizing the barbell, and Jonah fell in love. We made some incredible discoveries: heavy lifting (specifically deadlifts) had an amazing effect on his nervous system and his brains ability to regain motor control more consistently on both sides in ways he had never experienced before. I remember the first time we tried to do walking lunges he got so frustrated as he kept falling over and we didn't know if that was something he'd ever be able to do. I'll never forget the smile on his face in the middle of a workout as he realized he was doing walking lunges with a dumbbell in his hand... which is why they had to be in his workout.

Seeing me once a week wasn’t enough for him. He started coming into Raincity 2-3 times per week on his own, completing workouts that I wrote for him focused on squats, deadlifts, and bench press. Focusing on the barbell not only helped stimulate the CNS, but he was hooked on the gains as he went from a 25lb kettle bell to a 150lb barbell deadlift, a 100 pound bench press and a 135lb squat, even while the left side of his body didn’t always want to cooperate. Once in a while, he’d even do a bit of cardio, or join coach Katie for a CrossFit style workout. He took part in the #RaincityOPEN (aka CrossFit Open) with his training partner, Nik. That's is where he really discovered his love/hate relationship with burpees and dumbbell snatches... which is why they had to be in his workout.

By the summer of 2025, Jonah wanted to spend even more time in the gym and had started prepping his resume to work at Raincity during the summer. He was also preparing to be my equipment lead at the Canadian Functional Fitness National Championships. Our team couldn’t have been more excited to have Jonah around more often his shy but friendly demeanor brought nothing but joy to those around him.

At the end of June, this was all put on hold, as he began experiencing debilitating headaches and nausea. Within 48 hours, he was back in the hospital. They had found water on his brain and signs of tumor regrowth. After a couple of days of scans and surgeries, it was confirmed that the tumor was regrowing at the base of his brain stem/cerebellum - and there was nothing they could do.

I feel incredibly fortunate that Jonah was able to come in and see me on July 26 (after another round of surgery), though we were unsure how much time he had left. When I asked how the surgery went, his response was, “Last time I woke up in a hospital I was paralyzed, so this one was a breeze.” He went on to say, “Everyone around me is really sad right now, but that just feels like a waste of time.” Those words will inspire me forever.

On July 30, Jonah passed away in his bed, surrounded by his family.

Read more about Jonah and some of the things we're doing at Raincity Athletics to honor his incredible and inspiring life.

Remembering Jonah Berger | Raincity Athletics Functional Strength & Conditioning in Vancouver, BCRemembering the most inspiring athlete to ever by a part of the Raincity Athletics community.Raincity Athletics · Simon ‘Thor’ Damborg