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

@impactmagcanada asked for a blurb and a workout for their Runners Edition magazine, so obviously I opened it by pointing out that the average annual injury rate of recreational runners (according to Yale medicine) is as high as 65% 🤯 🤦‍♂️

6️⃣5️⃣%!?... That's not ok!

I'm sorry, but just because you can get yourself from A to B does not mean you're a 'good runner' and it especially doesn't mean that you should challenge yourself by running further... That's like saying 'I can pick stuff up off the ground so I'm good at deadlifts and should try to pickup something heavier!'

If you've never learned run technique, or consciously practiced it (ie pose method)... Or if you've never tracked your pacing & cadence... or run paced intervals... Aka if you're just seeing how far you can make A to B and sometimes you time it... Then sorry, you are not a good runner, and you're going to end up contributing to that 65%, if you haven't already.

Shout out to @impactmagcanada for likely not getting what they were looking for, but still giving it a big spread 🙌

If you're in any pain when you run, please stop and see a trainer, or physio, or someone legit to assess why - dont just ignore it! You can come see us @raincityathls or pop by @thephysioshop if you want to get fixed up and make sure all those old running injuries and owies don't come back this summer!

Congrats on toughing out that whole rant :D

#thorpretendstobeabigdeal
#lifeadvicewiththor
#whatsonthorshead