Study guide
1.4 Movement Analysis & Baseline Physical Assessment
Certified CrossFit Trainer CCFT / CF-L3
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1 Chapter 1: Screening and Ongoing Assessment
1.1 Health & Medical Screening (PAR-Q+, Risk Stratification & Pre-Participation) 1.2 Referral Criteria & Medical Clearance Protocol 1.3 Rhabdomyolysis Risk Screening & Psychological Tolerance for Training 1.4 Movement Analysis & Baseline Physical Assessment 1.5 Evaluating Work Capacity Across Broad Time and Modal Domains 1.6 Goals, Progression Readiness, Overtraining Monitoring & Performance Tracking
2 Chapter 2: Programming - Designing Workouts and Cycles
2.1 Energy Systems, Workout Formats & Stimulus Selection 2.2 Volume, Intensity & Density Manipulation 2.3 Sequencing Workouts for General Physical Preparedness 2.4 Periodization Models (Linear, Conjugate, Block & Peaking) 2.5 Evaluating Programming: Benchmarks, Adjustment & CrossFit's Definition of Fitness
3 Chapter 3: Programming - Scaling for Every Athlete
3.1 Scaling & Modification Strategies for Varied Populations 3.2 Scaling by Age Group: Youth, Adolescent & Masters Athletes 3.3 Scaling for Special Populations: Pregnancy, Postpartum & Adaptive Athletes 3.4 Scaling & Programming for Athletes with Sport-Specific Goals 3.5 Programming for Injured Athletes: Maintaining Fitness & Restoring Function
4 Chapter 4: Educating - Teaching CrossFit Concepts
4.1 Teaching the Definition of CrossFit & the Character of Functional Movement 4.2 Teaching CrossFit's Definitions of Fitness and Health: The Four Models 4.3 Teaching the Goals of CrossFit Programming and How Variance Achieves Them 4.4 Teaching the Technique-Intensity Relationship, Threshold Training & Relative Intensity 4.5 Teaching the Principles of Scaling
5 Chapter 5: Educating - Teaching and Demonstrating Movement
5.1 Teaching Progressions & Points of Performance for Primary Lifts 5.2 Gymnastics Progressions & Body Control Mechanics 5.3 Group & Individual Instruction Methods 5.4 Designing Progressions for Complex Movements 5.5 Teaching and Using Correct Spotting Techniques 5.6 Demonstrating Movements, Faults and Progressions
6 Chapter 6: Training - Seeing Movement
6.1 Identifying Points of Performance Across the Foundational Movements 6.2 Recognising Sound Mechanics: What 'Good' Actually Looks Like 6.3 Fault Identification, Root-Cause Analysis & Contraindications 6.4 Identifying Faults in the Olympic Lifts and Gymnastics Movements 6.5 Root-Cause Analysis: Mobility, Stability, Motor Control or Load 6.6 Refining Sound Mechanics and Identifying Common Themes Across a Class
7 Chapter 7: Training - Correcting Movement
7.1 Cueing Strategies (Verbal, Visual, Tactile) & Feedback Loops 7.2 Selecting Corrective Cues: Short, Specific, Actionable 7.3 Reinforcing Sound Mechanics & Balancing Relentlessness With Acknowledgement 7.4 Applying Basic Principles of Anatomy and Biomechanics 7.5 Coaching the Midline: Bracing, Breathing and Spinal Position Under Load 7.6 Fault Triage: Addressing the Most Egregious Fault First 7.7 Refining Mechanics to Optimise Performance Under Fatigue 7.8 Intra-Session Adjustments & Real-Time Coaching Decisions
8 Chapter 8: Leadership and Management
8.1 Providing Athletes With Goal Setting 8.2 Building a Culture of Excellence and Establishing Rapport 8.3 Coach Development, Mentorship & Staff Supervision 8.4 Mechanics-Consistency-Intensity as a Management Strategy 8.5 Managing Athlete Risk, Recognising Overexertion & Teaching Personal Responsibility 8.6 Floor Flow, Class Structure & Time Management 8.7 Engaging Virtual and Remote Athletes 8.8 Safety Zones, Equipment Handling & Facility Setup 8.9 Balancing Individual Attention, Group Cohesion & Class Logistics 8.10 Athlete Onboarding & Retention Systems
9 Chapter 9: Lifestyle Education
9.1 Identifying Nutrition Goals and Assessing an Athlete's Nutrition 9.2 Providing Nutrition Guidance & Outlining Dietary Strategies 9.3 Zone Diet Block Calculations & Macronutrient Manipulation 9.4 Caloric Estimation & Sub-Population Nutritional Needs 9.5 Reviewing Basic Health Markers 9.6 Teaching Food Labels and Building Sample Meal Plans 9.7 Lifestyle Goals, Assessment & Scope-of-Practice Limits 9.8 Sleep, Stress Management & Recovery Modalities 9.9 Behavioral Change, Goal Setting & Habit Formation
10 Chapter 10: Professional Responsibilities and Ethics
10.1 Self-Assessment of Training Sessions & Pursuing Continuing Education 10.2 Legal Liability, Risk Management & Informed Consent 10.3 Facility Operations, Maintenance & Equipment Standards 10.4 Recognising and Responding to Extreme Environmental Conditions 10.5 Insurance, Employment Status & Truth in Advertising 10.6 Emergency Response, First Aid & Rhabdomyolysis Prevention 10.7 Scope of Practice & Interprofessional Collaboration 10.8 Standards of Professional Practice & Ethical Guidelines 10.9 Documentation, Incident Reporting & Record Keeping 10.10 Confidentiality, Client Records & Mandated Reporting
1.4 Movement Analysis & Baseline Physical Assessment
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
Baseline physical assessments must evaluate the fundamental movement patterns: squatting, pressing, pulling, and hinging, to identify mechanical deficiencies before adding load.
A systematic joint-by-joint assessment approaches the body as a stack of alternating mobile and stable joints, where a lack of mobility at one joint often leads to a lack of stability at an adjacent joint.
Active Range of Motion (ROM) assesses both tissue extensibility and motor control, whereas passive ROM primarily isolates tissue extensibility.
Baseline work capacity testing should use standardized, repeatable metrics to establish a starting point across broad time and modal domains.
Movement efficiency screening prioritizes the preservation of the neutral spine, weight distribution in the feet, and appropriate line of action for the given movement.
Last updated: August 2026
Movement Analysis & Baseline Physical Assessment
Following comprehensive health and medical screening, the next critical phase of client onboarding is the baseline physical assessment. This process is designed to evaluate an athlete's movement quality, range of motion, and baseline work capacity. The data gathered here heavily informs program design, ensuring that athletes develop essential mechanics and consistency before the introduction of high intensity or heavy loads. An effective baseline assessment serves as a road map, highlighting movement deficiencies and establishing objective starting points to measure future progress.
The Joint-by-Joint Approach
A highly systematic and effective way to analyze human movement is through the joint-by-joint approach. This paradigm, developed by physical therapist Gray Cook and strength coach Mike Boyle, views the human body as a stack of joints that alternate between needing primarily mobility and primarily stability. When a mobile joint becomes restricted or immobile, the adjacent stable joint is forced to compensate, often leading to pain and injury over time.
Ankle: Requires Mobility (specifically dorsiflexion, which is vital for squat depth and running mechanics).
Knee: Requires Stability (resisting valgus and varus forces while acting as a hinge).
Hip: Requires Mobility (flexion, extension, internal/external rotation, essential for generating power).
Lumbar Spine: Requires Stability (resisting flexion and extension under load to protect the spinal cord).
Thoracic Spine: Requires Mobility (extension and rotation, crucial for overhead positions and posture).
Scapulo-Thoracic: Requires Stability (providing a firm anchor for the humerus to move against).
Glenohumeral (Shoulder): Requires Mobility (the most mobile joint in the body, needing free movement in all planes).
For example, if an athlete lacks adequate ankle dorsiflexion (a mobility restriction), they will likely compensate during a squat by valging the knees or rounding the lumbar spine (sacrificing stability in regions meant to be stable). Therefore, a lower back problem is often not a lower back issue at all, but rather a compensation for poor mobility in the hips or ankles.
Active vs. Passive Range of Motion (ROM)
Understanding the distinction between active and passive range of motion is paramount for accurately diagnosing movement faults and prescribing the correct intervention.
Active ROM: The range of motion an athlete can achieve unassisted, using solely their own muscular contraction. This assesses both tissue extensibility (flexibility) AND motor control (strength and neurological coordination). It shows what the athlete can control.
Passive ROM: The range of motion achieved when an external force (e.g., the trainer, gravity, or a band) moves the joint, with the athlete completely relaxed. This primarily isolates tissue extensibility and joint capsule limitations, removing the element of motor control.
Diagnostic Value: If an athlete has full passive ROM but severely limited active ROM, the limitation is almost certainly a motor control or strength deficit, not a flexibility issue. They possess the physical range, but their nervous system cannot control it or recruit the correct muscles to achieve the position. Conversely, if passive ROM is restricted, no amount of motor control will allow the athlete to achieve the position, and tissue work or mobilization is required.
Baseline Movement Testing
The assessment should evaluate the foundational movement patterns using bodyweight or PVC pipe exercises. The trainer must observe from multiple viewing angles (anterior, posterior, and profile) to catch subtle compensations. The goal is to evaluate mechanics prior to adding intensity or load.
1. The Air Squat
Purpose: Assesses bilateral hip, knee, and ankle mobility, as well as lumbar and core stability. It is the foundation of all functional movement.
Key Observations:
Does the lumbar curve maintain neutrality throughout the entire range of motion?
Do the knees track in line with the toes, or is there valgus (inward) collapse?
Does the weight remain distributed across the mid-foot/heel, or shift entirely to the toes (heels lifting)?
Is the crease of the hip passing clearly below the top of the patella (full depth)?
2. The Overhead Squat (with PVC)
Purpose: The ultimate test of midline control, shoulder mobility, and total-body coordination. It highlights restrictions in the thoracic spine and shoulders that the air squat misses.
Key Observations:
Can the bar remain directly over the frontal plane footprint (mid-foot) during the descent?
Does the torso remain relatively upright without excessive forward lean?
Are the shoulders actively elevated (shrugged into the ears) with the armpits facing forward to support the load safely?
3. The Strict Press
Purpose: Assesses shoulder mobility, thoracic extension, and anterior core stability. It tests the ability to move a load overhead without compromising spinal alignment.
Key Observations:
Does the athlete over-extend the lumbar spine to achieve the overhead position (evidenced by severe rib flare)?
Is the bar path linear, or does the athlete push the bar out and around the face?
4. The Deadlift (PVC/Light Barbell)
Purpose: Evaluates the hip hinge pattern, posterior chain engagement (glutes and hamstrings), and lumbar stability under tension.
Key Observations:
Does the movement initiate from the hips or does the lumbar spine round immediately?
Are the shoulders pinned back and down (lats engaged) to keep the bar close to the body?
Baseline Work Capacity Testing
After thoroughly assessing movement quality, a baseline measure of work capacity should be established. This test must be repeatable, standardized, and appropriate for the athlete's current fitness level. It should measure performance across broad time and modal domains to give a snapshot of their current fitness.
Example for Novices: A 500m row for time, or a 3-minute AMRAP of bodyweight squats, sit-ups, and push-ups.
Example for Experienced Athletes: A benchmark workout like "Jackie" (1000m row, 50 thrusters, 30 pull-ups) or "Cindy" (20 min AMRAP: 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats).
The primary goal of this testing is not to crush the athlete or induce severe soreness, but to gather an objective data point for future comparison. This data allows the coach to objectively measure fitness improvements and adjust programming accordingly over time.