Movement Podcast

In this episode of the Movement Podcast, Gray Cook and Lee Burton answer some of the most common questions they have received about Functional Movement Systems, the Functional Movement Screen, movement assessment, research criticism, SFMA, corrective exercise, and where the future of movement screening is headed.

The conversation starts with a simple question:

What is the FMS?

Gray and Lee explain that the FMS is more than a set of movements. It is part of a systematic way of looking at movement so professionals can make better decisions. Like an eye chart for movement, the screen helps determine what a person can do, what they cannot do, and whether movement creates pain.

From there, they address some of the biggest misconceptions around the Functional Movement Screen, including the idea that it is only about finding problems, that it is too conservative, or that the research says it does not matter.

They also discuss why screening is not the same as assessment, how the SFMA helps professionals go deeper when pain is present, and why the goal is not to explain every test on the front end, but to create awareness and communicate the findings in a way that is personal and actionable.

This episode also looks ahead to the future of movement screening, including AI, computer vision, insurance reimbursement, wearable data, decision trees, and the need to avoid turning movement analysis into another generic exercise prescription.
Topics include:

What the FMS is and how to explain it
The “eye chart for movement” analogy
Screening, testing, and assessment
What the FMS can and cannot tell you
Common criticisms and misconceptions
Why the FMS is not just about red flags
How to communicate findings to clients and athletes
Why pain changes the decision tree
When to use the SFMA
How breakouts help identify the root of the problem
Why test/retest matters
How to build confidence using the system
The future of FMS, AI, computer vision, and decision support

The key takeaway: movement screening is not about labeling someone as broken. It is about identifying the most important movement information so the next recommendation is safer, smarter, and more specific to the person in front of you.

Learn more about Functional Movement Systems:
https://www.functionalmovement.com/

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In this episode of the Movement Podcast, Gray Cook and Lee Burton are joined by Dr. Todd Arnold, a board-certified sports medicine physician with more than two decades of experience caring for athletes at every level — from high school and collegiate sports to NCAA Championships, World Championships, and elite international competition.

Dr. Arnold serves as the medical officer for elite athlete healthcare for USA Track & Field, where his role is not simply to react to injuries, but to help athletes stay healthy enough to train, compete, and perform when it matters most.

This conversation explores how movement assessment fits into modern sports medicine and why runners need more than mileage, strength, or biomechanics alone. Dr. Arnold shares how he uses movement screening, Y Balance, table exams, biomechanics, recovery conversations, and individual baselines to better understand each athlete’s state of readiness.

The discussion covers:

Why sports medicine needs to move from reactive to proactive care
How Dr. Arnold applies movement systems with elite runners
Why every runner needs an individual baseline
The three things Dr. Arnold does not want to miss in runners
Ankle dorsiflexion asymmetry
Glute sequencing and timing
Thoracic extension
Why running is repetitive, predictable, and demanding
How movement screens help create athlete buy-in
Why table exams still matter
How Faber and Thomas testing relate to running mechanics
The relationship between movement readiness and wearable data
Why recovery may be the biggest mistake many runners make
How coaches, clinicians, sports psychologists, dietitians, and biomechanics teams can use movement as a shared language

The key takeaway: running performance is not just about training harder. It is about understanding whether the athlete is ready to absorb, adapt, and repeat the work.

Learn more about Functional Movement Systems:
https://www.functionalmovement.com/
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In this episode of the Movement Podcast, Gray Cook sits down with Jason McCarthy, founder and CEO of GORUCK, former Green Beret, and one of the leading voices behind the modern rucking movement.

Jason and Emily McCarthy started GORUCK in 2008 while Jason was serving in Special Forces and Emily was working with the CIA. Their original goal was to build a rucksack to life-or-death quality standards—gear capable of performing in demanding environments around the world.

What began as a rucksack company has grown into a larger movement built around gear, training, events, GORUCK Clubs, teamwork, service, and the belief that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things.

In this conversation, Gray and Jason explore the deeper lessons behind rucking and military physical culture, including the difference between productive discomfort and unnecessary damage, why running has often been overemphasized in demanding training environments, and how readiness should guide the way we prepare for challenging work.

They also discuss:

• Jason’s path into Special Forces after September 11
• How GORUCK grew from an idea into a global rucking community
• The Green Beret mission of working by, with, and through others
• Why rucking is foundational to military preparation
• The difference between pain and productive discomfort
• Why overtraining can become an ego problem
• Tendon health, connective tissue, and sustainable strength
• The role of yoga, mobility, and breathing in high-intensity cultures
• Why risk and readiness should be evaluated separately
• How movement screening can reveal hidden physical vulnerabilities
• Rucking as a lifelong health and fitness practice
• Why children naturally run, jump, carry, and climb
• Health span, service, and staying capable for life

This conversation is about more than backpacks or workouts. It is about building a physical culture that challenges people while helping them stay capable, resilient, connected, and ready for the long term.

Learn more about the GORUCK story:
https://www.goruck.com/pages/about-goruck

Explore GORUCK:
https://www.goruck.com/

Learn more about Functional Movement Systems:
https://www.functionalmovement.com/
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Progressing an exercise sounds simple: make it harder, add load, increase reps, or move to a more challenging variation.

But in rehab, performance, and corrective exercise, progression is not always that straightforward.

In this episode of the Movement Podcast, Gray Cook and Lee Burton discuss how to think through exercise progression and regression using movement baselines, postural positions, neurodevelopmental sequencing, and real-time feedback.

They break down why a person may need to move backward before moving forward, how supported, suspended, stacked, and standing spine positions create a roadmap for exercise selection, and why the goal is not always to coach harder — sometimes it is to change the posture, reduce the task, and let the person become more aware.

This conversation also explores:

Why movement changes from day to day
How corrective exercise can become a personal “movement floss”
Why regression is often the key to better progression
How to use supported, quadruped, kneeling, and standing positions
Why bird dog, rolling, bridging, half kneeling, and get-ups matter
How to know when an exercise is too hard or too easy
Why fast responders and slow responders need different strategies
How to bake corrective work into a real training program

The key message: progression should not be random. It should be guided by the person’s movement baseline, their response to the exercise, and whether the drill creates a manageable friction point that helps them improve.

Whiteboard Talk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xImFU1GuzaQ

Corrective Strategies Bundle:
https://functionalmovement.com/Store/261/corrective_strategies_bundle

Quick Screen + Corrective Strategies Bundle:
https://functionalmovement.com/Store/1287/quick_screen__corrective_strategies_bundle
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Performance is not just about strength, power, conditioning, or sport-specific skill.

In this episode of the Movement Podcast, Gray Cook and Lee Burton revisit one of the foundational ideas behind Functional Movement Systems: the performance pyramid.

At the base is movement.
Above that is performance.
At the top is skill.

The conversation explores why performance cannot be understood by looking at one test, one lift, one movement, or one sport-specific task in isolation. Before asking how to improve power, speed, conditioning, or workload, we need to understand whether the body has the fundamental movement and capacity to support it.

Gray and Lee discuss the difference between movement screening and performance testing, why the overhead deep squat alone is not enough, and how capacity tests like motor control, carries, jumps, and impact control can help identify hidden energy leaks.

They also break down why athletes, workers, and active adults often chase the obvious goal — more power, more endurance, more strength — when the real opportunity may be found in movement quality, postural control, asymmetry, or foundational capacity.

This episode is a practical look at how to stop guessing, test more systematically, and make better recommendations for the person in front of you.

Learn more about Functional Movement Systems:
https://www.functionalmovement.com/
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