Blake: Honestly Commissioner, I don't know anything about civil engineering.

Commissioner Gordon: But you know about patterns. Keep looking.

In the field of metaphysics, there’s a concept called the problem of universals. On a rudimentary level, the problem of universals addresses the possibility that multiple entities may have certain qualities in common. From a philosophical standpoint, the idea has been greatly debated. However, this debate shouldn't concern us, because in the world of strength and conditioning we know that people exhibit similarities.

As a coach, I recognize that human variation is a biological fact. However, I also know that patterns of all kinds exist in nature, especially in humans. That’s why I’ve chosen to use these patterns to help coaches and clients optimize their training. The first step in optimizing one’s training is through risk management, which takes the form of a movement evaluation.

Assessing an individual through movement is best done by employing a protocol that uses both subjective and objective measures to establish patterns. A good trainer understands that these patterns are often repeated in others and should therefore devise a way to capture and categorize these patterns for later study.

Regardless of which evaluation you use, it’s important to look for the presence of patterns in specific areas such as movement, anthropometrics, and postural distortion syndromes. To some degree, these are the simplest and most common ways to mitigate risk in recreational athletes. These patterns also provide a trainee with insight regarding their potential for injury, improved performance and aesthetics.

So, how do we use pattern to our advantage?

Aristotle and Plato agreed to disagree on patterns. Aristotle argued, “The mind recognizes patterns in things through experience”. Plato on the other hand believed “patterns stem from actual physical commonalities present within a group”. I feel that both camps offer a valid argument, which is why we need both objective and subjective diagnostic tools to recognize and quantify patterns present in the human body. This is where the robust work of others can help in developing a program-specific protocol.

For most adults, proper training acts as a powerful tool in injury prevention. However, for some athlete’s patterned dysfunction makes them more susceptible to injury while training. Patterned dysfunction is present when an athlete’s spine and joints are not in normal alignment. Many things, such as sports, repetitive movement, and/or poor posture, can cause this condition. This form of dysfunction inevitably leads to muscle imbalances that increase the risk of injury. With this said, the adage do no harm should be the mantra of every professional within our industry. Unfortunately, even the best coaches have difficulty conveying complex ideas to their athletes. This is where the use of established patterning techniques could be helpful, especially for the visual learner.

There are many patterning tools available today and I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorites.

1. Anthropometry

Anthropometry is defined as the comparative study of sizes and proportions of the human body. This provides us with one of the most basic patterning tools a coach can use to provide a client with some insight into what they can realistically expect in the gym.

A basic understanding of fulcrums and levers is necessary to apply this patterning concept; for example, in general terms, a short person with short levers will perform an overhead squat better than a person with long levers. This is because long levers put him at a mechanical disadvantage in the overhead squat. If you add orthopedic dysfunction to the mix, it can get ugly quickly.

On the other hand, a person with long levers will fare better when rowing on an ergonometer. With that said, the positive performance ramifications of certain anthropometric types do not nullify risk. For example, in risk mitigation terms, someone with a long torso will likely have a higher propensity to injure his lower back on a deadlift versus someone with a short torso.

Obviously, these are examples of subjective patterning and they are certainly generalizations. However, I can attest that patterns such as these exist and can be used to help manage the organic riddle of kinesthetics. That’s why I encourage any athlete and/or trainer to start thinking in these terms. Look for anthropometric patterns and make a hypothesis based on your observations. If your thoughts ring true more times than not, your observation may constitute a pattern. In turn, the knowledge you’ve gained by researching certain patterns may provide insight to the next body-type match that walks through your door.

2. Joint-by-joint Theory

This is a brilliant example of observational patterning brought to our attention by Mike Boyle and Gray Cook. This concept is the architecture behind the prehab/rehab warm-up my clients use daily.

Boyle explains that Cook’s “analysis of the body is a straightforward one. In Cook’s mind, the body is just a stack of joints. Each joint or series of joints has a specific function and is prone to predictable levels of dysfunction. As a result, each joint has particular training need.

The first thing you should notice is the joints alternate between mobility and stability. The ankle needs increased mobility, and the knee needs increased stability. As we move up the body, it becomes apparent the hip needs mobility. And so the process goes up the chain –a basic, alternating series of joints.”

Joint — Primary Need
Ankle — Mobility (sagittal)
Knee — Stability
Hip — Mobility (multi-planar)
Lumbar Spine — Stability
Thoracic Spine — Mobility
Scapula — Stability

This model represents the epitome of patterning in the field of strength and conditioning. Through education, observation and recognition, two professionals have created a template that even a novice trainee can understand. In my opinion, it represents one of the most valuable concepts in strength and conditioning and is largely universal in its scope.

3. Upper Crossed Syndrome and Myofascial Meridians

The most fulfilling part of my job is helping clients find answers--specifically answers that help them better manage chronic pain and/or improve athletic performance. It was my quest for answers that led me to both Dr. Vladimir Janda’s and Tom Myers’ work on postural dysfunction.

One of most important patterning tools found in our industry today is Dr. Janda's illustrations of upper and lower crossed syndrome. When my clients view the standard upper and lower crossed illustrations, they often recognize themselves. The charts help them to accept that they may have some skeletal dysfunction with corresponding muscle imbalances. Sometimes this in itself is enough to get them to take a more conservative training path.

When postural dysfunction is present in the form of upper and/or lower crossed syndromes, I’ll speak to the client about their condition and the duality of tissue dysfunction (muscles that are locked long...verses locked short). This furthers their understanding of how to treat “tight” muscles, since you can’t simply stretch a muscle that is locked short without addressing the inhibited or weak (locked long) counterpart. In this example, a prescription of stretching and strengthening may be applicable. However, there may also be some permanent structural problems that also need to be addressed by prohibiting certain movements.

This is where Myers’ work comes into play, by drawing on the physical laws that govern the body. He explains how older clients may have undergone gross structural change due to dysfunction. This change can be seen in both the bones and tissue and it isn’t likely to be easily fixed with a foam roller, some stretching, and a few corrective exercises.

For example, Myers stipulates that muscles in a chronically stretched position (think scapula retractors) become locked long. In effect, they develop more collagen and less elastin in response to the constant tension. On the flip side, the pecs become locked short. All of this is really important if you’re a coach, because it's foolish to think that you can undo years of soft tissue patterns in a few weeks. It may take years of treatment to create substantial change in some clients. Others might never improve.

This highlights why it’s important to create a training program based on an individual’s capabilities instead of “one-size-fits-all” programs that use movements that the structurally compromised cannot perform safely. This is seen in those who exhibit classic upper-crossed posture. These trainees are susceptible to micro-traumatic injuries that can occur in and around the shoulder girdle due to poor joint biomechanics and muscular imbalances. Janda believed that faulty movement patterns on a poor postural base contribute to habitual overuse in isolated joints, while they minimize normal movement in others, thus creating a self-perpetuating cycle of dysfunction and eventual injury.

This is an example of why it’s so important to get a client to recognize that they have structural dysfunction at the onset of training. In my own experience, knowledge is key to developing a safe and sustainable training program. In recognizing my own patterned dysfunction, I corrected some of the soft tissue problems through massage therapy, PNF stretching, and corrective exercises. With that said, some of my tissue and joints had structurally changed and would not respond to treatment. In these cases, I had to discard certain movements from my training regimen in order to avoid shoulder and back injuries.

Where do we go from here?

To some degree, the field of strength and conditioning is in its infancy and the amount of hyperbole and misinformation found online can often be overwhelming. This is why it’s important for strength and conditioning professionals to start bridging the gap between medicine and fitness. This can easily be done by embracing some of the concepts outlined above.

In addition to the inherent injury prevention aspect that patterning provides, it also offers a way to help prioritize training. Anthropometric patterns can help clients work their weakness based on their build rather than their wishes. In my opinion, this offers some psychological support in training while helping clients develop a conceptual understanding of their performance potential.

Patterning is clearly not a new idea, but if we start proactively thinking in these terms, new theories may evolve. It is the evolution of new ideas and how they relate to the populous that can lead to more empirically driven training programs. Ultimately, our clients are the beneficiaries of such methodology and we as trainers can continue to grow by challenging ourselves to create new pattern-based architecture that others can build upon.