Functional Range Conditioning (FRC)

I thought I should write a small piece about Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) as it is something we integrate into all of our services.

FRC was created by world-renowned musculoskeletal and movement expert Dr Andreo Spina. It is a comprehensive joint/mobility training system based on scientific research. In the interview below, when asked what is FRC, Dr Andreo Spina replies:

“to build the prerequisite of movements required for people to accomplish whatever goals they have”

An example of this is a person who wants to do a front squat. They may have all the required mobility for a back squat and have been doing it for many years but this doesn’t mean they have the prerequisite to front squat. For example, the front squats require significantly more ankle dorsiflexion than a back squat.

Before front squatting, they would be advised to work on their ankle mobility. Otherwise forcing their body into what may look like a front squat puts a lot of pressure on the restricted joints as well as the joint above and below. This will usually lead to injuries.

Rather than training to do a movement, FRC focuses on improving joint mobility (initially in isolation and then in combination with other joints). Once someone has all the required mobility for a movement, then training is just about getting their joints to move at the right time.

The main goals of FRC are to simultaneously improve mobility, joint strength and body control. This is what makes it a brilliant tool for rehab and prehab, as well as improving performance. This is why it is used in all of our systems.

For more information, please visit the functional anatomy website www.functionalanatomyseminars.com or feel free to contact us with your queries