here are some insights from Kelly Bagget on those functional movement tests
Here are the basics of that article series Jack was talking about. (note: feel free to add and/or correct anything you guys may notice. I don't claim to be much of a functional guru or anything)
Overhead Squat problems
heels coming up- tight calves, possibly hammies
knees going way forward- tight hammies
lower back rounding- tight glutes (if shoulders and upper back look ok), possible tight obliques.
upper back rounding- tight thoracic area and/or shoulder internal rotators (pecs, lats etc.)
knees caving in- tight hip flexors, quads, adductors, TFL with weak gluteus medius and minimus.
feet angled out- tight calves, possible tight hip external rotators (look at the knees)
abducted knees (knees facing or going out)- tight glutes and other hip external rotators (pirifimoris, gluteus medius).
Basically on this movement I would first ask the person to squat normally with their hands held out in front and then ask them to overhead squat.
solutions:
Basic movement solution - Put your heels on a block and get in squat stance. Touch your toes, hold for 20 seconds, squat down deeply with your knees outside your hands, hold 20 seconds, from the squat stance lift one arm up and stretch back, then the other arm up, stand up. Repeat at a more rapid pace for several reps...touch toes, squat, lift arms up, stand up. Next, remove the block and repeat the above, toes, squat, lift, stand. Finally, get rid of the block and do a regular overhead squat.
Individual muscle solutions - Stretch the various tight muscles. (search exrx.net)
Inline Lunge
(I could do without the dowel but the lunge itself seems like it can be a somewhat decent diagnostic tool)
problems: (This one I'm not all that familiar with but I'll try.)
This will be assuming the right leg is forward
wobbly ankles, rolling foot in or out (First watch the feet and look for where the weight goes. You might find lack of stability in the ankle, pronation or supination of the feet...is the weight rested on the inside of the foot (pronation), or outside (supination?) Check further up the chain for problems. If the former (pronation) look for internally rotated knee caps, tight hip flexors, anterior hip tilt (ass sticking out) and inhibited glutes upon activation (prone leg raise test) and possibly a crappy performance on the leg lowering test. Ask them to stand erect and contract their glutes and look at the knee caps..if they straighten out big time you verified the problem.
If the latter look for weak hip flexors, laterally (outside) rotated kneecaps, and posterior pelvic tilt (ass tucked in). Strengthen the hip flexors.
Losing balance in the upper body - Either a lack of coordination in the movement, lack of core stability, or tight hip flexors. If the hip flexors are tight a person will tend to lean forward and/or shift their upper body excessively to the left as they descend with the right leg forward. Also test core stability. Prone plank, static back extension, and side plank. [poliquin]Prone plank should be held with neutral spine for 2 minutes. Side plan for 65% of static back extension. [/poliquin] (that didn't really come from poliquin but it sounds like something he would say)
Losing it at the hip and knee- If the lead knee moves excessively laterally (away fromthe body), and they're not compensating for their upper body being out of wack up higher, that probably means tight/overly active glutes and perhaps a tight pirifimoris. If the knee moves excessively inside that probably means inhibited and weak hip abductors (mainly gluteus medius and maximus), tight tensor fascia lata and IT band, and/or weak vastus medialis (tear drop muscle) and overactive vastus lateralis.
Posture during the test- If the back is arched excessively and butt is sticking out check for tight hip flexors with the thomas test. Lie on your back, extend legs and pull one knee all the way up to your chest. If the extended foot comes up or rotates out the hip flexors are tight.
Movement Correction
Before worrying about the various muscles work on the movement itself.
Get in a kneeling lunge stance one knee down on the ground and rotate each direction and hold for 20 seconds.
Next, practice the inline lunge.
co-contraction lunge- from kneeling lunge stance place your right hand on right glute and left hand on right vastus medialis. Next, slowly rise up looking for tension in the muscle groups you're tensing.
BTW, stretches for all the various muscle groups I mentioned can all be found at exrx.net
Test 4- Shoulder evaluation
On the first test if the hand reaching over doesn't go down very far you have tight lats. If the hand reaching under doesn't go up your back very high you have a lack of medial rotation in the shoulder. Usually those things are found togehter. Stretch the chest, lats, traps, levator scapula and rhomboids two times per day for 20 seconds each and work on the movement test itself until you can clasp your hands together and hold. I always tell people to work on this when they get out of the shower and start with a towel. Maintianing good mobility is good preventive maintenance.
The second test is just a test for impingement. If it hurts when you do that then you need to quit pressing, follow the aformentioned suggestions and get on a rehab routine. The general recommendation is don't do the following until you are pain free in that test:
vertical pressing
horizontal pressing
abduction (lateral raises in any plane)
Dips (never do them again)
upright rows (never do them again)
Pull-ups/Chin-ups
To do list:
trap raises, T's, and Y's (face down incline and flat raises with thumbs up)
All forms of rowing with emphasis on scapular retraction
Push-up plus
Standing band external rotation
These represent early rehab exercises.
You would then introduce raises in the scapular plane (elbows in front). First in sidelying and then standing. Then scapular depression like the top few inches of a dip. Then push-ups on the wall and progress downward toward the floor as symptoms allow.
Then DB floor presses and cable PNF exercises, such as low and mid x-overs, board presses, partial DB presses in the scapular plane (elbows forward)
Many people try to come back too soon. It took time for the problems to develop and it will take time for them to correct. Having said that, to be honest some may never be able to bench press again or military press again.
The other tests are gay but I also have a few others I like to use personally. These are:
rectus femoris/quad flexibility- grasp one foot and pull it up to your butt. How difficult is it? I have yet to see a good athlete who couldn't do it with ease and everybody who has knee problems has problems with flexibility in those areas.
Prone glute activation- Lye on your stomach and lift one foot up in the air. The glute should start contracting just when the foot moves and nothing above the glute should move. If the contraction in the glute is delayed (the foot moves up with the help of the hamstring prior to the glute contracting) and/or the back arches then the person might have tight hip flexors and/or weak glutes.
Leg lowering test- Get on your back, press your pelvis to the floor, and lift up your shirt so someone watching you can see your lower back. Slowly lower your feet and try to keep your lower back glued to the floor. As soon as your lower back lifts up at all the test is over. If you can't get your lower back to within a foot and a half or so from the floor your abs are weak and your hip flexors are probably dominating them. use the test itself to strength, but with one leg at a time lowering to start with.