Level 2: RMP Fit, Sport & Med

When running related injuries occur, the first course of action is typically to cease all running and avoid the activity that seemingly created the injury.  While this may be necessary for the first 48-72 hours following an acute injury, most injuries require some degree of weight bearing and locomotion much sooner in the process than would be normally practiced in conventional rehabilitation.  The Level II MED module of the RMP certification process outlines how running can be integrated very early in the Return-to-Play and rehabilitation processes to not only effect a quicker successful outcome, but a much more resilient and sustainable outcome.

This program has been developed and refined over 30 years of practical experience, supported by science and research, to produce timely results that are durable and sustainable.  The process is widely applied by medical and performance staff at numerous professional teams and collegiate programs around North America.  The return-to-play (RTP) process is not only directed at rehabilitating an athlete to their original competition status, it also provides a clear opportunity to improve upon running mechanics and general movement qualities as part of the process.  Additionally, the RMP MED process identifies opportunities for collaboration amongst different practitioners within the medical and performance continuum.  The closer the collaboration between medical, performance and sport science staff, the greater probability for successful resolution of the injury and improved performance beyond the injury.

RMP MED WORKSHOP

Provided below is a general outline for the Level 2 RMP Med workshop:

Running is known as one of the easiest and most affordable means of improving fitness.  For this reason, it can be an effective solution for individuals, but it can also create significant long-term problems.  Because running is viewed as an intuitive, easy to implement fitness solution, very little time is spent on perfecting mechanics and providing reasonable progressions for training.  ‘Walk-to-run’ and ‘weightlifting for runners’ programs pop up all the time as simple solutions for improving running performance and overall fitness.  However, increases in volume and velocity often result in both acute and chronic injury that put individuals on the sidelines for extended periods of time, and sometimes even sour their impressions of running altogether.  Needless to say, there are much more effective methods of preparing the fitness population for running pursuits. 

Fitness professionals have little to no specific training on running, particularly on the technical side.  Often, they simply ‘wing-it’ or may have been competitive runners themselves.  Programs directed at preparing individuals for 10k runs, marathons and triathlons simply involve progressive overload methodologies that do not take into consideration the specific attributes of an individual client and do not establish biomechanical standards for locomotion.  With little to no biomechanical foundation in place, movement efficiency is significantly compromised, performance potential is blunted and injury risk elevated as greater volumes are placed on the fitness client.  Exacerbating the problem is the mindset of “no pain, no gain” and many clients run through their injuries when much of this could be avoided through the implementation of a sound physical preparation process.

We also provide recommendations for the training of “weekend-warrior” clients who engage in team sport pursuits such as soccer, touch football, basketball, softball, volleyball MMA and ultimate frisbee, to name a few.  In all cases, a combination of movement efficiency, general fitness capability and velocity specific preparation would be part of the physical preparation process.

A large proportion of sports require running for locomotion, speed of movement and, ultimately, success.  While there are other movements in sports that are part of an athletes overall movement vocabulary, fast running is typically the foundation upon which other sporting qualities are built.  In the “Level 2: RMP Sport” module, we examine both the similarities and unique differences of various sports and how the approach to movement and running can vary.  The objective is to provide practitioners with effective strategies for integrating high-speed movement throughout the year (off-season, pre-season, in-season) that is congruent with success in their sport.

This course represents a “deeper dive” into the sporting world for sprint mechanics, running preparation and overall movement integration.  While the Level 1 course introduced basic concepts around running mechanics and foundational programming methods, Level 2: RMP Sport examines specific sports and their movement requirements in order to develop pragmatic plans around improving performance and enhancing durability for both practice and competition.  While many sports can look the same and coaches commonly employ the same methods of preparation – such as a ‘conditioning’ approach to running – we take the time to identify the nuances in each sport that can significantly impact the way we train our athletes.  This can also change or our approaches to specific positions within a sport, where movement and energy system requirements can vary significantly.

RMP SPORT WORKSHOP

Provided below is a general outline for the Level 2 RMP Sport workshop: