Full Score Sheet: Total, Asymmetries, and Priority
A 27-year-old male triathlete training for an Olympic-distance race has no pain and no current injury. His goal race is eight weeks away. His screen results are: deep squat 2; hurdle step left 3, right 2; inline lunge left 2, right 3; shoulder mobility left 3, right 3; active straight-leg raise left 2, right 2; trunk stability push-up 2; rotary stability left 3, right 2. All clearing tests are negative. He trains 12 hours per week and wants to know whether his total score is 'good enough' and which one exercise he should do to fix it. He has a history of a left hamstring strain two years ago, fully recovered.
1. Calculate the FMS total using the standard rule for bilateral tests, and list the asymmetries. Show the arithmetic.
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Total = 15/21. Use the lower score for each bilateral test: deep squat 2; hurdle step min(3,2) = 2; inline lunge min(2,3) = 2; shoulder mobility 3; active straight-leg raise 2; trunk stability push-up 2; rotary stability min(3,2) = 2. Sum = 2 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 15. Asymmetries: hurdle step (left 3, right 2), inline lunge (left 2, right 3), and rotary stability (left 3, right 2). There are no 0s and no positive clearing tests.
2. Apply the FMS prioritization hierarchy to this score sheet and justify the first priority.
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Hierarchy: first any 0 or pain (none here), then asymmetries, then the lowest symmetrical score, then the highest. The three asymmetries are the first priority, not the deep squat 2 or push-up 2 by themselves. Among the asymmetries, use the lower side and functional relevance: the right side is lower in the hurdle step and rotary stability, while the left side is lower in the inline lunge. A defensible start is the right hurdle step because single-leg stance and control are foundational and the right side is also lower in rotary stability; the inline lunge asymmetry can be addressed next. There is no single mandated order among equal 1-point asymmetries, but the reasoning must follow the hierarchy and not chase the shoulder 3.
3. How would you answer his request for a single exercise and a 'good enough' total?
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Tell him the total is not a pass/fail score and 'good enough' is not how the screen is interpreted. There is no single exercise that fixes a score sheet; the program should address the prioritized patterns with a small number of targeted exercises plus general strength. Do not start with the shoulder mobility 3 because it is the highest score, and do not program only for the 15 total. Build the plan around the right hurdle step and right rotary stability first, then the left inline lunge, while maintaining his triathlon training. Re-screen in 4-6 weeks and track the individual items, especially the asymmetries, rather than waiting for the total to change.