FMS Level 2 cheat sheet

Each of the seven screens is scored 0-3: 3 = movement completed without compensation, 2 = completed with compensation, 1 = unable to complete, 0 = pain anywhere during the screen (0 overrides any score).

Total composite score ranges 0-21; a score of 14 or below on the 21-point scale is the conventional threshold flagging elevated injury risk in active populations.

Five screens are bilateral (Deep Squat, Hurdle Step, Inline Lunge, Shoulder Mobility, Active Straight-Leg Raise); each side is scored separately, and the lower of the two scores is recorded.

Rotary Stability and Trunk Stability Push-Up are scored on a single trial; clearing tests are pass/fail and never add points.

Asymmetry flag: any bilateral screen with a left-right difference of 1 or more is recorded as an asymmetric pattern regardless of composite score.

Pain during any screen or clearing test = 0 for that item and requires referral; the score is not a diagnosis but a red flag for medical follow-up.

Deep Squat 3 requires heels on floor, torso parallel to tibia or upright, thighs below horizontal, and dowel held overhead with knees tracking over toes.

Shoulder Mobility combines a bilateral distance measure (fists within one hand length) with a clearing test (impingement sign); Active SLR adds a clearing test for the opposite leg.

Scoring is criterion-referenced, not norm-referenced: a 2 is a defined compensation (e.g., heel lift, lumbar rounding), not a subjective midpoint.

Deep Squat compensation categories: anterior weight shift/heel lift (ankle dorsiflexion or hip flexion limitation), arms falling forward (thoracic extension or latissimus tightness), and valgus knee collapse (hip abduction/external rotation control).

Hurdle Step compensations: loss of balance, hip or knee flexion/extension asymmetry, and trunk lean indicate stance-leg stability or hip mobility deficits rather than global strength.

Inline Lunge: the rear foot's heel-off, torso lean, or inability to touch the dowel to the floor point to hip flexor tightness, ankle restriction, or frontal-plane control deficits.

Shoulder Mobility limitation is often thoracic extension/rotation restriction or glenohumeral internal rotation deficit, not isolated deltoid weakness.

Active Straight-Leg Raise asymmetry commonly reflects hamstring or gastroc tightness versus hip flexor or core stability on the contralateral side.

Trunk Stability Push-Up: a 2 with the thumbs-at-chin position or a 1 with inability to complete indicates core bracing/anti-extension control deficits, not arm strength.

Rotary Stability: a 2 with unilateral or diagonal limb lift or a 1 indicates poor anti-rotation and hip/pelvis dissociation control.

A compensation on one screen frequently reflects a proximal stability deficit (e.g., lumbar-pelvic control) that shows up in adjacent screens; read the seven-screen pattern as a system, not isolated items.

Painful screens are not scored as compensations; pain changes the interpretation from movement quality to a medical screen.

Corrective continuum: mobility/flexibility first, then static motor control, then dynamic/integrated movement, then performance; each phase is a prerequisite for the next.

Corrective exercise selection follows the screen: pair a mobility drill (e.g., ankle dorsiflexion, thoracic extension) with a stability drill (e.g., dead bug, half-kneeling anti-rotation) for the same pattern.

Progression rule: advance when the client can perform the drill with no compensation for the prescribed reps/sets across two consecutive sessions.

Regression rule: if a drill reproduces the compensation or pain, drop one phase (e.g., from standing to half-kneeling) rather than adding load.

Dosage for corrective work is typically 1-2 sets of 5-10 slow reps or 30-60 seconds, performed before the main session and repeated as a short daily home program.

Corrective drills are not a substitute for the training program: they are a targeted supplement layered onto, not replacing, strength and conditioning.

Re-screen after 4-6 weeks of consistent corrective work; change the program only when the screen score or compensation changes.

Do not correct a screen you scored 3; corrective work targets 0/1/2 items and asymmetries, and a 0 requires referral before any corrective drill.

Load the corrected pattern in the main program (e.g., split squat after an inline lunge corrective) so the new control generalizes to real training.

Mobility is the ability to achieve a range of motion actively; stability is the ability to control that range under load; the screen tests both together.

Motor control = the nervous system's ability to recruit, time, and coordinate muscles for a task; it is trainable separately from strength and flexibility.

Joint-by-joint concept: ankles and hips favor mobility, the lumbar spine favors stability, the thoracic spine favors mobility; a deficit at one joint is often compensated at the adjacent joint.

Stability is not rigidity: effective stability allows controlled movement (anti-extension, anti-rotation, anti-lateral flexion) rather than bracing everything.

Core stability is tested through bracing and breathing: the diaphragm, transversus abdominis, and pelvic floor co-contract to manage intra-abdominal pressure.

Static stability precedes dynamic stability in the corrective continuum; a client who cannot hold a position cannot control it under load.

Active range of motion (AROM) is the relevant measure for the screen; passive range alone does not predict movement quality.

Neuromuscular coordination improves with slow, controlled, low-load reps and task-specific practice, not with heavy loading of a compensated pattern.

Compensation is a strategy, not a failure: the body finds a way to complete the task, and the screen identifies which joint or system is short.

Screen before program design, at intake, and re-screen every 4-6 weeks or after a change in training status/injury.

Administer in the same order every time (Deep Squat, Hurdle Step, Inline Lunge, Shoulder Mobility, Active SLR, Trunk Stability Push-Up, Rotary Stability) to keep results comparable.

Standardize equipment and verbal cues; the dowel, box, and 2x6 are fixed, and cue wording must be identical between screenings.

Score each side independently on bilateral screens and record the lower score plus the asymmetry flag.

Any 0 (pain) ends the screen for that item and triggers a referral; do not attempt to 'work through' pain in the screening session.

A composite score of 14 or below plus at least one asymmetry is the highest-risk profile in the standard FMS literature; use it to prioritize corrective work.

The screen is a movement-quality tool, not a diagnostic test; it does not replace medical evaluation, and results are not a prediction of injury in an individual.

Document the screen score, the specific compensation observed, and the corrective assigned so the next re-screen can be compared objectively.

Do not screen immediately after a fatiguing session; fatigue changes movement quality and invalidates the comparison.

Explain the score as a movement-quality rating, not a grade: a 2 means the body found a way to complete the task with a compensation, not that the client failed.

Describe the compensation in observable terms ('your heel lifted') rather than diagnostic terms ('you have tight calves') to keep the client's understanding accurate.

A 0 (pain) is communicated as a reason to see a healthcare provider, not as a training problem to be fixed in the gym.

Frame corrective work as a short, targeted add-on (5-10 minutes) so the client does not perceive it as replacing their training.

Set expectations: re-screening in 4-6 weeks is the checkpoint, and progress is measured by a change in score or compensation, not by how the drill feels.

Avoid over-promising injury prevention; communicate that the screen identifies movement limitations and that training addresses them.

Use the client's own screen video or live replay to make the compensation visible, which improves buy-in and cue retention.

Give the client one or two priority correctives, not the full list; too many corrections dilute adherence.

Place corrective work in the warm-up or as a separate short session before the main lift; do not bury it after fatiguing work.

Sequence the main program to reinforce the corrected pattern: e.g., after an ankle mobility corrective, program a split squat or lunge that loads dorsiflexion.

Prioritize the lowest-scoring or asymmetric screen in the first 4-6 weeks; address one or two priorities at a time.

Keep the corrective dose small (1-2 sets, 5-10 reps or 30-60 s) so it does not erode training volume for the primary goal.

Re-screen at the end of the corrective block; if the score improves, progress the corrective phase or fold the pattern into the main program.

If the score does not change after 4-6 weeks, reassess the diagnosis of the limitation (mobility vs. control) rather than adding more of the same drill.

Integrate correctives into the client's existing schedule (e.g., home program on off days) to protect adherence.

Never program heavy loading of a pattern that scores 0 or reproduces pain; refer first, then train.

Each of the seven screens is scored 0-3: 3 = movement completed without compensation, 2 = completed with compensation, 1 = unable to complete, 0 = pain anywhere during the screen (0 overrides any score).

Total composite score ranges 0-21; a score of 14 or below on the 21-point scale is the conventional threshold flagging elevated injury risk in active populations.

Five screens are bilateral (Deep Squat, Hurdle Step, Inline Lunge, Shoulder Mobility, Active Straight-Leg Raise); each side is scored separately, and the lower of the two scores is recorded.

Rotary Stability and Trunk Stability Push-Up are scored on a single trial; clearing tests are pass/fail and never add points.

Asymmetry flag: any bilateral screen with a left-right difference of 1 or more is recorded as an asymmetric pattern regardless of composite score.

Pain during any screen or clearing test = 0 for that item and requires referral; the score is not a diagnosis but a red flag for medical follow-up.

Deep Squat 3 requires heels on floor, torso parallel to tibia or upright, thighs below horizontal, and dowel held overhead with knees tracking over toes.

Shoulder Mobility combines a bilateral distance measure (fists within one hand length) with a clearing test (impingement sign); Active SLR adds a clearing test for the opposite leg.

Scoring is criterion-referenced, not norm-referenced: a 2 is a defined compensation (e.g., heel lift, lumbar rounding), not a subjective midpoint.

Deep Squat compensation categories: anterior weight shift/heel lift (ankle dorsiflexion or hip flexion limitation), arms falling forward (thoracic extension or latissimus tightness), and valgus knee collapse (hip abduction/external rotation control).

Hurdle Step compensations: loss of balance, hip or knee flexion/extension asymmetry, and trunk lean indicate stance-leg stability or hip mobility deficits rather than global strength.

Inline Lunge: the rear foot's heel-off, torso lean, or inability to touch the dowel to the floor point to hip flexor tightness, ankle restriction, or frontal-plane control deficits.

Shoulder Mobility limitation is often thoracic extension/rotation restriction or glenohumeral internal rotation deficit, not isolated deltoid weakness.

Active Straight-Leg Raise asymmetry commonly reflects hamstring or gastroc tightness versus hip flexor or core stability on the contralateral side.

Trunk Stability Push-Up: a 2 with the thumbs-at-chin position or a 1 with inability to complete indicates core bracing/anti-extension control deficits, not arm strength.

Rotary Stability: a 2 with unilateral or diagonal limb lift or a 1 indicates poor anti-rotation and hip/pelvis dissociation control.

A compensation on one screen frequently reflects a proximal stability deficit (e.g., lumbar-pelvic control) that shows up in adjacent screens; read the seven-screen pattern as a system, not isolated items.

Painful screens are not scored as compensations; pain changes the interpretation from movement quality to a medical screen.

Corrective continuum: mobility/flexibility first, then static motor control, then dynamic/integrated movement, then performance; each phase is a prerequisite for the next.

Corrective exercise selection follows the screen: pair a mobility drill (e.g., ankle dorsiflexion, thoracic extension) with a stability drill (e.g., dead bug, half-kneeling anti-rotation) for the same pattern.

Progression rule: advance when the client can perform the drill with no compensation for the prescribed reps/sets across two consecutive sessions.

Regression rule: if a drill reproduces the compensation or pain, drop one phase (e.g., from standing to half-kneeling) rather than adding load.

Dosage for corrective work is typically 1-2 sets of 5-10 slow reps or 30-60 seconds, performed before the main session and repeated as a short daily home program.

Corrective drills are not a substitute for the training program: they are a targeted supplement layered onto, not replacing, strength and conditioning.

Re-screen after 4-6 weeks of consistent corrective work; change the program only when the screen score or compensation changes.

Do not correct a screen you scored 3; corrective work targets 0/1/2 items and asymmetries, and a 0 requires referral before any corrective drill.

Load the corrected pattern in the main program (e.g., split squat after an inline lunge corrective) so the new control generalizes to real training.

Mobility is the ability to achieve a range of motion actively; stability is the ability to control that range under load; the screen tests both together.

Motor control = the nervous system's ability to recruit, time, and coordinate muscles for a task; it is trainable separately from strength and flexibility.

Joint-by-joint concept: ankles and hips favor mobility, the lumbar spine favors stability, the thoracic spine favors mobility; a deficit at one joint is often compensated at the adjacent joint.

Stability is not rigidity: effective stability allows controlled movement (anti-extension, anti-rotation, anti-lateral flexion) rather than bracing everything.

Core stability is tested through bracing and breathing: the diaphragm, transversus abdominis, and pelvic floor co-contract to manage intra-abdominal pressure.

Static stability precedes dynamic stability in the corrective continuum; a client who cannot hold a position cannot control it under load.

Active range of motion (AROM) is the relevant measure for the screen; passive range alone does not predict movement quality.

Neuromuscular coordination improves with slow, controlled, low-load reps and task-specific practice, not with heavy loading of a compensated pattern.

Compensation is a strategy, not a failure: the body finds a way to complete the task, and the screen identifies which joint or system is short.

Screen before program design, at intake, and re-screen every 4-6 weeks or after a change in training status/injury.

Administer in the same order every time (Deep Squat, Hurdle Step, Inline Lunge, Shoulder Mobility, Active SLR, Trunk Stability Push-Up, Rotary Stability) to keep results comparable.

Standardize equipment and verbal cues; the dowel, box, and 2x6 are fixed, and cue wording must be identical between screenings.

Score each side independently on bilateral screens and record the lower score plus the asymmetry flag.

Any 0 (pain) ends the screen for that item and triggers a referral; do not attempt to 'work through' pain in the screening session.

A composite score of 14 or below plus at least one asymmetry is the highest-risk profile in the standard FMS literature; use it to prioritize corrective work.

The screen is a movement-quality tool, not a diagnostic test; it does not replace medical evaluation, and results are not a prediction of injury in an individual.

Document the screen score, the specific compensation observed, and the corrective assigned so the next re-screen can be compared objectively.

Do not screen immediately after a fatiguing session; fatigue changes movement quality and invalidates the comparison.

Explain the score as a movement-quality rating, not a grade: a 2 means the body found a way to complete the task with a compensation, not that the client failed.

Describe the compensation in observable terms ('your heel lifted') rather than diagnostic terms ('you have tight calves') to keep the client's understanding accurate.

A 0 (pain) is communicated as a reason to see a healthcare provider, not as a training problem to be fixed in the gym.

Frame corrective work as a short, targeted add-on (5-10 minutes) so the client does not perceive it as replacing their training.

Set expectations: re-screening in 4-6 weeks is the checkpoint, and progress is measured by a change in score or compensation, not by how the drill feels.

Avoid over-promising injury prevention; communicate that the screen identifies movement limitations and that training addresses them.

Use the client's own screen video or live replay to make the compensation visible, which improves buy-in and cue retention.

Give the client one or two priority correctives, not the full list; too many corrections dilute adherence.

Place corrective work in the warm-up or as a separate short session before the main lift; do not bury it after fatiguing work.

Sequence the main program to reinforce the corrected pattern: e.g., after an ankle mobility corrective, program a split squat or lunge that loads dorsiflexion.

Prioritize the lowest-scoring or asymmetric screen in the first 4-6 weeks; address one or two priorities at a time.

Keep the corrective dose small (1-2 sets, 5-10 reps or 30-60 s) so it does not erode training volume for the primary goal.

Re-screen at the end of the corrective block; if the score improves, progress the corrective phase or fold the pattern into the main program.

If the score does not change after 4-6 weeks, reassess the diagnosis of the limitation (mobility vs. control) rather than adding more of the same drill.

Integrate correctives into the client's existing schedule (e.g., home program on off days) to protect adherence.

Never program heavy loading of a pattern that scores 0 or reproduces pain; refer first, then train.