Movement Curriculum
Our aim at Pinpoint Fitness Academy is to produce well-rounded athletes capable of overcoming physical obstacles with elegance and utmost Economy of Movement. We believe that excellence in movement and physical performance goes a long way in personal development across various aspects of life as well as self-confidence.
Objective
Within our framework, Economy of Movement is defined as the efficiency with which an athlete overcomes obstacles. Achieving utmost economy of movement (i.e. elegant and smooth movement) is the main goal we work towards. This refers to overcoming obstacles seamlessly without misplacing energy or losing power along the way, primarily by using functional techniques learnt and avoiding extra non-value-adding steps.
Economy of movement is the 5th and final pillar of the 5 fundamental movement pillars we follow & teach at our academy (figure 1). Those 5 pillars are:
- Centered Body and Symmetry
- Upright Posture
- Balance and Control
- Accuracy
- Economy of Movement
Development of an athlete in those 5 areas is sequential and interdependent. Meaning that having a “centered body” and “upright posture” is a precondition to “balanced & controlled” movement. Similarly, the latter is a precondition towards “accuracy” and eventually utmost “economy of movement”.
The ability to achieve utmost Economy of Movement reflects thorough proficiency in physical gross motor skills as well as advanced brain processing capacity and self-confidence.
For an athlete to be capable of elegantly & seamlessly “flowing” from one obstacle to another (with utmost economy of movement), that athlete must achieve the following 3 qualities:
Developed gross motor skills & mastery of movement techniques
This is characterized by safe and sound overcoming of each individual obstacle.
Advanced brain processing capacity
A fast-thinking brain is needed to be able to transition from one obstacle to another seamlessly. The mind must be highly engaged to execute complex movement techniques while simultaneously “thinking head” and preparing the body for the next obstacle.
Self-confidence
The belief of ability to overcome an obstacle is as important as the physical ability itself. Being self-aware and confident of one’s abilities drives the athlete to continuously move forward (both literally & metaphorically!).
As illustrated in figure 2, developed gross motor skills & advanced brain processing capacity are cornerstones for achieving self-confidence.
Movement Categories
Our curriculum categorizes movement into 7 areas, namely: Jumps, Hurdles, Runs & Strides, Vaults, Upper-body Swings, Body Rotation and Wall Skills. We believe that overcoming obstacles of various sorts, requires well-rounded athleticism which can be achieved by excelling in all the 7 categories. Below is a brief description of what each category entails within our framework.
Jumps
The skills of propelling the body up and in different directions to land on objects of different shapes and heights.
Hurdles
The skills of leaping over obstacles using lower-body strength only.
Runs & Strides
The skills of alternating leg movements rapidly and consecutively onto different objects to move the body forward.
Vaults
The skills of overcoming obstacles by jumping and arching over them with the support of the arms.
Upper-Body Swings
The skills of using the arms as pivot points to oscillate the body in a specific direction.
Body Rotation
The skills involving turning of the body in different orientations (around & upside down).
Wall Skills
The skills involving climbing of walls or using them to overcome other obstacles.
Skill Proficiency Stages
Once a new skill is learned, there are 4 different stages of proficiency an athlete can go through before considering that the move is mastered. Those 4 stages are:
Singular Performance: this stage refers to being capable of performing the skill but without control over the landing position afterwards. The athlete may perform the skill without maintaining balance or control of their body afterwards. For example, performing a 2-feet precision jump and not being able to stop after the landing.
Landed Performance: this stage refers to a more advanced level of mastery. In this case, the athlete would be capable of maintaining control of their body and landing steadily after performing the skill.
Connected-before Performance: this stage along with the later one refers to the most advanced level of capability. This involves the ability to perform other moves right before the newly learned skill.
Connected-after Performance: this involves being able to perform the given skill and then connect other moves right afterwards consecutively.
In our context, connecting different moves must be done without any extra steps in between. More precisely, an athlete will be considered capable of connecting two moves, when the landing of the former move is used as the start of the later move.
Band Systems
Over the course of training, an athlete will progress from one band to another (from band 1 to 10). Each band constitutes numerous skills to be learned and mastered following the four skill proficiency stages. To move up a band, an athlete must be proficient with all the skills assigned for that band. While progressing from one band to another, an athlete would reach 3 milestones, namely: Advanced, Hero & eventually Master (with a lot of hard work & dedication!).
Beginner
- Band 1
- Band 2
Advanced
- Band 3
- Band 4
- Band 5
Hero
- Band 6
- Band 7
- Band 8
- Band 9
Master
- Band 10
Ready to start your journey?
Explore the curriculum, learn new skills, and work your way through the bands.
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