Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Baseline Functional Movement Assessment
Single session for all three baseline tests (20 min, no equipment needed)
Mobility is the ability to actively move through a full range of motion — not just whether a joint can be moved passively. It is what determines whether you can squat deeply without pain, reach overhead without compensating, or hip hinge without rounding your back. This milestone captures a baseline across three functional movement tests that matter for daily life and exercise safety. Complete all three tests before beginning any mobility training and photograph or video each: (1) Deep bodyweight squat — feet shoulder-width apart, toes forward, squat as deep as you can while keeping heels on the floor; (2) Hip hinge — stand 30 cm from a wall, hinge forward pushing your hips back until they touch the wall, note how far your torso leans; (3) Overhead reach — stand with your back against a wall, raise both arms overhead trying to touch the wall with your wrists without arching your lower back.
Proof required
Submit a photo or 3-second video of each of the three functional movement tests taken on the same date before any mobility training. For the squat: record how deep you reached (above parallel / parallel / below parallel / full depth with heels flat). For the hip hinge: note whether you could touch the wall without excessive forward lean. For the overhead reach: note whether both wrists reached the wall without back arching. This is a descriptive baseline, not a scored test — the description is what M3 will compare against.
What gets checked
- All three tests documented visually (photo or short video) on the same date, before any warm-up — this is the only way M3 can compare the same movement under comparable conditions
- The descriptions are specific and observable — 'I can squat to parallel but not below' is specific; 'my squat needs work' is not an observable baseline
- The overhead reach test is performed against a wall, not freestanding — the wall is the reference point that allows the M3 comparison to determine whether wrist-to-wall contact improved
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- All three tests must be visually documented — photos or short videos. If the submission is text-only, ask for the visual documentation before accepting M1; text descriptions alone are insufficient for objective comparison at M3
- The tests should be performed cold — before any movement on that day if possible, or at minimum before any warm-up. Ask the submitter when they performed the tests relative to other activity
- The descriptions should be specific enough that a verifier who sees only the text could visualise the movement quality. 'Below parallel' on the squat, 'wrists 15 cm from wall' on the overhead reach — these are specific
- Performing the tests after a dynamic warm-up — post-warm-up mobility is significantly greater than cold mobility; the tests must be performed before any preparatory movement
- Describing the tests verbally rather than documenting them visually — without photos or video, there is no objective record for M3 to compare against, and visual documentation prevents disputes about what the baseline was
- Testing only the deep squat and skipping the hip hinge and overhead reach — the three tests together cover the full movement range that matters for daily function; each targets a different joint complex
Eight Weeks of Daily Mobility Practice
8 weeks (6+ sessions per week of 15–30 min each + bi-weekly re-tests)
Mobility requires daily practice rather than occasional intense sessions — the connective tissue adaptations that produce lasting range-of-motion improvement accumulate through frequency, not intensity. For the next eight weeks, perform at least one dedicated mobility session per day (15–30 minutes is sufficient) targeting the movement patterns identified as restricted in M1. At Weeks 2, 4, and 6, repeat all three functional movement tests under the same conditions as M1 and photograph or video each for comparison.
Proof required
Submit your 8-week daily mobility log with at least 48 entries (6+ per week), each with date, session content (programme name or exercises performed), and duration. Include bi-weekly visual re-tests of all three movements at Weeks 2, 4, and 6, with the same photographic setup as M1.
What gets checked
- At least 48 sessions across 8 calendar weeks — 6 or more per week, since daily practice is the mechanism for connective tissue adaptation
- Bi-weekly visual re-tests show the same three movements from the same angles as M1 — this is what allows a genuine comparison, not just a description of how the movement felt
- Session content is named specifically — 'did stretching' is not an entry; '20 min Yoga with Adriene Day 12, plus hip 90/90 stretch x3 mins each side' is an entry
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Bi-weekly re-tests must be visual (photo or video) and must be performed cold. If the submission provides only text descriptions of movement quality rather than visual documentation, the bi-weekly re-tests cannot be accepted
- Check that the re-test angles match M1 — the same angle for the squat side view, the same wall setup for the overhead reach. Different angles produce apparent changes that are not real
- Session frequency should be 6+ per week. Mobility improvement through 3 sessions per week across 8 weeks is possible but marginal — if the log shows 3 sessions per week, note this when assessing whether M3 results show the expected improvement
- Treating mobility work as something to do only on rest days from other training — mobility improves fastest when practised daily, including on training days; a post-training 15-minute mobility session is more effective than a 60-minute rest-day session
- Skipping the hip hinge and overhead reach drills in favour of only stretching the areas that feel tight — the three M1 tests cover the whole movement chain; ignoring the less uncomfortable areas means they will not show improvement at M3
- Performing re-tests after mobility sessions — re-tests must be cold to be comparable to M1; a hip hinge tested after a hip mobility session will show false improvement
Final Movement Assessment and Attestation
Single re-assessment session (same duration as M1) after Week 8
The proof of improved mobility is a final visual documentation of all three functional movement tests that is observably better than M1, taken under the same conditions. Compare side-by-side with M1 photos or video stills to make the change visible. Alongside the visual documentation, provide a written attestation from one named person who observed your mobility practice — a yoga instructor, personal trainer, or training partner who saw your movement at the beginning and end of the 8-week period.
Proof required
Submit (1) photos or videos of all three M3 functional movement tests taken before any warm-up, from the same angles as M1; (2) a side-by-side comparison of your M1 and M3 photos or video stills for each movement; (3) a written attestation from a named person who observed your movement at both the beginning and end of the programme, describing what they noticed changing.
What gets checked
- M3 visual documentation is from the same angles as M1 — the side-by-side comparison is only valid if the viewing angle matches
- At least one of the three movements shows observable improvement — the change must be visible in the photos or video stills, not just described in words
- The attestation names someone who observed movement at both early and late stages of the programme — someone who only saw the final session cannot describe change; they can only describe the final state
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Compare M1 and M3 photos side by side for each movement. The improvement should be visually unambiguous — a 5° improvement in squat depth may not be visible; a shift from above-parallel to below-parallel squat is clearly visible. If the change is minimal or ambiguous, ask the submitter to explain what they believe improved
- M3 photos must be cold — before any warm-up. The most common failure mode in this outcome is testing after a mobility session, which inflates apparent improvement. Ask when the photos were taken relative to the day's first movement
- The attestation should describe movement quality at both the beginning and end of the programme. Ask: 'What specifically did you notice about the person's squat/hinge/reach at the start compared to now?' If the attesting person can only describe one point in time, they cannot attest to change
- Taking M3 photos after a mobility session — post-session mobility is greater than pre-session mobility because tissue is warm; M3 must be cold to be comparable to the M1 cold baseline
- Providing only verbal descriptions of improvement without visual documentation — mobility improvement must be visible in the photos or video to satisfy the proof standard; descriptions of how movement feels are supplementary, not the primary proof
- Providing an attestation from someone who only saw you at the beginning or only at the end — the attestation must span both points to describe what changed