If you’ve hung around OPEX for long enough you’re bound to have heard someone say the words, “assess, don’t guess.”  This mantra informs how all of our Gyms operate, implementing the OPEX Body, Move, Work assessment during intake. Every OPEX Coach has their individual flair and specialties, but their coaching is grounded in a consistent starting point–clear assessment data.  Here are 5 reasons why we insist that every fitness program starts with an assessment:  1) Identify ability  Everyone who trains at an OPEX Gym receives a program that is designed to meet them where they’re at and nudge them towards their goals at a sustainable rate. To design this, an OPEX Coach needs to understand their client’s current ability. This includes measuring their body composition, their movement quality, and their work capacity.   2) Highlight priorities  Every individually designed program begins with an assessment. This helps your coach identify your priorities. It’s impossible to program for everything at once, so your coach will use your assessment data to highlight what they need to focus on for each training cycle.   3) Address imbalances  Assessing structural balance allows your coach to program in a way that develops balanced strength that supports your function and longevity. Your OPEX coach uses a system of percentages to make sure your squatting, bending, pulling, pushing, core, single-leg, and single-arm strength is balanced. They will also screen work capacity to make sure you have a balance of aerobic and anaerobic fitness, based on the requirements of your life and sport.   4) Prevent injury  A movement assessment is a valuable tool for screening for any potential limitations, past injuries, or contraindications. For example, an assessment can determine whether you have adequate overhead mobility for pressing or knee stability for squatting. This will help guide your coach to design your program to avoid potential injuries and build strength and stability where you need it.   5) Monitor progress  An initial assessment provides clear data on your starting point that you can refer back to over time. This way, you know objectively whether or not you’re making progress. It tells your coach if your program is doing what it’s designed to do–get you results! If things aren’t tracking like they should be, they can adjust accordingly. Seeing your progress through assessment numbers over time is also a great way to stay inspired. It can be easy to forget how far you’ve come, so it’s important to look back and be proud of your fitness journey!  OPEX is for those who have tried fitness but have not seen effective or efficient progress toward their long-term goals ...in and out of the gym.  Our goal is to build a brand that is built on one main purpose – "To inspire people to live larger lives." When you work with our coaches you will immediately understand that your best interests are aligned with your coach's as well as the gym's owners.