Primal Mobility Vs The Ready State Mobility Courses: How To Choose A Mobility Coaching Certification That’s Right For You

If you’re a coach that genuinely cares about mastering your craft and have been curious about certifying yourself in the subject matter of mobility, there's no doubt that it could be overwhelming with all the options out there. Just like any other course in the fitness industry, there are pros and cons to each, but don’t stress…there’s a perfect fit for you. I’m confident in that! If you’re a coach that wants to set yourself apart from the crowd of coaches, be recognized as the mobility professional that solves a very common problem (that people are willing to pay a lot for), and build world-class mobility coaching programs, I made this article for you.

Consider this article to be your intuitive guide to helping you understand why mobility education is important and finding the right mobility coaching certification for you. In this guide, we’ll discuss the direction the mobility coaching industry is going in when you should be seeking mobility education, the different types of education that are available to you, and how to choose the right certification program for you. I’ve even put together a comprehensive comparison of our certification program and The Ready States mobility cert (two courses that are on the opposite ends of the spectrum of what’s offered).
Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Mobility Education & The Mobility Industry

In April of 2013, with the publication of Kelly Starrett’s How To Become A Supple Leopard, the mobility industry sparked and grew into what it is today. Sure, there were chats about mobility, flexibility, range of motion, and all things injury prevention/pain reduction, but it’s no secret that K-Star had a bigass impact on what the mobility industry is today. I don’t personally follow (or teach) much of what he preaches, but he certainly opened the door and got the world considering the importance of mobility. Now, pretty much every client expects their coach, personal trainer, physical therapist, or name any other fitness/health professional here, to know the inside scoop on mobility training. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that most coaches (to quote Ruth from Ozarks) don’t know shit about fuck.

Mobility training is like a scrumptious gateway drug for clients. It’s an opportunity for them to begin to understand how their body moves, why it moves the way it does, and how to control it with more accuracy. It allows them to target their pain points and begin to rebuild a strong biomechanical foundation that provides far more movement options. Those that truly take the time to absorb the experience of mobility training truly grab onto it and love it for all the benefits it carries. Your clients want mobility training; they may just not understand that yet until they experience it firsthand.

Listen, the mobility industry is still in its infancy, it’s young, dumb, and still shitting itself on a daily basis, but it continues to grow. And I expect that over the next 5 years, it will kaboom, and those that don’t know much about mobility will be seen as inferior coaches/professionals. Those that do take advantage of the position we’re currently in will set themselves apart early and have a powerful opportunity to stand out and thrive in a big way…the trick is just knowing whether or not it’s worth it for you to step into it or not. 

Let’s consider the different angles of when it makes sense for you to start considering investing in your mobility education.

When To Seek Mobility Education Programs

There are countless reasons why I personally believe you should invest in your mobility education. Let’s dive into this from as many angles as we can.

1. You have a curiosity or “knack” for understanding movement mechanics and want to earn recognition as a specialist: Any mobility education program worth taking should absolutely discuss the nuances of various different movement mechanics and what is happening to the joints as these mechanics occur. 
2. You’ve personally seen incredible results from mobility training and want to share that with the world: This is exactly where my journey started. I struggled with chronic low back pain, sciatic pain, shoulder dislocations, hip impingements, etc. I was in a place where I was just riddled with injuries and discomfort and had to find a solution, which I did. That’s when I knew I wanted to share this with the world. If you've seen the gains and have discovered a newfound passion for it all, it’s time to dive in. Lean into it, my friend! 
3. You’re passionate about movement and strength and want to discover a new methodology to apply the concepts of it all: Mobility is strength training with a heightened focus on biomechanics and overall joint function. If you love strength training, why not dive into an alternative approach that lines up with your current passions and beliefs? 
4. If you’re considering starting a career in the fitness industry but feel like you don’t have anything unique to offer yet: The fitness industry is vast. It’s an ocean packed to the gills like a sardine can, and while this in no way means that you can’t succeed by coaching for more traditional goals (such as weight loss, body composition, strength, etc.), it certainly does make it more challenging to stand out. Taking a mobility coaching certification course will help you instantly stand out and start to solve a problem that many people struggle with and are often forced to find unpleasant solutions for. 
5. If you’re a current coach with a roster of clients that truly appreciate your perspective: If you currently have clients and they genuinely appreciate your perspective and frequently come to you for advice, you’re in a good position to have an even greater impact on their well-being. You have a group of people that follow your guidance, which makes it your responsibility to step up and ensure that you are well-educated and are pointing them in the right direction. The world needs more coaches like you, that are truly competent, want the best for others, envision a more resilient community, and strive for greatness. You can set the stage, separate yourself from the crowd even more, and show your clients that you are truly dedicated to mastering your craft as their coach and will continue to invest in yourself to ensure their success.
6. You’re a coach, affiliate/gym owner, or physical therapist (or other health professional) that wants to create an opportunity to set yourself apart and create another source of revenue: Mobility coaching is a lucrative service that is far from “crowded”. We solve a massive problem that people struggle with on a frequent basis and rarely find empowering solutions for. If you already help people with their fitness, their rehab, etc. then you are in an amazing opportunity to create another revenue stream for yourself. Begin offering 1:1 mobility coaching, team mobility training, mobility classes, or even just mobility training program templates. Regardless of how you want to structure your business around your new mobility knowledge, you have a powerful opportunity to tap into a lucrative source. The business side of things can be tricky sometimes, especially when entering a new niche where you haven’t quite figured out the audience. Make sure that the education program you dive into has support for you in this capacity to help you flourish and have the impact that you’re looking to achieve.

There are so many reasons why it makes sense to invest in a mobility certification, but how do you know what approach makes the most sense for you and what will be the best approach for your clients? 

Let’s have a look at the options!

Types Of Mobility Education

Now, I first want to preface this by mentioning that some of the options I’m about to explain should not necessarily be categorized as “mobility” education. There are a few different types of approaches you can take, all of which have their pros and cons, but the most important thing is that you follow what piques your curiosity and strokes your passions. In this brief list, I’m going to smash a few different training approaches into one as they are all focused on movement and applying a deep range of motion but are not all genuinely considered “mobility” education. 

1. Yoga: Yoga is likely the place that most people would start, who have no idea what mobility training is. It’s ridiculously popular and offers a low barrier of entry. As a coach, learning about yoga is quite simple as there will be plenty of certifications and courses to choose from, and the concepts have been around for thousands of years. Additionally, everyone knows what yoga is, so educating your audience will be simple. On the other side of the coin, yoga is as popular as it gets, so setting yourself apart is an obstacle that may pose to be more challenging to overcome.
2. Animal Flow: Animal Flow is a pretty cool approach to movement. It looks badass, too (but it also looks kinda dinky). The animal flow approach is designed to have you exploring various movements and challenging your body in deep ranges of motion through flow-like patterns. This is an approach that is not nearly as popular as something like yoga, so it can help you offer a unique method of movement. With that said, the movements are somewhat similar to what I would categorize as tribal dancing, so you may struggle to get some people involved who are self-conscious about moving around like an ape or some other kind of animal.
3. Manual Table-Based Stretching: This is a manual therapy approach to improving range of motion and reducing pain. The client will usually be strapped down onto a table (sounds kinky, right?), and the therapist will then guide the clients' limbs through a series of movements and deep stretches to reduce fascial limitations and muscular restrictions. This is often a very passive approach and is quite calming to the nervous system. One big drawback is that this service can only be provided in a physical location and can only be offered as a time-for-money exchange. This is quite unique, and not many people offer this, so you would have the opportunity to charge quite a bit per hour but will be stuck doing one-on-one sessions. Other approaches allow you to coach in multiple different ways to extend your services and stretch (ohhhh, mobility pun!) your revenue potential. Personally, this is where I started my career in the mobility industry. I was an L3 Fascial Stretch Therapist, and I learned a lot through the process, BUT I found a few components that were fundamentally flawed in the approach. My clients would always come back with the same issues a few weeks later and wouldn't make long-term progress. It wasn’t until I started applying various active components and instilling genuine proprioceptive changes in my clients that they were able to create long-term results. I gave this approach up in late 2017.
4. Strength-Based Mobility: This is where Primal Mobility will land. Obviously, I’m incredibly biased about this approach, so I suppose take a couple of grains of salt with this one (or don’t and drink my kool-aid, muahaha). This approach to mobility has the greatest impact on all things movement. It combines the benefits of each of the other approaches and more. It allows you to address global movements (like the squat pattern, overhead position, front rack, forward fold, etc.) as well as specific mechanics of the joints in isolation (like internal hip rotation, shoulder flexion, ankle dorsiflexion, etc.). It’s becoming more widely known as the most logical approach to mobility training and generally lines up very well with how most of us approach our fitness and coaching styles already, so educating your audience won’t be much of an obstacle. The big drawback here is that there is a bigger barrier to entry as there is a lot to learn with this process. You’ll have to develop some fundamental knowledge about anatomy, biomechanics, movement mechanics, mobility assessments, and programming. That can feel overwhelming for some people, but if you’re committed to being a world-class coach and being cut from a different cloth, then it’s definitely the direction you should be going. 

Okay, I did my best not to be biased in this, but I’m sure it’s sprinkled in quite a bit here and there. Now that you have a better understanding of a few of the different approaches that you can consider, you can start heading down the path to discover which certification makes the most sense for you. If you’re leaning towards 1-3 on the list above, I’d suggest going to do some more research on whichever seems to fit you best (I love you anyways, thanks for reading this far, but you’re dead to me). For the rest of this article, I’m going to speak to those who are specifically interested in a strength-based approach to mobility education. 

Choosing A Mobility Certification

The fitness industry is a vast jungle of different perspectives and approaches to movement. With that said, the approach you teach needs to line up closely with who you are and what you believe in. It has to match your vision, and you have to be able to see it becoming a part of you. I’m a big believer in continued education, but I’m also a big believer in choosing your path wisely. 

Let’s have a look at the various different things to consider when choosing a mobility certification!

1. Is the certification course taught by a reputable establishment: Has the company, brand, and/or individual proven successful with their approach? Do they have a track record for achieving the results that you want to achieve for yourself? If not, move along!
   
   
2. Will the certification help you solve a problem that you or your clients are currently struggling with: Make sure that the knowledge you will digest offers you a solution that you do not currently have. Remember that a course can cut the learning time down significantly, which is what you’re paying for. So if you find yourself researching what they teach, that's a good sign that you’re looking in the right place.
   
   
3. Will it help you carve a path you’re interested in pursuing: Will the education and support help you take your career in a direction that you want to see yourself going in?
   
   
4. How much support will you get: This one is important! Many certifications (especially those found at a cheaper investment) don’t offer any support. Be sure to look into how much education support you’ll get (ie. ongoing communication with the educators, a community, live calls, etc.) and what the structure of that support looks like.
   
   
5. What type of support will you get: Another very important one! On top of the course material, will you receive support for any other problems that will come up for you? I passionately believe that all coaches should have access to business-related support once they have graduated from the course material. This support should be delivered by someone who specializes in the particular subject matter. This is exactly why, rather than me offering business advice based on my experiences, we bring in Primal Mobility’s personal business strategist to help teach our students how to craft their offers and structure/build a thriving business. She’s in our community offering ongoing support, she offers live business calls, and she also teaches our business mini-course that students gain access to post-graduation. My point here is that the company you are investing in should believe in your success with the knowledge you’re taking in and should help guide you along the way to make your journey as easy as possible.
   
   
6. Will you be able to grow your network: Building your network is an incredibly useful thing for all coaches to do. Some of the most valuable lessons you’ll learn are from other individuals who are learning and applying the material from scratch, as you will be. Passing ideas, thoughts, and perspectives back and forth can accelerate your skills and reduce the amount of time it takes for you to reach mastery.
   
   
7. What additional resources will you gain access to: Once you’ve graduated, do you gain access to additional resources that will help you apply the knowledge to your coaching approach and/or business structure? This is something most won’t consider but is very important for the students in my opinion. Other than a cool new certification to hang on your wall, what will you walk away with at the end of the day?
   
   
8. What are you willing to invest to help you master your coaching craft and in the future of your career: This is a big one. There is a wide spectrum of fees when it comes to certification courses and mentorship programs, but what you get for that investment is what’s most important. Figure out what is offered, what you’ll gain access to, and how easy it will be to implement it all.

There's no doubt that there's an abundance of certification courses out there on the market, but it’s all about finding what lines up with you the most and which will get you to where you want to be the fastest and most effectively. The spectrum of what is offered is wide, and each course will have its pros & cons. This just means that they’ll all benefit you in different ways, and it’s your responsibility to know how you want/need to benefit.

Alright, so to help you understand the spectrum a little bit more clearly, I want to be able to explain to you what is offered on the extremes of both ends. So I'll do a course comparison for you. I’ll compare our course, The Primal Mobility Certification & Mentorship Program, and The Ready State Movement & Mobility 101 course. And I promise to do everything I can to remove as much of my bias as possible to make this comparison valuable to you.

The Primal Mobility Certification & Mentorship Program

The way Primal Mobility has always approached everything we do is with the maxim “build a strong foundation, dominate with the results” in mind. Our course is a highly detailed program that follows a strategically structured curriculum. The PMC has been specifically designed for our students to build the fundamental knowledge needed to be regarded as what we consider to be world-class mobility coaches. Some of the main concepts we cover are:

• The Primal Big 3: a programming & assessment tool to help you uncover where the root cause of an issue is stemming from and quickly address it
• The anatomy & biomechanics that are necessary for a world-class mobility coach to understand
• Movement mechanics and their corresponding demand to mobility (with a large focus on squat variability)
• The Primal Mobility Assessment Protocol: how to perform our 9 assessment tests to understand what is causing the issues your clients are struggling with, and what to do about it
• Mobility programming principles: the various different nuances to building world-class mobility coaching programs and templates.
• Coaching principles: the core principles that are mandatory to know for any coach who is looking to master their craft.
• How to understand and address the 4 main pain points that you will most frequently see as a mobility coach (shoulder, low back, hip, knee).

Who It’s For: The PMC was created for Crossfit, Weightlifting, and Powerlifting coaches, gym/affiliate owners, and Physical Therapists or Chiropractors that are looking to elevate their knowledge and raise the bar…significantly
*The Primal Mobility Certification is for those that are very serious about becoming a recognized mobility professional. 

Who it isn’t for: Although I think anyone can go through the course and become a confident and competent mobility coach, this course was not designed for yoga/pilates instructors, boot camp trainers, callisthenics enthusiasts, or trainers that only work specifically with a higher risk population such as geriatric or pregnant individuals. We specialize in the barbell and talk quite a bit about it!
*The PMC is also not for someone who is just looking to run with some surface-level information.

The Ready State Movement & Mobility 101

What was previously known as MobilityWOD, TRS has been in the game for so long. Founded by Kelly Starrett, you already know that this course has some serious notoriety behind it. This course is video based (each video is roughly 3-7 mins long) and takes roughly 7 hours to complete, so it will be quick and digestible information that you will likely be able to apply quite rapidly. If you’re strictly a video learner, this course will offer you some good quick nuggets to take back to the drawing board but may be a bit more challenging for those that like a variety of approaches to information delivery. Some of the main concepts covered in this course are:

• Prioritization and organization of the spine and CNS: Bracing and breathing, neural dynamics primers, rules of torsion, etc.
• Introduction to archetypes: intro to the shoulder, intro to the hip
• Torsion and stability: torsion quick tests, why thumbs and big toes matter, open/closed torque, etc.
• Movement hierarchy: a brief overview of squats, overhead position, and some various other movement concepts

Who It’s For: For the coaches that just want to understand the very basics of mobility. This course will talk quite a bit about soft tissue manipulation, so you will learn quite a bit about rolling and smashing. If you want something quick and dirty, this course is a great step for you.
*This course is also a good starting point for anyone who is mostly focused on the cost of a course. It’s cheap!

Who It’s Not For: The TRS course is definitely not for you if you’re looking to dive deep into the world of mobility training. If you envision yourself becoming a mobility coach and being recognized as a true expert in mobility, then this course is not a great fit. If you’re a coach that genuinely wants the deepest knowledge and growth potential, you’ll want to continue your search (or just come work with us)!

Here's a fancy lil’ chart for ya:

Alright, at the end of the day, my goal is to bring more mobility to the world, whether that's with Primal or not. I care a lot about the mobility coaching industry and want to see it grow and thrive. This is exactly why our course took 14 months to create and continues to be improved and refined every month. With that said, there are quite a few options out there that can benefit you in various different ways, and it really comes down to what it is that you’re looking to get out of the experience. It depends on where you want to go in the process.

If you do believe that the Primal Mobility Certification & Mentorship Program is your new home and family, then please understand that myself and my team will do everything in our power to help you become successful and love the experience every step of the way. If you decide on another mobility certification, congratulations! I’m stoked that you were able to find something that made sense for you and that you’re starting to jump into mobility coaching with more intention. Either way, you have my respect, and I’m rooting for ya!

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Ready to join the family?

Click here to get more information about the Primal Mobility Certification & Mentorship Program and get started with us asap! So pumped to have the chance to work with you and see you take your career to a whole new level! 

If you liked this, you'll love: 

• Hang On: The Key to Shoulder Health
• FREE 5-Day Ass-To-Grass Online Mobility Program
• The FREE Primal Mobility Community Facebook Group