Fascia Training: A Critical Thinking Breakdown
Fascia is having a moment.
From Instagram reels to fascia-focused seminars, there's a growing buzz around the idea that fascia training is essential for athletes.
And while fascia isn’t new, like all things in our field, its resurfaced and is popular again.
But before we overhaul our programs or buy into the hype, let’s take a step back and apply some critical thinking.
Not because we are close-minded, but because we are healthy skeptics with critical thinking skills.
Lets dive in.
What follow are my thoughts and should not be taken as a shot at any person or company who promotes fascia training methods are claims.
The Claim: "Fascia training is important for athletes."
At first glance, it sounds reasonable.
Fascia is a real and important anatomical structure.
This is not really debated and any time spent in a cadaver lab makes it clear.
Fascia surrounds and connects muscles, transmits force, and may influence movement efficiency.
But here's the issue: this claim is vague and poorly defined.
- What exactly is "fascia training"?
- What outcomes does it supposedly improve?
- How do we measure success?
If we can’t answer these questions clearly, we can’t critically evaluate the claim.
So let’s break it down using a simple 3-step framework I teach in my Applied Performance Coaching course.
Step 1: Assess the Claim
Claim: "Fascia training is important for athletes."
This is too broad.
"Important" for what? Performance? Injury prevention? Longevity? And what qualifies as fascia training?
If we define fascia training as using bounce, elasticity, or tissue-focused movement prep (like foam rolling, oscillatory work, or plyometrics), then we need to ask: is this distinct from what we already do in a well-rounded training program?
Verdict: The claim lacks clarity.
Step 2: Analyze the Evidence
This is where things get even murkier. Here's what we do know:
- Fascia is involved in force transmission and plays a role in structural support and movement coordination.
- Fascia adapts to mechanical loading over time (like most tissues).
But here's what we don’t know:
- We can't reliably measure how fascia responds to specific training methods like plyometrics, heavy strength training, or oscillatory loading.
- There are no gold-standard protocols for "training fascia" in isolation.
- Most of the claims around fascia training rely on theoretical models, indirect inference, or marketing language.
Verdict: The evidence is speculative at best.
Step 3: Apply Contextually
Now let’s get practical.
Even if fascia-focused training isn’t backed by hard evidence, does it still have a place in programming?
Yes, but only because all training is fascia training.
Athletes benefit from training that involve:
- Elastic loading (skips, bounds, rebound jumps)
- Movement variability (multi-planar movement, change of direction)
- Oscillatory or reflexive drills (rhythmic medicine ball throws, fast footwork)
But not because we're directly targeting fascia.
Rather, these qualities improve coordination, tissue resilience, and movement efficiency.
Verdict: “Fascia-focused” movements may be helpful, but not for the reasons often advertised.
Understanding Basic Science vs. Applied Science
One of the biggest mistakes in our field is assuming that because a structure or system behaves a certain way in basic science (like cadaver studies, cellular models, or isolated tissue experiments), it must respond similarly in applied, real-world training environments.
Fascia is a great example.
We can observe properties like stiffness, elasticity, or load transmission in the lab, but that doesn't automatically tell us how an athlete's fascia adapts during sprinting, lifting, or rehab.
Just because something makes sense in theory doesn't mean it holds up in practice.
Applied science requires real-world data, outcome tracking, and consideration of human variability.
Without that, we risk using basic science to justify interventions that don’t deliver meaningful results.
Generally speaking, basic sciences are good for developing hypothesis and ideas that we then test in applied settings.
Coach’s Takeaway
Rather than blindly adopting fascia training as a new pillar of your program, ask yourself:
- What am I actually trying to improve?
- Is this based on evidence or trend?
- Could I achieve the same outcome using well-supported training methods?
As performance professionals, our job isn’t to chase trends.
Rather, it’s to think clearly, apply evidence, and deliver results.
Fascia is fascinating, but for now, it should inform curiosity, not drive programming.
I am open to change my opinion with new evidence, until then Ill choose less abstract and more direct training methods to achieve results for my athletes.
I hope this was helpful,
Ramsey
P.S. Want to sharpen your decision-making and think more critically in your coaching?
Check out the Applied Performance Coach Certification and Mentorship.
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