He argues that the secret to the splits isn't more stretching — it's smarter, less frequent stretching, measured and individualized. Here's who Matthew Smith is, what makes his method different, and an honest look at his credentials.
Matthew Smith — known online as "matthewismith" — is a mobility and flexibility coach and the founder of the Mobility & Flexibility Toolkit. He teaches adults (including self-described stiff beginners) to build range of motion up to advanced skills like the splits, pancake and bridge. His verifiable credibility anchor is that he's the mobility coach to Olympic 50m-freestyle champion Cameron McEvoy, who has publicly credited Matt's work. His signature is a low-frequency, assessment-driven approach — a genuine differentiator we break down below.
The strongest, independently corroborated part of Matt Smith's story is his work with Cameron McEvoy, the Australian sprinter who won 50m-freestyle gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics. McEvoy has said publicly — on his own account — that he started working with Matt in early 2023 on shoulder and hip mobility, and credited that work with sharpening his explosive dive off the blocks. It matters that we get the framing right: McEvoy describes Matt as his mobility coach specifically, so that's how we describe him here — not as a general "strength coach to an Olympic champion," which would overstate it. An elite athlete publicly vouching for your movement work is a real, verifiable credential, and it's the anchor of Matt's reputation.
In a field full of daily follow-along stretch routines, Matt's pitch is almost the opposite — and it's a genuine differentiator:
| Principle | What it means |
|---|---|
| "More isn't better" | Only a few stretches per skill (around three to five), trained roughly once or twice a week per skill — not daily |
| Recover to progress | He argues stretching creates fatigue you must recover from before you improve, so frequency is kept deliberately low (his rationale, not settled science) |
| Assess first | Self-assessments measure your joint angles to find the "weak links" limiting a skill, then build a custom plan around them |
| Passive → active | Progressions move from passive range toward active, usable strength at end range |
| Skill-specific | Dedicated tracks for the front split, side split, pancake, pike, bridge and shoulders |
The physiology he cites for the low-frequency approach is his own interpretation rather than an established rule, so take the specific "once or twice a week" prescription as his method, not gospel. But the underlying idea — that flexibility responds to smart, recoverable dosing and individual assessment — is sound and refreshingly un-hyped.
His programs target the classic flexibility skills — each has its own full guide here:
Matt's marketing bio is colorful — it describes training with Shaolin monks and studying under the late strength coach Charles Poliquin, among elite climbers and circus contortionists. We present those as his own claims: they're self-reported and we couldn't independently verify them, and no formal accredited qualification (a degree, PT license, or certification) is stated. That's not an accusation — plenty of excellent coaches are self-taught — but for an honest profile it's worth being clear about what's verified (the McEvoy relationship) and what rests on his own account (the lineage).
His products are paid, course-style toolkits and 1:1 coaching rather than free content, and reviews are mixed mostly on price and on whether people want a "why"-first course versus a simple follow-along. As with all online flexibility programs, this is general coaching, not individualized clinical care — ease in, warm up, don't force range, and see a professional for pain or injury. The balanced how-to is in our mobility guide.
Known online as matthewismith, he's a mobility and flexibility coach and the founder of the Mobility & Flexibility Toolkit. He teaches adults to build range up to skills like the splits, pancake and bridge, and is the mobility coach to Olympic 50m-freestyle champion Cameron McEvoy.
Yes. McEvoy has publicly said he started working with Matt in early 2023 on shoulder and hip mobility and credited it with improving his performance. He describes Matt specifically as a mobility coach, which is the accurate framing.
It's low-frequency and assessment-driven: only a few stretches per skill, trained roughly once or twice a week, with joint-angle self-assessments to find your weak links and a custom passive-to-active progression. He argues more stretching isn't better and that you must recover from it to progress.
His marketing describes training with Shaolin monks and studying under Charles Poliquin, but these are self-reported and unverified, and no formal accredited qualification is stated. The corroborated anchor is his mobility coaching of Cameron McEvoy. Treat his content as experienced coaching, not clinical care.
Log your mobility skills and watch your range climb — free on iOS.
Download on theApp StoreFree to start · No interruptive ads · 14-day Hero trial
This profile is independent, educational content and not medical advice. LiftHero is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Matthew Smith or the Mobility & Flexibility Toolkit; names are used descriptively for identification only. Biographical claims attributed to Matt (e.g. Shaolin / Poliquin training) are his own and unverified.
By Meitar Lazimi, founder of LiftHero · Last updated July 10, 2026.