Progressive Rehab & Strength

Weightlifting shoes are one of the most essential pieces of equipment that powerlifters and barbell strength athletes benefit from. There is no "one-size-fits-all" rule when it comes to what weightlifting shoe is right for you but there are specific things you should consider. Here are 5 things you need to consider when choosing what lifting shoe is right for you!   Stiffness & compressibility of...

Tearing your Achilles tendon is a major injury that may require surgery. While some people can recover from an Achilles rupture without surgery, some will require surgery in order to return to highly ballistic and plyometric sports like gymnastics and olympic weightlifting.   Stacie Barber, PT is a physical therapist, nationally competitive weightlifter, recreational gymnastics, and PT practice ow...

Powerlifting is a relatively safe sport in that the risk for injury is far less than contact and team sports and still less than Crossfit and weightlifting. Foot and ankle injuries directly caused by powerlifting are extremely rare. In fact, most injuries of the foot and ankle that affect your ability to powerlift occur outside of training. If they do occur as a result of barbell training, they ar...

Tearing your Achilles tendon is a major injury that may require surgery. But do you need to have surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon? Surgery is not the only answer and it is possible to return to powerlifting and continue to hit PRs if you work hard and continue to barbell train during the rehabilitation process.   Martin Hsieh is a physical therapist, parent of five children, recreational b...

Injuries are unavoidable, and sometimes you may end up with an injury or surgery that leaves you non-weight bearing. You may think you must stop all powerlifting while recovering from injuries or surgeries affecting your legs. However, we encourage you to modify your movements and mindset to continue your barbell training without interruption.    Common injuries and surgeries that may affect your...

Are you wondering if you need to fix your ankle mobility to squat better, if you should wear orthotics when lifting weights, or why specific shoes help you lift weights? Understanding how the foot and ankle function is important for making specific decisions about your feet and ankles in barbell training.    The feet are our connection to the ground and our base of support and force transfer in al...

Pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, hernias, and diastasis recti are common conditions people of all ages and genders experience. You may be wondering if you can powerlift with pelvic floor or core dysfunction and our answer is almost -YES!    In the final episode of our Pelvic Health month on the PRS Podcast, Drs. Breanne Maruca, PT, PRSCC, CLT, WCS, CF-L1 and Rori Al...

You have a baby and 6 weeks later you're cleared for exercise. What does this even mean? How are you supposed to return to heavy barbell training or powerlifting after carrying a baby inside of you for 9 months and then delivering them into this world?   It is astounding that women are not provided more education and care after growing and delivering a baby. They are expected to heal from 40 weeks...

In this episode of the PRS Podcast, Dr. Rori Alter, PT, PRSCC, SSC sits down with the PRS Pelvic Health Specialist, Dr. Breanne Maruca, PT, PRSCC, CLT, WCS to discuss the relationship between the pelvic floor, core strength, hip, and even back issues. As Rori shared in a previous episode, she noticed an improvement in her hip pain symptoms after pelvic floor therapy, which highlights the fact that...

    Episode #50: Diastasis Recti & Hernias: What you need to know to lift heavy weight even if you have these! Diastasis Recti and Hernias are common abdominal concerns that personal trainers, lifters and doctors are concerned about when it comes to lifting weight. However, it's safe to continue barbell training or powerlifting even if you've been diagnosed with either of these.   Though commonly...

Kegels are the most well known "exercise" for the pelvic floor and most people believe that if you accidentally pee yourself you should do kegels. However, in most cases of incontinence in powerlifting, kegels are not the answer!   Kegels are a pelvic floor muscle exercise that was coined by a male physician many years ago. However, most people do not understand how to properly perform a kegel nor...

Pelvic organ prolapse is a dysfunction of the human body that is experienced by men and women. Yes, you read that right, men too. So it's important to understand the symptoms, causes, and treatment options so you're not left wondering: "Can I powerlift with a prolapse?" or "Do I need surgery if I have a prolapse?"   Vaginal and rectal prolapse are sensitive topics for most people. In fact, this of...

Pelvic floor dysfunction is extremely common in all genders but it is most definitely not normal! You should not ignore or allow pelvic floor symptoms to continue but you also don't have to stop barbell training.    In this episode of the PRS Podcast, PRS Clinical Coach and pelvic health expert, Dr. Breanne Maruca, PT, PRSCC, CLT, WCS brings awareness to all the common abdominal and pelvic floor d...

The core and pelvic floor are often forgotten areas of the body when it comes to addressing injuries and issues in powerlifting. This area of the body is not visible and symptoms associated with dysfunction of the inner core and pelvic floor can present themselves as poor training progress or injuries in the back or limb before a direct issue presents itself.    Why does this happen? Well, most pe...

If you consider yourself an intermediate or advanced powerlifter, at some point in your barbell training journey, you may become a novice again. This is something called "The Repeat Novice Effect" and occurs when you've experienced an extended break in training. It's crucial for your long term success that your program reflects the change in your training status.   In this episode of the PRS podca...

In barbell training, we want to make as much continued progress as possible without having setbacks or getting injured. In order to accomplish this it's important to monitor training stress, fatigue, and recovery and make responsive and proactive training adjustments to improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury.    In this episode of the PRS Podcast we talk about the importance of ma...

If you're looking to start barbell strength training, coaching the barbell lifts, or incorporating the lifts into your physical therapy practice, you might be wondering where to begin. Having a movement model to develop individualized barbell training technique from is one of the most important parts of starting your strength training or barbell coaching journey.    No two people will look exactly...

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If you want to get stronger, a barbell strength training program is the way to go. However, the term "strength training" may be confusing or intimidating to you. So we want to take some time to help you understand the attributes of a quality strength program and how it can and should be adapted to any individual regardless of age, ability, medical history, and desire to train.   Regardless of the...

Do you need to do sport specific strength exercises to improve your reaction time and sports performance? There is a common misconception that strength training needs to be extremely sport-specific to the athlete's sport. However, this cannot be farther from the truth!   PRS Podcast Listener Question: "Fitness is a concept that can mean different things depending on the sport and/or goals.  It is...

Why do orthopedists say you can't powerlift or barbell train after injury or surgery? Why are their post-operative protocols the way that they are? And what should a powerlifter or barbell trainee expect after surgery?   Orthopedic surgeons often advise against barbell training and even suggest that their patients will "never be able to lift that again." This comes from orthopedist lack of trainin...

Should you do neck strengthening exercises? Barbell strength trainees often wonder if they should be incorporating more than just barbell training into their programs. Usually these questions boil down to whether or not small isolation exercises have any added benefit or not.   PRS Podcast Listener Question: The basic squat, bench press, overhead press, and deadlift are the core exercises for the...

The adductor group and groin region are commonly injured in barbell training and powerlifting and it could be related to shoulder tightness on the opposite side.   PRS Clinical Coaches have identified an interesting phenomenon in a handful of adductor strains and tears they have helped rehabilitate back to full powerlifting strength.   This phenomenon is the opposite shoulder and adductor relation...

Dr. Eric Helms, PhD., CSCS of 3D Muscle Journey and barbell athlete shares his path from FAI to hip labral repair and femoral acetabular impingement (FAI) surgery in both hips at the same time. After years of battling the idea of surgery and failed attempts to continue getting stronger, Eric decided to have surgery on both hips due to pain and repeated setbacks in training.    For many of us, havi...

Today's Live Q&A question comes from Doug, asking how to adjust training when you're away from your normal gym setup. Whether you're on vacation, traveling on business, or otherwise separated from your normal gym, it can be confusing to know what to do when you want to train but don't have access to barbells. Training is still possible though!   Rori and Alyssa discuss ways to utilize dumbbells, k...