Progressive Rehab & Strength

Are you too old to lift weights and barbell train? There is often a negative connotation associated with barbell training and the aging population. The thought is, it's not safe to lift heavy weights if you're old. But when done optimally, it's safe, leads to improved function, and protects long term health.   Our goal with bringing on some of our clients is to share their unique stories, experien...

Achieving a full bench press lockout is one of the most important components of the bench press for optimal strength development, injury risk reduction, and a qualifying lift in powerlifting competitions.   While most people think of the lock out as the end of the bench press movement, there is also a lockout before the movement of the first rep starts. A common but often overlooked issue we see w...

While the deadlift is not as tough on your knees as the squat, you may experience anterior knee pain when deadlifting. If you're wondering what to do when your knee hurts while deadlifting, we're here to help!   As with the squat, in the deadlift the knees are bent. However, there is less knee bend, less concentric muscle motion, and almost no eccentric muscle motion in the deadlift. Because of th...

Chronic pain, injury, and illness often holds people back from being physically active and participating in competitive or recreational sports. This may lead to identity loss, depression, and poor health. Medical doctors frequently warn people against barbell training with such considerations, but in fact, barbell training is one of the few things that can positively impact change long term.   Our...

When we see the heels pop up, knees slide forward, or a forward shifting bar path in the squat, we know that your squat technique is not optimal.    While this may not inherently be a problem or cause an injury, over time, a forward squat can lead to missed lifts, stalled progress, or unexpected injury.    In this episode of the PRS Podcast we discuss three indications that you're too forward in y...

Knee pain from squatting happens due to a variety of factors. Squat frequency, intensity, volume, and technique all play a part in anterior knee pain. Here we are going to address technical considerations of the squat and knee pain to assist in reducing it.   From a technical point of view, the acuteness of the knee angle at the bottom of the squat may be a contributor to anterior knee pain.    Th...

Understanding the functional anatomy of the knee in barbell training is an important aspect of biomechanics that powerlifters, physical therapists, chiropractors, strength coaches, and doctors should understand.    When you understand how the knee joint is structured and functions you'll have a better understanding of why certain ways of performing the squat and deadlift are more optimal than othe...

A hysterectomy is a major surgery that needs time to recover from. Returning to powerlifting after a hysterectomy is safe but a process that needs to be respected and slow in order for the body to heal and rebuild.    Our goal with bringing on some of our clients is to share their unique stories, experiences with barbell training, and how their training has impacted their lives positively despite...

People often wonder if it's safe to barbell training or powerlift if you have scoliosis or osteoarthritis in your joints. When done correctly, barbell resistance training is one of the best ways to reduce joint pain, improve posture, and slow the progression of your curvature and bone loss due to osteopenia and osteoporosis.   Our goal with bringing on some of our clients is to share their unique...

Surgery after surgery could easily stop someone from continuing to powerlift or barbell train. And oftentimes we're faced with the worry that we'll never get back to where we were before surgery. It's important during these times to shift our focus and our mindset to what we can do in order to stay motivated and not lose what we're so passionate about.    Our goal with bringing on some of our clie...

Experiencing hip pain with squats, getting diagnosed with a labral tear, and facing the possibility of hip surgery after failed attempts at traditional physical therapy can be demoralizing. It's possible to overcome a labrum tear and continue barbell training without surgery. If you're only trying to treat the pain through low level exercises and not addressing technique, programming, and developi...

Heavy resistance training after a heart transplant might scare most people but it's important for long term health and function. We share a story about how barbell training can help you get stronger and improve your quality of life after a heart transplant.   This is the first episode in our series of inspirational client interviews. As we head into the new year, we wanted to bring some of our cli...

This episode of the PRS Podcast was a free event offered to individuals who signed up to receive our free PRS Lifting Manual or Clinical Coach Starter Kit.    During this live Hot Seat event we answered pre-submitted questions and questions from the live audience.    Here are just some of the questions we discussed during this live event:   How long should we wait to increase the weight on the bar...

The sport of powerlifting is composed of competitive weight classes. As such, during the competitive growth of a powerlifter, they are faced with the decisions to choose a weight class to compete in. However, for a competitive advantage, a majority of competitive powerlifters choose to sit slightly above their chosen weight class and weight cut into competition.   In this episode of the PRS Podcas...

Rori shares a recent issue with one her lifters, in which he was holding his breath for all five reps in his overhead press sets. He acknowledged that he was unsure where he should be breathing, which sparked a conversation about breathing strategy in the press. The most important thing, Rori explains, is making every rep the same, including your breathing pattern. Whether you breathe at the top a...

Caloric intake is important for building strength and muscle mass, but just how much you need depends on your goals and your current body composition. In this episode, PRS Clinical Coaches Dr. Rori Alter and Dr. Alyssa Haveson sat down with Dr. Robert Santana to discuss the concepts of dietary intake and muscle mass development in barbell strength and powerlifting  athletes.    Robert has an exten...

Rori analyzes an unusual bench press error that recently cropped up with one of her lifters. In this case, the lifter was raising her butt off the bench slightly when taking a breath to establish a valsalva and set her upper back before the rep. The problem became exacerbated as fatigue set in. In powerlifting, however, the lifter's butt must stay in contact with the bench throughout the rep, so d...

Dr. Rori Alter, PT, PRSCC, SSC, and Dr. Alyssa Haveson, PT, PRSCC, CSCS, sat down with the listeners to answer all the questions submitted for our October 2022 live Q&A podcast show!    They covered an array of topics, but because these were questions asked directly, they were able to address individual cases while providing valuable insight for everyone.    These topics included:    ☑️The intenti...

Leg drive in the bench press is one of the most important elements for successfully building a large bench press and keeping your shoulders healthy. However, you may be doing it wrong. In this episode of the Progressive Rehab & Strength Podcast, Rori discusses a common leg drive error that many people make. If you're experiencing pec or shoulder pain or abruptly failing one to two inches off the c...

Deciphering accurate health and fitness information can be challenging in a world of information overload! Especially when trying to fit it into your already busy life.  In today's episode, Dr. Rori Alter, PT, PRSCC, SSC, and Dr. Alyssa Haveson, PT, PRSCC, sit down with special guests: Alessandra and Josh Scutnik, the creators of SD Evolution and FIT Coach Pro. They cover essential and practical t...

If you're experiencing knee pain when you barbell train or powerlift and you've done all the things to try and address it, check this unracking and reracking mistake. In this What We Saw Wednesday episode Rori discusses a racking mistake that has the potential to contribute just enough stress on the knee that your knee pain doesn't resolve.   Click HERE to access the Barbell Athlete's Guide to Fil...

About This Episode: Rori and Alyssa invite nutritionist, nutrition coach, and competitive bodybuilder Christy Alexon onto the show to discuss proper nutrition and eating habits for maximizing strength and muscular development. Christy holds a PhD in Physical Activity, Nutrition and Wellness from Arizona State University, and lectures on nutrition and metabolic science at Arizona State as a Clinica...

There has been an undeniable shift in the clinical physical rehabilitation field, and it's been steadily changing since about 2015. Physical therapists and chiropractors no longer focus solely on pain management, short-term relief, isolation techniques, manual therapy, and modalities. Instead, they aim to influence the whole person in front of them and achieve global long-term tissue change with a...

The number one question asked by our Clinical Barbell Coaching Institute physical therapy, chiropractic, or barbell coaching students is "how do I combat the experience of being undervalued, underpaid, overworked, and having terrible hours at my current job?"    You aren't alone if you want to break free of the status quo.    So often, people feel forced to practice a certain way and handcuffed to...

A coach's job is to educate a lifter on safe and effective barbell technique, maximize strength and muscular development, help ensure goal attainment through appropriate programming and technique, provide support throughout the process, and ultimately keep people happy and lifting for years to come.   But it takes two to tango! The athlete plays an essential role in the success of the coaching exp...