The research pile against meniscectomies is getting large — Healthcare is a mess. Having been a physical therapist for nearly a decade, I have first-hand experience navigating an infuriating system that routinely lights money on fire. So many medical procedures are a waste of time and money. Chief among them are arthroscopic knee surgeries. I am not a surgeon…

The dosage makes the poison. — “Sugar is poison.” That is one of several absurd claims made on social media by coaches, trainers, and even some healthcare providers. It’s not. Can sugar be harmful? Absolutely. Do you know what else is potentially harmful? Water. You can die from ingesting too much water, cleverly known as water…

Does the bro science rep range check out? — If the clock is your primary guide to determining your exercise dose then you are likely over or under-training. There is nothing special about an hour. Granted, I am a huge proponent of the physical activity guidelines, and they use time thresholds for exercise: 150 minutes of moderate or 75…

How much longer are we going to ignore decades of research? — The posture nonsense is getting out of control. While preparing for a residency lecture this week, I came across an article on posture written by a physician. It was hard to contain my frustration. “Sitting badly or standing in a slouched position stresses your lower back, weakening and damaging an…

Challenging the bro science…again — Will cardio kill your gains? If you follow bro science, you may believe the treadmill is the enemy of muscle growth. As with many pieces of advice that float around the gym, this one disagrees with current research. Bro science and advice from the gym can be useful. I first…

Two easy assessments you can do at home — Strength is one of the most important markers of your health, no matter how you measure health. Zoom out, and you find low muscle mass and strength are independently associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality. Muscle mass and strength are vital for independence and daily function. Specifically, quad…

An often ignored training variable that can have big implications — If I asked you to tell me the differences between CrossFit, bodybuilding, and Powerlifting, what would you say? Perhaps you believe CrossFit and bodybuilding are more dangerous and pose huge injury risks. The good news is all strength sports, including CrossFit and Powerlifting, are low. Team sports and common individual…

Become strong and limber — Do you need to stretch to become flexible? Not according to a bunch of research. A 2023 research study compiled data from 55 papers. Among those papers, 7 directly compared resistance training to stretching. What they found contradicts common education. Both stretching and resistance training improve mobility relative to controls…

Repeating the same thing over and over is not one of them — How do you develop movement mastery? This is a question many athletes, coaches, and physical therapists would love to answer. It is something I have sought my whole life, having occupied all three of those roles. Regardless of the sport you play, improving your movement expertise will enhance your performance…