Counting your steps is just a piece of the puzzle — Are you healthy? How do you know? Common measures of physical health include some combination of fitness tests, blood panels, and medical screening, such as vitals. Many of the assessments are very valuable. On the physical fitness side, two of the best assessments we have at our disposal are strength…

There are benefits to each — If you aren’t panting or dripping sweat, was the workout even worth completing? I know many people who would argue it’s not, falling in line with the “no pain no gain” mindset. This is a potentially dangerous mindset, particularly in a rehabilitation setting. When I’m working with patients or conditioned…

Exploring protein research and practical takeaways — If you aim to live a long and healthy life, you need to prioritize muscle development. You don’t need to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but you need to be strong. Protein intake is not complicated. The recommendations for protein intake are not static either. When I first started studying physical…

Strategies for improving leg strength, regardless of your age or fitness level — Don’t skip the leg day. This phrase is often relayed to budding gym bros whose sole goals are to develop a large chest and bulging biceps. Building a big upper body may look great, but neglecting the lower body has consequences. Aesthetically, you aren’t winning any bodybuilding competitions if you…

Re-evaluating common recommendations from coaches and physios — Runners and coaches are always looking for the latest shoes and training techniques to gain an edge over the competition. One of the biggest detriments to development and performance is injury. Nothing kills progress like shutting down for rehabilitation. As a physical therapist who has treated many runners, I know…

Why I stopped worrying about the running mechanics of my patients — Do running mechanics matter? For the first several years of clinical practice, I analyzed the running mechanics of all of my runners. Analyzing gait is one of the calling cards of a physical therapist. As with most areas of my clinical practice, my approach changed as I read more research…

Injury prevention is both simple and complex. — How do you prevent injuries? This is one of the most common questions I am asked as a physical therapist. You can poll a group of coaches, trainers, physios, doctors, and researchers and receive a variety of answers. There is no way to completely eliminate injury risk but there are…

Sadly, many healthcare providers ignore the research. — What is your gut reaction to the following sentence: “Running and squatting are great for knee arthritis.” Incredulity? Confusion? Apprehension? We know physical activity is beneficial for the body and mind. Walking, running, resistance training, and recreational sports can all benefit nearly every system of the body. …

Combining research and clinical experience to help you choose your next shoes — Run Faster, Jump Higher. PF Flyers may have introduced the slogan, but running shoe companies and running stores continue to make bold claims about the benefits their shoes will provide. Every year, shoe lines update with new technology that brings promises of enhanced performance and reduced injury risk. I used…

Examining labral and rotator cuff injuries. — People are getting more medical procedures than ever and spending more money on health care than ever. What are they getting in return? Worse outcomes. Why? There are many factors contributing to the health status of the average American, such as our healthcare model and the influence of the food…

How joint pain and the heart are linked — Getting older truly is a pain. I’m only 33 but I still experience more pain and stiffness than I did in my 20s. I know it will only worsen as I age. One of the primary culprits for pain and stiffness as we age is osteoarthritis (OA), which is a…

I lost a lot of weight but was unhappy with the outcome. — Is fasting the magic bullet that will resolve our health concerns? I used to think so. At the start of the pandemic, I started reading more about fasting and low-carbohydrate diets. …

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. …

Become strong, limber, and more flexible without resorting to stretching — 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…

A simple way to improve your training results — Is there a best time of day to exercise? A recent study assessed this question. This recent research paper included 22 studies in the systematic review and 7 studies in the meta-analysis. What the Research Says The systematic review breaks down to eight studies that tested physical education students (average age of 22 and…

There are some things resistance training doesn’t prepare you for — Why do you exercise? My answer to this question has changed over the past 10 years. It has included preparing for competition, adding muscle, losing fat, improving overall health, and building a relationship with my future wife (she was a big runner). The competition preparation has changed drastically. Ten years…

Training volume should be tailored to you — Let’s say you would like to add some muscle and build up your strength. You head to the gym, ready to pump iron and get swole. Now what? Having read previous research you understand a couple of key concepts for building muscle such as prioritizing compound lifts and pushing your…