Progressive Rehab & Strength

Cervical radiculopathy is a common condition of the neck that can result in a multitude of symptoms radiating in the arm, including muscle weakness. Acute weakness with the bench press can be a sign that something is impinging a nerve in your neck but when addressed appropriately, you can regain your strength effectively.

Chris Rzany experienced the acute onset of pec and triceps weakness in his bench press from one day to the next. He knew something was wrong and needed medical attention when he could barely bench press the empty bar where previously he was bench pressing 260lbs.

In an effort to preserve his physical health he sought immediate medical attention from an orthopedist, underwent imaging, and other testing, with no conclusive diagnosis to the root cause of his cervical radiculopathy.

Through his recovery journey there were ups and downs, relapses of his symptoms, but eventually, with the brief help from PRS Clinical Coach, Dr. Rori Alter, Chris was able to understand the root of his injury, his training program.

In this episode of the PRS Podcast, Chris and Dr. Rori Alter sit down and discuss his journey from severe cervical radiculopathy back to the powerlifting platform and hitting a raw powerlifting bench press PR.

In this episode you'll learn how volume, intensity, frequency, recovery, and novel stimuli played into his injury. And he'll also discuss how he stopped the relapse/remission cycle through monitoring training intensity.

Connect with Chris:

• IG - @crzany75

• Email - [email protected]

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Bre IG: @breannejulia_prs

Proper squat depth is defined as the hip crease falling below the top of the knee cap. If you find yourself doing a high squat on the first rep and then the subsequent squat reps are to depth, you likely lack confidence, aka Squatfidence.

When technique is not the issue, two signs you lack confidence in your squat include:

1. The first squat rep is high and the remaining squat reps are of appropriate depth.

2. The last squat rep is to appropriate depth but all previous are slightly high.

When either of these happen it means you have the strength and technique to perform a squat to depth with the load you are using, you just aren't confident.

Listen to this less-than-five-minute episode to learn how to combat it!

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Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com

Email: [email protected]

Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs

Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs

Bre IG: @breannejulia_prs

How you position your gaze and maintain your neck position when you lift is important. Your body's balance responds to your neck and eye position so when you are barbell training, it's important to keep your neck still and your eyes fixed to one point.

The position of the cervical spine when you lift is extremely important because many of the muscles that support the bar and shoulders attach to the cervical spine. Additionally, the neurovascular structures responsible for innervating the limbs, brain, and organs all pass through the neck.

When we do not pay close attention to the position of our neck and eye gaze while weight training, you may experience some problems like:

1. Tension headaches

2. Dizziness

3. Radicular pain in the arms

4. Upper extremity weakness

5. Stiff neck

Why do you get dizzy, headaches, a stiff neck, etc. when you barbell train?

1. Stiffness in shoulders, hips, or thoracic spine causes you to get range from another area in the body.

2. The position of the bar relative to your neck causes tension on the neurovascular structures in the neck.

3. Too much movement in the cervical spine when you lift. This area should remain stable to protect the joints and neurovascular structures which aren't meant to be loaded as much as the other areas of the body

In this episode of the PRS Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Rori Alter and Dr. Alyssa Haveson discuss position of the cervical spine and neck injuries in barbell training and powerlifting.

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Check out the Clinical Barbell Coaching Institute to learn more about the PRS education opportunities! https://bit.ly/43VjRFz

Get in touch with the show!

Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com

Email: [email protected]

Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs

Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs

Bre IG: @breannejulia_prs

Despite undergoing a below knee amputation, Bruce Trout never gave up barbell training. In fact, he made a career out of it. After a major accident that cost him his leg, Bruce Trout realized strength training saved his life and continues to inspire people to barbell strength train despite the odds, as if their life depends on it.

It's easy to give up and fall into a depression when a major injury threatens to take away your abilities. It's even easier to do so when it's not just an injury but a major trauma that takes away your leg and threatens your life.

In this episode strength coach, Bruce Trout, shares how his experience getting hit by a car and losing his leg was influenced by strength training and how his accident influenced him as a trainee and coach.

The purpose of this podcast interview is to help athletes feel less alone when experiencing serious injuries affecting one or more limbs. As well, we hope to provide coaches and clinicians with tools to help barbell athletes process their injuries and continue to train even when training is not ideal. Hopefully this interview will provide you with some tools for managing training and rehab around lower limb/non-weight bearing injuries.

Bruce was in a car accident in 2019 which resulted in the loss of his lower left leg. He attributes the fact that he only lost a leg and not his life to his commitment to the Starting Strength Method. Since his recovery, Bruce has found his calling to help other individuals find their own strength and live a longer and fuller life through coaching at Starting Strength Columbus.

Bruce Trout shares his story about losing his leg and barbell training and coaching with a prosthetic limb. In this episode we cover:

• How he lost his leg

• What was the driving force to push him through the initial injury

• How strength training saved his life and influenced his recovery process

• His experience with phantom pain

• How he progressed training initially after getting out of the hospital and once he received his prosthetic leg

• Why he can't squat and how his right leg picks up the slack plus other challenges he faces training his amputated leg

• The role of physical therapy after an amputation

• The biggest lessons he learned from his accident

Connect with Bruce on Instagram @brucebruce28 Resources mentioned:

1. Article about Bruce Trout's accident

2. Harder to Kill by Bruce Trout

3. Starting Strength Columbus Gym

If you're enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.

Join our Facebook Community for free form checks, live Q&As & more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PRS.Barbell.Mastery

Got questions or guests you'd like to hear on the show? Submit them here: https://forms.gle/7Vu2HmgHoeQY9xM59

Check out the Clinical Barbell Coaching Institute to learn more about the PRS education opportunities! https://bit.ly/43VjRFz

Get in touch with the show!

Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com

Email: [email protected]

Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs

Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs

Bre IG: @breannejulia_prs

If you're a weightlifter or powerlifter you may be wondering if your ankle mobility is affecting your squat depth and that it's something to address before getting under the barbell. For good reason, the internet has been raging about ankle mobility being a major cause of squat depth issues for the last few years. But we'll argue that your ankle mobility isn't affecting your squat.

Most people have depth issues related to:

1. Poor coaching

2. Poor body awareness

3. The load simply being too heavy

4. The leg being in a poor position to allow proper depth

If you can do the following, you have the ankle range of motion to squat to depth:

• Walk normally, comfortably, without an atypical gait pattern
• Go up and down normal height stairs
• Put your feet flat when sitting on a normal-to-low toilet

In the absence of a massive injury, prolonged immobilization of the ankle, or neurological condition affecting tone, the majority of people have enough range of motion to squat to depth without ankle mobility (or hamstring length, since I know you're thinking that too) causing the issue.

In this episode of the PRS Podcast, Clinical Coach Dr. Rori Alter, PT, PRSCC, SSC shares her own story of an ankle mobility deficit that didn't affect her squat. In fact, most people have asymmetries in size and range of motion from side to side and it's considered normal and generally does not affect barbell training and therefore doesn't need to be addressed.

However, Dr. Rori shares her ankle mobility deficit story to help you see when and why you might address it and what the best exercises are to address ankle mobility. The ironic thing is that she decided to address her ankle mobility issue because of pain from running and used the squat to address it. Funny how that is the opposite of what most people think.

If you're enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.

Join our Facebook Community for free form checks, live Q&As & more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PRS.Barbell.Mastery

Got questions or guests you'd like to hear on the show? Submit them here: https://forms.gle/7Vu2HmgHoeQY9xM59

Check out the Clinical Barbell Coaching Institute to learn more about the PRS education opportunities! https://bit.ly/43VjRFz

Get in touch with the show!

Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com

Email: [email protected]

Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs

Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs

Bre IG: @breannejulia_prs

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!

1. Stiffness & compressibility of the weightlifting shoe material stability

2. Stability that the shoe provides mediolaterally and front to back

3. What lifts you will be using the shoe for

4. How the weightlifting shoe and your anthropometry work together to improve your biomechanics

5. Any injuries you have or may have recovered from

The goal of this podcast is to provide insight into the purpose of lifting shoes as a whole and per lift. By the end of this episode we hope you'll have new insight and confidence in selecting the right lifting shoe for you, your budget, and goals. For coaches and clinicians we hope to help you better provide recommendations based on the needs, abilities, and injuries of your clients.

In this episode of the PRS Podcast we discuss:

1. The purpose of lifting shoe

2. The features we are looking for in a lifting shoe

3. Similarities and differences in our philosophies about lifting shoes

4. Some elements of a shoe that may help/hinder ankle mobility when lifting

We also discuss considerations around helping you purchase the right shoe. We answer:

1. "Should I buy a belt or lifting shoes first?"

2. "How do you help justify the cost of a higher quality shoe?

3. "If you had to choose ONE shoe to recommend to a new lifter, what shoe would it be and why?"

If you're enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.

Join our Facebook Community for free form checks, live Q&As & more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PRS.Barbell.Mastery

Got questions or guests you'd like to hear on the show? Submit them here: https://forms.gle/7Vu2HmgHoeQY9xM59

Check out the Clinical Barbell Coaching Institute to learn more about the PRS education opportunities! https://bit.ly/43VjRFz

Get in touch with the show!

Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com

Email: [email protected]

Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs

Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs

Bre IG: @breannejulia_prs

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 owner of The Physio Fix sustained a full rupture of her Achilles tendon at her first annual holiday party. While this injury was devastating emotionally and physically, it did not happen during her chosen sport, but rather during a Ninja Warrior holiday party!

After the shock of the injury wore off, Stacie connected with an orthopedic surgeon regarding her options for recovery. Just three days after the injury Stacie underwent surgery and returned to work two days later. The main factor in deciding to go the surgical route for the Achilles rupture was that there was a 9 cm gap between both ends of the torn tendon and no overlap when she was put in full plantar flexion. This meant that there was little opportunity for the tendon to heal itself.

In this episode of the PRS Podcast, Dr. Stacie Barbell shares the story of her recovery after the surgery, how she continued to train and maintain her strength the whole time, and the process by which she returned to olympic weightlifting and gymnastics after the Achilles rupture with surgery.

In this episode we discuss:

• What clinical factors lead to the decision to have Achilles rupture repair surgery

• How her post-op protocol for Achilles surgery varied from the typical protocol and why

• Footwear and assistive devices for Achillies repairs and how they helped/hindered

• Complications she experienced after the surgery and the process to address them

• How she continued to train without interruption post injury

• Kneeling & seated lifts to continue to train olympic lifts

• How long it took and how she progressed to get back to full ROM, heavy power and olympic lifts

• The timeline and progression for reintroducing gymnastics

• The importance of asking for help

• Insurance processes for covering the pre-surgical imaging, surgery, and assistive devices post-op

• The benefits of going out-of-pocket for post surgical return to sport physical therapy

• How this surgery changed Stacie as a clinician

Dr. Stacie Barber is the founder and owner of The Physio Fix, which was established in 2017. Stacie received her B.S. in Exercise Science from Illinois State University in 2011 where she was also an NCAA student-athlete, earning several honors in the sport of gymnastics. After undergrad, Stacie went on to become a strength and performance coach, furthering her knowledge of exercise prescription and implementation before pursuing her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree which she obtained from Duke University in 2015.

As a former collegiate gymnast and current Olympic Weightlifter, Dr. Stacie has had her fair share of orthopedic injuries and surgeries (11 surgeries to be exact!), so she understands how detrimental an injury can be for an athlete at any level. Therefore, she spends a lot of time with patients analyzing their movement patterns, identifying deficits, and improving body mechanics to not only fix the current problem but to also prevent further compensations and degeneration.

Get in Touch with Stacie!

• @ThePhysioFix on IG

• The Physio Fix website

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

1. #52 - Functional Anatomy of the Foot & Ankle in Barbell Training with Dr. John Petrizzo, PT, PRSCC, CSCS, SSC

2. How to Train with one leg

3. The Physio Fix Achilles Protocol Program (for purchase from The PhysioFix)

4. Stacie's Achilles Rupture & Repair Blog (1 full year on Youtube)

If you're enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.

Join our Facebook Community for free form checks, live Q&As & more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PRS.Barbell.Mastery

Got questions or guests you'd like to hear on the show? Submit them here: https://forms.gle/7Vu2HmgHoeQY9xM59

Check out the Clinical Barbell Coaching Institute to learn more about the PRS education opportunities! https://bit.ly/43VjRFz

Get in touch with the show!

Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com

Email: [email protected]

Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs

Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs

Bre IG: @breannejulia_prs

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 are usually caused by a weight room accident.

You may feel that because a foot or ankle injury affects the way you walk or how you bear weight on your foot, that you shouldn't squat or deadlift. However, in most cases, barbell training can and should be uninterrupted due to a foot or ankle injury. If you can put the foot down, you can perform the squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press. The reason this is the case is because there is little to no ankle movement and there should be no foot movement during the powerlifts.

In this 10 Minute Tip podcast episode we encourage you to keep training in appropriate ways with respect to foot and ankle injuries in three categories and exactly how to do that:

1. Chronic conditions:

   1. Bunions

   2. Plantar fasciitis

2. Weight Bearing injuries

   1. Stress fractures

   2. Ankle sprains

   3. Tendonopathy

3. Non-weight bearing injuries

   1. Post surgical

   2. Fractures

If you're enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.

Join our Facebook Community for free form checks, live Q&As & more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PRS.Barbell.Mastery

Got questions or guests you'd like to hear on the show? Submit them here: https://forms.gle/7Vu2HmgHoeQY9xM59

Check out the Clinical Barbell Coaching Institute to learn more about the PRS education opportunities! https://bit.ly/43VjRFz

Get in touch with the show!

Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com

Email: [email protected]

Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs

Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs

Bre IG: @breannejulia_prs

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 basketball player, and competitive powerlifter. In July of 2022 he sustained a full rupture of his Achilles tendon. Like most foot and ankle injuries that affect one's ability to barbell train, this injury was not sustained while powerlifting, but during a recreational league basketball game.

After the shock of the injury wore off, Martin consulted with a few of his physical therapy associates, and two orthopedists regarding his options for recovery. After a few weeks he decided that it was in his best interest to approach his Achilles rehabilitation without surgery and shares the story of his return to competitive powerlifting in less than a year.

In this episode of the PRS Podcast we discuss:

1. How he tore his Achilles tendon playing basketball and what factors played into the injury presenting itself in that moment

2. The role that fatigue accumulation plays in injury development

3. The two injuries he wouldn't want to sustain given his experience as a physical therapist

4. Why he elected not to have surgery to repair a full rupture of his Achilles tendon and how he approach rehab insead

5. When he resumed barbell training and what modifications he to help him continue without interruption

6. What he would differently if he tore his Achilles again

7. If and how he plans to go back to playing basketball after an Achilles rupture

8. His best piece of advice for injured athletes when determine what course of action to take next

The purpose of this podcast interview is to help athletes feel less alone when experiencing serious injuries affecting one or both limbs. As well, we provide coaches and clinicians with tools to help barbell athletes process their injuries and continue to train even when training is not ideal.

Martin graduated from University of Maryland College Park in 2008 with a BS in cell biology and molecular genetics. He received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2012 from University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Martin is a board certified myofascial trigger point therapist who performs trigger point dry needling as well as a level II certified instrumental assisted soft tissue mobilization clinician.

He believes that making his patients stronger and moving better with less pain is the key to improving their quality of life. He is an advocate for strength training for patients of all ages and incorporates barbell, kettlebell, and body weight exercises into his treatment regularly. Physical therapy does not have to be therabands and boring table exercises!

In his free time Martin enjoys spending time with his family, basketball, and golf. Since 2014 he has become a semi-competitive powerlifter and is currently a top 100 lifter in the nation in his weight class. He continues to pursue his powerlifting goal in his free time and plans to compete nationally if the timing is right.

Connect with Martin on Instagram @needles_and_deadlifts

If you're enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.

Join our Facebook Community for free form checks, live Q&As & more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PRS.Barbell.Mastery

Got questions or guests you'd like to hear on the show? Submit them here: https://forms.gle/7Vu2HmgHoeQY9xM59

Check out the Clinical Barbell Coaching Institute to learn more about the PRS education opportunities! https://bit.ly/43VjRFz

Get in touch with the show!

Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com

Email: [email protected]

Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs

Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs

Bre IG: @breannejulia_prs

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 ability to barbell train are quad and Achilles tendon repairs, labral repairs or FAI surgery, ACL reconstructions, knee scopes, or even ankle sprains or fractures. All injuries vary in the length of time it takes to fully heal from them, how much weight you can bear through the limb, and your movement ability at each leg joint.

However, this does not mean you have to stop training, it simply means you have to find a way to continue to train as best as possible.

When designing a powerlifting program to accommodate a leg injury or surgery, we need to consider a few things:

1. Can you bear weight through the affected leg?

2. Are you able to bend your knee?

3. Is it safe for you to maneuver weight plates yourself?

4. What equipment do you have access to besides a power rack, barbell, and weight plates?

Considering all this, we can formulate a training program that allows us to continue training the upper and lower body with little interruption after a significant injury or surgery to one of your legs.

In this 10-Minute Tip Podcast episode, we discuss specific modifications to powerlifting and barbell training for all of these scenarios.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

1. 56 Alternatives to Barbell Train Around Mobility or Injury Limitations (Article)

If you're enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.

Join our Facebook Community for free form checks, live Q&As & more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PRS.Barbell.Mastery

Got questions or guests you'd like to hear on the show? Submit them here: https://forms.gle/7Vu2HmgHoeQY9xM59

Check out the Clinical Barbell Coaching Institute to learn more about the PRS education opportunities! https://bit.ly/43VjRFz

Get in touch with the show!

Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com

Email: [email protected]

Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs

Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs

Bre IG: @breannejulia_prs