I’m frequently asked by athletes and other clinicians what makes good CrossFit programming. Writing a training plan for a gym following the principles of using “constantly varied, functional movements, performed at high intensity” is incredibly difficult even for veteran programmers. When I’m analyzing CrossFit programming, there are a few “red flags” that I look for in the plan. Things that...

Developing a strong skillset as an orthopedic physical therapist requires a broad range of skills. We must be able to create buy-in with our patients, analyze movement, and formulate a plan to attack areas of weakness. The following are the best physical therapy books I’ve read to address all three of these areas. I hope they help you in the...

I am frequently asked what the best blood flow restriction bands are. As with any trend in the fitness world, many manufacturers have designed blood flow restriction products recently to match the growing demands for BFR equipment. Like most fitness tools, the best set of BFR bands is highly related to your goals. Unfortunately, some devices on the market have...

The hip thrust, popularized by Bret Contreras, is one of the most widely used exercises for targeting glute strength and hypertrophy. This movement takes the standard glute bridge and increases the difficulty by elevating the shoulders for a greater range of motion. A variety of different variations will allow us to increase the intensity of the hip thrust for more...

The psoas march is one of the best exercises for strengthening the hip flexors and abdominal muscles. It’s effectiveness makes it a staple in many programs I write for addressing hip impingement, hip flexor tightness, diastasis recti, and low back pain. If you’re looking to improve any of those areas, then these psoas march (PM) variations will be sure to crush...

If you’re an athlete, chances are you squat on a regular basis. That’s because the squat is one of the most common and important exercises in any routine. We often discuss how strengthening different muscles can help improve your squat performance. But, adjusting your squat stance can be one of the easiest ways to improve your squat performance. When athletes...

There isn’t a ton of information on the internet about how exactly to return to kipping pull-ups postpartum. There’s even less when we talk about other gymnastics movements such as toes to bar and handstand work. And of the information available, it is often put out by athletes that have had their first child and instantly consider themselves a postpartum...

Returning to CrossFit gymnastics movements postpartum can be a challenging process for many new moms. Of all the movements CrossFit athletes perform, returning to toes to bar postpartum is probably the most difficult to get back. If you have been looking for help returning to toes to bar postpartum you have probably already seen there isn’t a lot of information...

Whether your goal is to PR your squat and deadlift, or to simply finally get long-lasting relief from low back pain, strengthening the muscles of your lower back is important. While I believe firmly that the deadlift is the best exercise you can do to strengthen your lower back, there is a lot of value in having other exercises to...