I realized a terrible truth this week…a while back, I wrote an article on the best kettlebell exercises to use in rehab. But despite being The BARBELL Physio, I’ve never written about the best barbell rehab exercises. Travesty!  So here we go, our favorite exercises with the barbell to use in rehab! For more rehab exercises, see my articles on the...

One of the most frequent questions I receive from athletes is what my favorite soft tissue mobilization tools are. I’ve got a few below that I’ll share, but first, you need to know this about all soft tissue tools. I don’t believe ANY soft tissue tool (or hands-on technique) create actual mechanical changes in the soft tissue. For example, people...

The bird dog, traditionally programmed for people who either are doing some low back rehab or trying to work on some spinal stability, can be one tough exercise. Rotary stability, glute activation, anterior core control, scapular stability, and lower trap development. Very few athletes, coaches, and clinicians understand how valuable the bird dog can be beyond simply a rehab exercise....

STOP STATIC STRETCHING TO IMPROVE HIP MOBILITY The fitness world has come a long way in our understanding of the importance mobility work has on athletic performance. Mobility tools and drills are becoming commonplace in gyms, CrossFit boxes, and on the playing field. Unfortunately, most athletes performing these hip mobility drills have yet to figure out that much of their mobility...

TRX and other suspension trainers are one of the most versatile pieces of equipment for the physical therapist, chiropractor, or other rehab professionals to use in the treatment of injuries. The exercise variety and ease of quickly altering the load of the exercise makes it great for individuals of all fitness levels. I’m thrilled to share this compilation of the...

As we previously covered in Parts I and II, blood flow restriction training has emerged as a game-changing rehab and performance tools. While traditional resistance exercise strength & hypertrophy must be done with heavy loads, blood flow restriction is the opposite. With blood flow restriction strength and hypertrophy gains have been shown in research at loads as low as 20%...

Blood flow restriction training has received huge amounts of attention in the strength & conditioning, rehabilitation, and research worlds. Its’ proponents cite huge amounts of research showing it a valuable tool for promoting strength and hypertrophy gains. In the first of this article, series, we will do a general overview of the science behind blood flow restriction training. In part 2,...

NOTE: if you are interested in diving deep into exercise after pregnancy, please check out Dr. Sarah Ellis Duvall’s course POST-PARTUM CORRECTIVE EXERCISE SPECIALIST! When we look at postpartum recovery I see two kinds of women at the one-year postpartum mark: one is super fit, athletic and frankly looks like she never had a child (even though she has had...

The kettlebell is a fantastic training tool for athletes and the general population to build strength, stability, coordination, conditioning, and sports performance. It is also one of the most undervalued pieces of equipment used by physical therapists and chiropractors in the rehabilitation of injuries. Here are my favorite kettlebell rehab exercises. For more rehab exercises, see my articles on the...