Get Stronger Without Heavy Weights: How Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training Helps Written by Dr. Victoria Riester, PT, DPT Performance Physical Therapist at UNITE.rehab.perform | BS Exercise Science, Ball State University | Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Governors State University What if you could build real strength using a fraction of […]

Does Weight Lifting Stunt Growth in Kids? Written by Coach Francis, CSCS Strength and Performance Coach at UNITE.rehab.perform | CSCS Certified | Specializing in Youth Athletic Development and Long-Term Performance Training “Will lifting weights stunt my child’s growth?” It’s one of the most common questions we hear from parents, and […]

The 10 Best Exercises To Relieve Back Pain Fast Written by Dr. Victoria Riester, PT, DPT Performance Physical Therapist at UNITE.rehab.perform Low back pain keeping you up at night? You’re not alone. Losing hours of sleep because of a nagging back is frustrating, and it’s one of the most common […]

Overcoming Isometrics: How Pro Athletes Prime the Nervous System for Explosive Performance Written by Coach Francis, CSCS If you’ve ever watched a professional athlete warm up and wondered why they’re pushing or pulling hard against something that doesn’t even move, there’s a reason: they’re priming their nervous system. That maximal […]

French Contrast Training for Vertical Jump: Add 3–5 Inches With This 4-Step Method Written by Coach Francis, CSCS If you’re looking for how to increase your vertical jump, French Contrast training is one of the most effective methods available and one of the most underused. French Contrast is a proven […]

Why ChatGPT Shouldn’t Replace a Physical Therapist for Pain or Injury Written by Dr. Victoria, DPT “Let’s see what ChatGPT has to say.” We’ve all done it. A twinge in your knee, tightness in your back, a nagging shoulder that won’t quit — and within seconds you’re down a rabbit […]

Tournament Prep & Recovery for Athletes: How to Stay Strong Through Every Match Tournament weekends expose everything. Your conditioning. Your recovery habits. Your preparation. Athletes perform better when hydration, carbohydrate intake, and recovery are managed before fatigue appears. And the ones who finish strong are rarely the most talented. They […]

Is Your Running Cadence Causing Knee Pain? If you’ve been dealing with knee pain while running and nothing seems to fix it, cadence might be the missing piece. Yes, running cadence can contribute to knee pain. Especially when your step rate is too slow and your stride gets longer than […]

Shoulder Warm-Up for Athletes: 8 Drills Coaches Should Use Before Upper Body Training If your athletes are jumping into pressing, pulling, or contact work with stiff, unprepared shoulders, you are leaving performance and durability on the table. A shoulder warm-up for athletes should do more than raise temperature. It should […]

Train for Life, Not Just the Gym: How the One-Trip Rule Builds Real-World Strength You pull into the driveway. You open the trunk. You stare at six grocery bags. And without thinking, you commit. One trip. It’s a joke most of us share. But it quietly exposes something bigger. Functional […]