I held my breath the whole way down
I hurt my back benching.
I still remember that awful day. Bringing the barbell down towards my chest and feeling that weird tingly feeling down my leg.
That feeling stuck around for three years.
Even after I rehabbed and felt better, I’d unrack the bar and hold my breath the whole way down. Every rep, waiting for something to go wrong.
Every single set.
What I kept doing was waiting until I felt ready. I figured if I gave it enough time, the confidence would come back on its own.
It didn’t. Six months later, I looked back at my workouts and realized I was making no progress at all.
That’s when I realized I never got the support I actually needed.
Getting out of pain and getting back under a heavy bar are two different jobs. Most rehab is built for the first one. That’s fine, it’s what it’s for. The second one needs its own plan.
That’s what REBUILD is. I walk through the whole thing in this video: my own story, the Ground-Up Assessment, the three phases, and a few of the lifters who’ve been through it.
Hope you’re moving well and brewing better. ☕
Gabe
