The question your physio couldn’t answer

Hey,
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So this reminded me of a guy I spoke to not long ago.

He’d just come out of rehab for a back injury. Pain was down, he was feeling good again, confidence starting to come back.

And he asked his physio something super simple.

“How much weight should I add next week?”

And the answer was basically…

“Ease into it.”
“Listen to your body.”
“See how it feels.”

And look, on the surface, that sounds fine. I get it.

That’s exactly what he thought too.

So he goes back to the gym, starts light, adds a bit here and there. Nothing crazy. He’s trying to be smart about it.

But there’s no structure. No numbers. No clear progression. He’s just kind of feeling it out as he goes.

And within a few weeks…

Same lift.
Same pain.
Same exact spot.

Again.

And quite frankly, this is where most people get stuck.

Not because they skipped rehab.

But because no one actually prepared them for load.

They just got comfortable without it.

And that’s a big difference.

Because real rehab does not end when the pain goes down. That’s just the starting point.

What actually matters is this:

Can your body handle more next week than it did this week?

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​And I mean that in a very clear, measurable way.

Load.
Volume.
Progression.
Regression.
Tempo.

If those things are not mapped out, you are not following a plan.

You my friend, are guessing.

And hoping it holds up.

And hope is a terrible strategy when it comes to injury.

So next time you speak to your physio, just ask this.

“How much?”

And if they cannot give you a clear answer, that tells you everything you need to know.
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Talk soon,
Gabe
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​P.S Missed any of my other posts? Read them here