The Prehab Guys

10/08/2026

Sometimes in a rehab session we need to address multiple different issues in a short amount of time ⏰

Because of this, it helps to kill two (or five) birds with one stone and find exercises that can train many involved body regions together as a coordinated system 🙌

Try out this exercise to train combined:
☑️ Dynamic hip internal rotation
☑️ Pronation at the foot/ankle
☑️ Mobility into toe extension for push off
☑️ Rotational control of the trunk
☑️ Explosive force transfer

Let us know if you find any other rehab issues that this exercise addresses 🤔

10/05/2026

Struggling with IT band pain? 👇

Shout out to Dr. Tim DiFrancesco, DPT | Physical Therapist | Online Training for this exercise 🙌

Most people think IT band issues are just a “knee problem” or something you can foam roll away. But ITBS is a triplanar issue involving compression and friction across the muscles attaching directly to the band, including your glutes, TFL, lateral hamstrings, and quads.

Using a slider + PVC pipe for support allows you to eccentrically hinge, bend at the knee, and load the hip in all 3 planes.

Key takeaway: 🔑

Strengthen to lengthen! Loading the muscle eccentrically improves dynamic capacity and builds tissue tolerance so the pain stops coming back.

Try this one before your next run! 🏃💨

10/04/2026

09/30/2026

Can you get all of the answers right on this bone quiz? ✅ or ❌

We challenged our PTs and our Product/Engineering team on this bone quiz. As a company, we’re lucky enough to have an amazing team that helps us deliver PT programs, exercises, information and resources to more people than we ever imagined! And we thanked them by subjecting them to this bone quiz 🥴

Should we challenge the PTs with Product/Engineering questions next? 🤔🫠

09/28/2026

Foolproof heel raises? 👇

Our goal when training a new movement pattern is to set up an environment that guides patients naturally toward success 👍

Shout out to Scott Rayment | Podiatrist 🦶 for this band cue that does exactly that!

In a calf raise, one of the most common faults is rolling onto the outside edge of the foot (excessive supination).

This band setup is great because the band provides cueing and feedback. It forces the foot to resist pronation and keeps the medial arch engaged through the tibialis posterior without needing consistent verbal correction.

How to level this up 📈

Add a step: Most posterior tibialis issues involve a compression component when the ankle enters dorsiflexion. Train into dorsiflexion gradually ✅

Shoutout to Dr. Scott for this variation! Setting up exercises with built-in cueing and feedback helps with patient autonomy in their recovery which we know helps them to get better faster 🙌

09/25/2026

Having trouble achieving your first pistol squat? 👇

In our previous video, we mentioned working on squat depth and single leg strength from the top down and improving dorsiflexion mobility. If these didn’t help you achieve your first pistol squat, try working from the bottom up!

The bottom of the range is typically the most difficult to control and push out of. Getting comfortable here first can make the rest of the squat feel more attainable 👍

1️⃣ Practice loaded weight shifts in your deepest range
2️⃣ Try a double leg roll to squat
3️⃣ Try a double leg roll to stand
4️⃣ Try a single leg roll to squat
5️⃣ Try a single leg roll to stand

Give these progressions a go and let us know if they helped you achieve your first pistol squat ✅

09/22/2026

Are knee joint noises normal after ACL surgery? 👇

It’s common to worry when your knee sounds like a cement mixer, an old door hinge, or a washing machine on spin cycle during recovery 🫠. But joint noise alone isn’t necessarily a sign of damage.

After surgery, changes to joint mechanics, tissue healing, and fluid dynamics often cause harmless clicks and crunches 🦵

However, joint noise IS a concern if accompanied by:

1️⃣ New Stiffness/Loss of Motion: Increased stiffness or reduced range of motion post-exercise.

2️⃣ Swelling: Delayed or sudden joint effusion following a workout.

3️⃣ Pain: Sharp, throbbing, or persistent discomfort during or after movement.

If your knee sounds noisy but feels stable, painless, and mobile, you’re likely good to go. If noise comes with any of the above concerns, it may be time to re-evaluate your exercise volume or intensity with your health care team 👍

09/20/2026

Can you make it to the hardest progression? 🤔

The gluteus medius is one of the most clinically relevant muscles of the hip. Strength deficits here can contribute to limited single leg stability, running and walking tolerance, or hip pain with squatting and lunging.

1️⃣ Captain Morgan Isometric Hold
2️⃣ Captain Morgan + Single Leg Squat
3️⃣ Captain Morgan + Single Leg Squat + Chop
4️⃣ Gluteus Medius Isometric Hold + Banded Clam
5️⃣ Landmine Hip Lock + Single Leg Squat

Try these progressions to help with hip pain and function, and let us know if you can get through all of them 💪

09/17/2026

PTs and SPTs 👇

Here is a guide to shoulder mobilization techniques and associated restrictions that we target in clinic:

☑️ Posterior Mobilization: Targets improvements in internal rotation

☑️ Inferior Mobilization: Targets improvements in shoulder abduction

☑️ Lateral Mobilization: Best utilized to improve global joint mobility

☑️ Anterior Mobilization: Use this to target external rotation 👍

☑️ Distraction: Great for global mobility and pain control.

These rules are not absolute, and improvements may not always be correlated to the treatment technique. Someone may move better after a mobilization because of:

Pain modulation via sensory input to the nervous system, temporary changes in movement tolerance, and sometimes the graded loading of restricted tissues. So multiple techniques may contribute to improvements!

🧠 Clinical Reasoning Checklist:

Always assess first: Check active and passive ranges of motion to determine directional limitations. Mobilizations are typically administered in the loose-packed joint position.

Consider patient tolerance: Modify mobilization grades as needed based on pain levels and goals. Utilize towels or cushions to optimize comfort.

Test/retest: Did your mobilization help with their tolerance to active movement?

09/15/2026

Shout out to Charlene Tierney, a baller DPT student for this plyometric progression 👏

Here’s why this progression is actually gold:

1️⃣ Building Strong Brakes First: You wouldn’t drive a fast car without reliable brakes. Landing drills teach your body how to absorb force.

2️⃣ Single Leg Variations: Single-leg training is neglected in some plyometric progressions.

3️⃣ Pogo Variations for Tendon Loading: From band-assisted to single-leg pogos, this is how you load tendons the way they’re designed to work. Stiff, springy, and reactive utilizing the stretch shortening cycle 🎯

The only flaw? In general, social media reels condense months of hard work into highlight reels. Rehab isn’t linear and it’s full of adjustments, scaling back/modifying and finding what works for each individual. It’s important to not get discouraged if your rehab progression has its ups and downs or doesn’t follow a perfect timeline, as that’s the reality in most cases!

Shoutout to Charlene for putting together a fantastic plyometric progression! 👏