Evidence-based guides for common exercise injuries, prevention strategies, and rehabilitation protocols.
Shoulder Impingement: The 4-Week Fix for Lifters Who Can’t Press Without Pain You’ve hit a wall. The overhead press that used to feel strong now sends a sharp pain through your shoulder somewhere between 60 and 120 degrees of elevation. Bench press feels sketchy. Maybe you’ve already Googled it, and Google’s AI told you to … Read more
Should You Work Out With a Pulled Muscle? A Trainer’s Decision Framework You felt it the moment it happened. A sharp twinge. A sudden tightness. Maybe you heard a small pop. Now you’re sitting on the gym floor wondering: do I stop training entirely, or can I keep going? The generic internet answer is always … Read more
IT Band Syndrome: Stop Foam Rolling and Start Doing This Instead By Marcus Cole, Certified Personal Trainer If you’ve been told to foam roll your IT band, I have some uncomfortable news: you’re wasting your time. I know this contradicts nearly every running blog, physical therapy Instagram post, and well-meaning gym buddy you’ve encountered. But … Read more
Lower Back Pain From Squats: Is Your Form Wrong or Is Your Back Weak? By Marcus Cole | Workout Answers You just finished a solid squat session. Everything felt controlled, your depth was good, your knees tracked well. But 45 minutes later, your lower back is tight. By evening, it’s aching. Or maybe it’s different: … Read more
Tennis Elbow From Lifting? How to Train Through It and Actually Heal By Marcus Cole You’ve been crushing your deadlifts. Your pull-up volume is up. Then one day, you feel that sharp pain on the outside of your elbow. It’s subtle at first—annoying, not debilitating. But within a week, gripping the bar hurts. Shaking hands … Read more
Runner’s Knee: The 6-Week Protocol That Fixes It (Not Just Manages It) Runner’s Knee: The 6-Week Protocol That Fixes It (Not Just Manages It) By Marcus Cole Runner’s knee is the most common running injury—accounting for about 25% of all running-related pain—and yet the standard advice you’ll find online hasn’t changed much in twenty years. … Read more
Sciatica From Lifting: A Lifter’s Guide to Fixing It Without Quitting the Gym By Marcus Cole, Strength & Conditioning Coach You felt a twinge during your last deadlift session. Now, a week later, you’ve got sharp pain radiating down your leg, tingling in your foot, and your search history looks like “can I squat with … Read more
The Rotator Cuff Rehab Guide That Actually Gets You Back Under the Bar Let me be straight with you: most rotator cuff rehab advice online is garbage for lifters. I say this not to be inflammatory, but because it’s true. You’ll find endless articles telling you to avoid overhead movements for six months, do light … Read more
Plantar Fasciitis: Why Your Doctor’s Advice Isn’t Working and What to Do Instead By Marcus Cole, Strength Coach at Workout Answers I’ve been coaching clients through plantar fasciitis for over a decade. If I had a dollar for every person who told me their doctor prescribed rest, orthotics, and ibuprofen—only to still be limping six … Read more
Shin Splints Won’t Go Away? The Real Fix Isn’t Rest — It’s Load Management If you’ve been told to just rest your shin splints and they keep coming back, it’s because rest treats the symptom, not the cause. I’ve had this conversation a hundred times in the gym. A runner or CrossFitter comes to me … Read more