Expert Insights on Performance & Recovery
RPE, RIR, Percentages…. Huh?
If you don’t know what Burns Night is, neither did we. Anything that involves food and time together though, I’m pretty much in. Well how about RPE and RIR? Maybe some of you are familiar with these abbreviations, along with their relationship to percentages when discussing programming within lifting and physical therapy. Today we’re diving into the differences between the two and why I prefer RPE versus RIR and percentages.
What the Heck is a Zercher?
The zercher squat claims its origin from a weightlifter and strongman from the 1930’s and 1940s, Ed Zercher. In a time of no squat racks, the most efficient way to squat the barbell was to tilt the barbell on its side, get in position underneath, and lift the weight up onto your back while controlling the momentum of the barbell leveling out. Ed decided that was too inefficient of a process.
He pioneered the process of getting your elbows underneath the barbell while it sat on the ground, deadlifting into start position, and subsequently squatting the weight.
In today’s day and age of power racks, here’s 3 reasons why we still use this lift today?
Bend Your Knee in Your ACL ReconstructioN Rehab
ACL reconstructions and any ligament injury for that matter can be a difficult journey. When you lay it out on paper, there seems to be a never ending list of physical deficits to address in order to get back to doing what you love. One cannot under appreciate the significance of finding the right provider and physical therapist to simplify this process and provide the proper guidance in your rehab.
While there are a number of checkpoints and physical characteristics that we try to develop along the way, there’s one phrase that never seems to disappear, even by the end.
Whats Coming in 2026
We had an amazing year in 2025 and had the privilege to work alongside people training for trail races, get back into lifting comps, bigger climbing and ski days. We love the collaboration and partnerships with our patients, and community that has come with it. And we’re looking for bigger in 2026!
Here’s what’s coming:
Solve Your Neck Pain in the New Year
I wanted to start the new year off exploring an exercise that has been at the forefront of my programming for many of my recent patients when it comes to their neck pain. For the majority of individuals with neck pain, the bulk of what you will find is stretch this, stretch that, and give it enough time and your symptoms will settle down. Now I wouldn’t necessarily label this as an incorrect approach, rather an incomplete perspective.
New Years Reflections in Physical Therapy
When your medium of transportation for the holidays is driving and spend 15 hours in the car each way, you get a lot of time to reflect. For me and with the new year upon us, the bulk of my reflection surrounded behavior change and what goes into the process of creating new habits and decision making models.