Traditional physical therapy is often (and should be) criticized for underloading folks. Meaning, the patients are not challenged enough prior to being discharged from physical therapy (PT). This means that as they return to their personal trainers, gyms, and other recreational activities, their tissues likely aren’t ready for a return to full activity. There is a gap between traditional physical therapy and a full return to sport/gym-based movements.
This is where performance physical therapists come in who follow new and research-based schools of thought. I am a performance-based PT which means that I specialize in helping folks get back to higher level activities. This is why Outshine Physical Therapy focuses on helping active adults and athletes. Active problems need active solutions.
So, read below to learn why you need to be challenged in your physical therapy before being discharged. For most people, that means lifting heavy weights. Stick with me guys, ”heavy” is different for everyone.
1. Builds Strength and Resilience
Lifting heavy weights helps your muscles, bones, and connective tissues (like tendons and ligaments) get stronger. This makes your body more resilient to stress and reduces the risk of future injuries.
For example, if you’re recovery from a tendon injury, lifting heavy and slow are very important components to resolving your pain and making your tendons more durable.
2. Improves Muscle Function and Movement
If you’ve been injured, your muscles may weaken or "forget" how to work together properly. Heavy lifting challenges your body to recruit more muscle fibers and improve coordination. This makes your movements more powerful, efficient, and controlled when you return to activities like lifting weights, running, or playing sports.
3. Boosts Bone Density
Heavy lifting puts stress on your bones, which triggers them to build more bone tissue. This is especially important as we age, since bone density naturally decreases. Stronger bones mean fewer fractures and better long-term health.
4. Enhances Sports Performance
If you’re an athlete (like a runner, lifter, golfer, or baseball player), you need power and explosiveness. Heavy lifting builds the kind of strength and force production that carries over into faster sprints, stronger swings, and harder throws.
5. Supports Injury Recovery and Return to Sport
When recovering from an injury, you need to regain the strength you lost. Honestly, your baseline strength pre-injury got you injured. So really, it’s a good goal to get even stronger than you were. If you don’t, you’re more likely to reinjure yourself. Lifting heavy weights helps bridge that gap and ensures your muscles, joints, and nervous system are ready for the demands of real-life activities.
This is especially true when you’re returning to something that is skill specific. Some gym-based movements that should always be performed in PT before returning to your gym or personal trainer are squats, bench press, deadlifts, clean and jerks, snatches, push press/push jerk, etc. If these lifts are part of what got you hurt, then it would be a real shame to never do them in PT to ensure best technique and prevent more injuries in the future.
Other examples of movements that should be included within your PT plan of care might be arm balances (if you are a yogi returning from shoulder pain), full effort throwing/swinging (if you are a baseball/softball player/golfer returning to sport), double unders or box jumps (if you are a CrossFit athlete or scholastic athlete).
6. Improves Mental Confidence
Rehabilitation after an injury can mess with your confidence. Lifting heavy weights shows you what your body is capable of again. That mental boost can be just as important as physical recovery when returning to sports or daily activities.
For example, you need to build confidence with running and cutting before returning to the soccer field after an ACL injury. You also need to test yourself under heavier loads with a barbell back squat to build that confidence back. The mental aspect is arguably as important as the physical healing.
Does "Heavy" Mean the Same for Everyone?
Not at all! What’s "heavy" depends on your fitness level, injury history, and goals. For some, heavy may be a 350+ lb deadlift. For others, it could be a 30 lb kettlebell. At Outshine, we know how to tailor this for each person and how to progress it over time to get back to activity without restrictions. The goal is to meet you where you are and challenge you appropriately. There is no cookie cutter sessions and each movement is chosen for a reason to move you towards your goals.
Why You Should Lift Heavy Weights in Physical Therapy
3 Stages of Rehab at Outshine Physical Therapy
At Outshine, we think of rehab in 3 phases:
1) Early Phase: The primary goals are to improve your mobility and pain. Then we introduce some early strength training and movement as able. We are calming down your nervous system, improving blood flow, and identifying and then modifying irritating movements and positions.
2) Mid Phase: The goals are to improve how you move and continue to gradually load heavier over time. We may ramp up some cardiovascular activity in early-mid phase as well as include lots of education.
3) Late Phase (this is the phase most traditional PT skips): The goals are to build confidence and competence with all recreational/gym-based movements. This could be jumping, running, Olympic lifts, advanced yoga postures, building back to a heavy lift, and more.
The “magic” happens in stage 3 aka late phase rehab. This is where we build really resilient, confident, and competent humans who get back to all activities without restrictions.
If your physical therapy has skipped late phase rehab leaving you feeling unprepared or fearful of the gym, golf course, basketball court, yoga, etc. then give me a call. Let’s challenge your body so it doesn’t continue to let you down.
Cheers,
Dr. Sieara
Book your FREE consult call here!
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