Injured? Don't Stop Training, Do This Instead -Ep.51

Injured? Don't Stop Training, Do This Instead -Ep.51

Two weeks ago, I back squatted for the first time in six months, loaded it up too fast, and paid for it. In Episode 51 of Pursuit of Balance, I'm using my own back flare-up as a case study in how to actually handle injuries — because for 95% of issues, stopping training completely is the wrong answer.

I break down the exact framework I use with myself and our members at Functional Lifestyles: how to know whether the position or the load is the problem, how to regress movements without losing momentum, and why protecting the habit matters more than protecting your ego.

We also go deep on fascia — the connective tissue that holds your entire body together — and the three things it's most sensitive to: hydration, position, and temperature. Plus, I walk through how your breathing patterns shape your posture, why big inhalers get stuck in extension, and what your resting posture reveals about your stress state.

In this episode:

  • My back injury history — car accident at 19, CrossFit deadlift injury at 20, and the lessons from 15 years of managing it
  • Why I removed heavy back squats, conventional deadlifts, and barbell bench from my training (high risk, low ROI)
  • The swaps I use instead: Bulgarian split squats, goblet squats, sumo, trap bar, dumbbell pressing
  • Fascia 101: Anatomy Trains, fascial lines, and the ketchup bottle analogy for hydration
  • The inhale/exhale test: how breathing connects to extension, flexion, and your nervous system
  • Sympathetic vs. parasympathetic posture — and what mine says about me
  • "There are no bad positions, only weak ones" — the mindset shift that changed how I coach
  • The load test: if it doesn't hurt unloaded, the position isn't the problem
  • How to regress intelligently: reduce load, reduce volume, add tempo, micro-dose frequency
  • Why taking a month off destroys more than your fitness — the downstream habit collapse
  • My honest take on the "supple leopard" philosophy and why modern humans need more prep than a leopard does

Whether you're dealing with a back flare-up, a cranky shoulder, or you're just tired of the injury-rest-reinjury cycle, this episode gives you a practical playbook for moving forward instead of shutting down.

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