064: The Science Behind Staying Strong & Injury-Free with Physical Therapist Zach Long

The Better Man Podcast

When you exercise consistently and push your body past its limits, injuries can happen. The problem is, most guys don’t know the best way to recover from current injuries and prevent future ones.

For example, most guys think passive stretching can reduce injuries, but this isn’t exactly true. Stretching does provide relief, but without strengthening the underlying muscles, joints, and tendons around the injured body part, you won’t prevent future injuries from happening.

The same is true for resting through an injury — in fact, staying active helps you recover from injuries faster than simply resting.

That’s why I’m pumped that Zach Long, a personal trainer, owner of The Barbell Physio, and expert in injury prevention and recovery joins us on this episode.

We cover a ton of injury prevention and recovery information in this episode, including…

• Why the “Rest” component of RICE is outdated (and how to exercise safely when you’re injured)
• Why technique isn’t the most important aspect for injury prevention (even though it is important)
• The weird way your nervous system can make you experience pain that isn’t there
• The 3 most common (and preventable) injuries for men 40+

And more!

Listen now.

Show highlights include:

• The easiest way to determine if your physical therapist is worth their salt or not (8:19)
• Why resting after an injury can actually cause more problems than staying active (10:44)
• The “PEACE & LOVE” injury rehabilitation method which is wildly more effective than the popular “RICE” method (11:43)
• Why seeing a physical therapist before scheduling a surgery prevents you from having an unnecessary and costly surgery (20:39)
• The eye-opening “Surgery Placebo” experiment that may change your mind on whether or not you need surgery (21:52)
• How to cut your risk of injury in half by simply sleeping 8 hours each night (26:57)
• The “Red Light, Green Light” system to strengthen injured muscles without causing more severe injuries (30:54)
• Why forgiving yourself for coming up short on your fitness goals actually increases your chances of reaching them (1:19:29)
• Haven’t hit your protein intake goal today? Here’s a quick snack to help you eat enough protein every day (1:22:42)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

1. The Barbell Physio: Want to improve your performance while reducing injuries? Head to Zach’s website here: https://thebarbellphysio.com/

2. Performance Plus Programming: Want to prevent injuring yourself in just 10 to 15 minutes per day? Check out Performance Plus Programming to find supplementary injury prevention programs for any part of your body here: https://performanceplusprogramming.com/

3. Follow Zach Long on Instagram: Want to learn more about preventing injuries (without sacrificing your strength and fitness)? Follow Zach on Instagram at @thebarbellphysio

4. Rhone: Save 20% on all high-quality, long-lasting, and comfy workout gear from Rhone by using this link: https://manflowyoga.com/rhone

Other important links:

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Want to unlock more flexibility and strength, reduce your risk of injury, and feel your absolute best over the next 7 days? Then join the FREE 7-Day Beginner’s Yoga for Men Challenge here: https://ManFlowYoga.com/7dc.

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