KRU PT + Performance Lab

04/17/2026

Low Back Pain – Focused Mobility
Stiffness, tightness, or restricted movement in the lower back is often linked to poor control and limited mobility.
These six exercises aim to restore tolerable movement while helping reduce symptoms.

04/15/2026

Lower back pain is one of the most common issues people deal with—and it usually builds over time, not from a single moment.

Effective prevention comes from improving how force is managed through the body during movement. When the core, hips, and surrounding musculature work together, the lumbar spine is better supported and less likely to be overloaded.

Key focuses for prevention:
• Core stability (ability to resist excessive spinal movement)
• Hip strength and control to reduce compensatory stress on the lumbar spine
• Controlled spinal mobility to maintain movement options without overloading one area
• Proper breathing mechanics to support intra-abdominal pressure and spinal stability

Consistent, well-executed training helps maintain tissue resilience and reduces unnecessary strain on the lower back.

04/10/2026

Ankle sprain rehab isn’t just bands + balance boards.
If you keep rolling the same ankle, it’s usually because you never rebuilt control, load tolerance, and reactivity.
Here’s how we actually fix that:
• SL Bent Knee Calf Raises – 3–4 x 10–15
Slow down, stay controlled. Builds Achilles + soleus strength for real game positions.
• Multi-Planar Resisted SL Hops – 3 x 5 each direction
Forward, lateral, rotational. Control the landing, don’t just chase height.
• Uneven Surface Reactive Balance – 3 x 30–45 sec
Add perturbations or distractions. Train your ankle to react, not just hold.
• Earthquake Bar SL Balance – 3 x 20–30 sec
Let the bar shake. Your ankle learns to stabilize under chaos.
• Offset Floating Heel Carries – 3 x 20–30 steps each side
Stay on the ball of your foot. Builds endurance where you actually play.
• Skater Hops w/ Med Ball – 3 x 6–8 each side
Stick the landing. Own the deceleration.
Pro tip: Do as much of this barefoot or in minimalist shoes as possible.
You want your foot + ankle doing the work—not your shoes.
Stronger isn’t enough.
Your ankle needs to be reactive, stable, and confident under load.

04/09/2026

Recurring ankle sprains need more than just lateral work.
Here we’re building isometric load through the calf + Achilles while challenging control on the ball of the foot. Add the tidal tank → now the entire ankle has to stabilize, adapt, and stay locked in.
Because it’s not just the outside of the ankle—it’s everything around it working together.
Stronger. More stable. More prepared.

04/03/2026

Early-stage patellar tendon rehab isn’t about going hard right away, it’s about doing the right things early.
We focused on quad activation, added BFR to build strength without stressing the tendon, and finished with controlled gym work to start rebuilding capacity.
Lay the groundwork now so you can load it later.

03/31/2026

Jumper’s knee (Patellar tendinopathy) responds best to isometrics + controlled loading — here’s why each of these works and how to use them ⬇️
🔹 Spanish Squat
Why: Offloads the knee joint while directly loading the patellar tendon → great for pain reduction + early-stage strength
How: Band behind knees, sit back upright, shins vertical
Rx: 4–5 sets × 30–45 sec holds
🔹 45° Single-Leg Hold
Why: Targets tendon at a mid-range angle where it’s often most irritable → builds tolerance without overload
How: Slight bend in knee, hips back, hold steady
Rx: 3–4 sets × 20–30 sec each leg
🔹 Lunge Hold (Floating Heel)
Why: Increases quad + tendon demand by shifting load forward → mimics sport positions (deceleration/jumping)
How: Front heel slightly elevated, back knee hovering
Rx: 3–4 sets × 20–30 sec each side
🔹 90° Wall Sit w/ KB
Why: High quad activation = strong patellar tendon loading → builds capacity for deeper knee angles
How: Knees at 90°, hold kettlebell for added load
Rx: 4 sets × 30–60 sec
🔹 Single-Leg Knee Extension ISO
Why: Isolates quad + directly loads tendon → key for rebuilding strength asymmetries
How: Hold at ~60° knee bend on machine
Rx: 4–5 sets × 20–45 sec each leg
Why this matters for jumper’s knee:
Isometrics can reduce pain (analgesic effect) while progressively improving tendon load tolerance — so you can get back to jumping, sprinting, and cutting without flare-ups.

03/26/2026

03/24/2026

If your forearm can’t handle force → your tendon takes the hit.
Here’s how we rebuild it 👇
1. Wrist Curl + Eccentric
3–4 sets x 12–15
Slow 3–4 sec lowering
2. ART w/ Finger + Wrist Extension
2–3 rounds x 30–60 sec
Reduce soft tissue restriction
3. DB Pronation/Supination
3 sets x 12–15 each way
Control the rotation
4. DB Wrist Extension
3–4 sets x 10–15
Focus on slow eccentrics
5. DB Radial Deviation
3 sets x 12–15
Keep it strict
6. Wrist Extension Stretch
2–3 rounds x 30–60 sec
Decrease resting tension
7. ART w/ Resisted Wrist Extension
2–3 rounds x 8–10 reps
Load + tissue work combined
8. Banded Pronation/Supination
3 sets x 15–20
Constant tension through range
9. Forearm Roller
2–3 rounds to fatigue
Build grip endurance
10. Banded Wrist Extension
3 sets x 15–20
Great for high-rep tendon loading
Why this works:
We’re increasing tendon capacity, improving rotational control, and redistributing load across the forearm so the elbow isn’t taking all the stress.
Less irritation. More resilience. Back to hitting.

03/19/2026

Dry needling for Achilles pain helps reduce muscle tension, improve calf function, and restore load tolerance—so you can move better, not just feel better.

03/16/2026

Achilles Tendinopathy Rehab for HYROX & Runners
Your Achilles takes a huge amount of load when you’re running, lunging, jumping, and pushing sleds. If the tendon’s capacity can’t keep up with the load, pain starts to show up.
Two exercises used all the time to rebuild Achilles capacity:
1️⃣ Isometric Calf Holds (Progressive Positions)
Isometrics are great early on because they load the tendon while helping reduce pain.
Prescription:
• 4–5 sets
• 30–45 second holds
• 1–2x per day
Progression:
• Plantarflexion (heel elevated): least compression, best starting point when symptoms are more irritable
• Neutral: increases tendon loading as tolerance improves
• Dorsiflexion: highest demand and compression — use later in rehab when the tendon is stronger
The goal is gradually increasing tendon load without aggravating symptoms.
2️⃣ Slow Eccentric Heel Drops
The Achilles tendon is formed from two calf muscles — the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Your knee position determines which one you’re targeting.
Prescription:
• 3–4 sets
• 10–12 slow reps
• 3–4 second lowering phase
Variations:
• Straight knee: biases the gastrocnemius
• Bent knee: biases the soleus

Both muscles feed into the Achilles tendon, so training both helps improve the tendon’s ability to tolerate load during running and hybrid training.
Simple exercises. Done consistently. Big difference in building Achilles resilience.

03/12/2026

Graston Technique is a tool physical therapists use to improve how muscles, tendons, and fascia move.
Using specialized instruments, clinicians apply controlled mechanical stimulation to soft tissue. Research suggests this may increase circulation, stimulate tissue repair processes, and improve movement tolerance.
In rehab, it’s most effective when combined with strength training and progressive loading to restore healthy movement.
Swipe through to learn how it works.