Much like Rambo in First Blood, you know where he finds himself running through the jungle to get away from the Sheriff and all the guys chasing him; I feel like this is where ACL rehab currently is. If you’ve read the newspaper lately or been listening to the wireless as you sip your morning cuppa, you’d know ACL injuries are now an epidemic – pretty sure they’re in the same category as the global warming and flat earth theories.

If you’ve been one of the unlucky statistics to suffer a rupture, you would understand with this comes so many options… surgery or no surgery, 12 months or six months, hamstring, patellar or kangaroo tendons? So many decisions, huh? It’s like all you want to do is go rogue and run into a jungle because no one understands where your head is – good choice, John Rambo.

Identifying a hamstring injury typically involves recognising symptoms and physical sensations. Firstly, one of the most common signs is a sudden, sharp pain in the back of the thigh. This pain often occurs during activities that involve running, sprinting, or sudden changes in direction, which put significant stress on the hamstring muscles. You might also feel or hear a popping sensation during injury. Immediately after the incident, swelling and tenderness in the hamstring area may become noticeable, with some individuals experiencing bruising around the injured site.

Warning: strong language.

Also warning: rant.

A mixed grip deadlift or an alternate grip deadlift is when you hold onto the barbell with one hand in a supinated/underhand position (palm facing out) and the other in an overhand position (back of the hand facing out).

It can make deadlifting feel lighter or more manageable on the hands by sandwiching the bar between the opposing fists with an alternate grip.

Here at Evolutio we gather once a month to battle it out over the ever disputed “Muscle of the Month”. Following the successful vote a program is written targeted at strengthening this specific muscle or muscle group.

Why is it so important to continue strength training during the season? I’ll give you 2 good reasons: Improved performances and reduced injury risk.

If you think about it, the less you get injured, the more you can train. The more you train (smartly) the better you perform. Especially in team sports, the less players that are out injured, the stronger the team. When the coach has the full squad to choose from, especially the best players available, the more likely you get the results.

What do you say if someone you know sprains an ankle? Something like “yeah that sucks mate, but hey get some good rehab and you’ll be back at it before you know it.”

If someone hurts their back deadlifting how do you react? Differently? Why?

Lower back injuries tend to freak people out, but I reckon in many cases* there is absolutely no reason to view them as a death sentence to your work, sport or lifestyle.  (*obviously not all)

Here are the untold reasons why you are given rehab exercises and why you should do them!

1) Mechanotransduction

Mechanotransduction describes the process in which your cells convert mechanical loading into cell responses. The cellular responses then promote structural change - thus when load is used therapeutically, it can help with repair and remodelling of your tendons, muscles, cartilage and bone (Khan & Scott, 2009)