How to build strength fast (and prevent injuries)

Last year I had shoulder surgery.

Then 6 weeks in a sling.

But 5 months after taking off my sling I accomplished my goal of a 100 lb row.

I’ve made progress in months that used to take me years.

Results that change the way you think about yourself.

Training that transforms your body.

Stop waisting your time with your workouts and use these 5 keys to building strength fast:

1. Compound lifts:

Which means you’re moving multiple joints at once.

Compound lifts are the best way to build strength without spending hours in the gym.

Lower body: Squat, Deadlift, and Lunge

Upper body: Forward press, Overhead press, Pull downs, Rows, and Throws

2. Weekly routine:

Repeat the same weekly routine for 10-12 weeks.

This allows you to nail your technique and increase the resistance with each exercise

3. Resistance:

More than you did last week. 📈

Heavier weight, faster speed, or more sets.

4. Sets and reps.

3-6 repetitions is most effective for building strength.

To maximize strength, each rep needs to be 100% effort.

This is different from body building where the goal is to fatigue the muscle with higher reps.

3-5 sets is best for all your weight lifting goals.

Recovery

-Ice baths
-Stretching
-Breath work
-Walk 2-3 x a day
-Sauna (or hot bath)
-Grounding (touch feet to earth)

Building strength is a life changing experience.

But the key to physical performance is injury prevention.

If you want to be fit you need strength AND you need to minimize injuries.

You can push through pain today but tomorrow it will hurt worse.

Ignoring joint pain is not a strategy for healing.

Modify your movement with:

-Resistance

-Exercise selection

-Volume (sets and reps)

Yesterday I made a post on X about my shoulder recovery.

I included 12 exercises to reduce injury risk in your shoulders (bulletproof).

If you haven’t seen it you can check it out here:

https://x.com/Tyler_Van_Acker/status/1826253439648633067

The key is discovering the appropriate amount of stress.

Use your pain to guide your actions.

Pain is information not something to be avoided.

If it hurts while you’re walking, take a break if it gets worse.

If it hurts while you’re sitting, get up.

If it hurts with exercise: use lighter weight, less reps, less volume, or a different exercise.

My best advice when it comes to exercise selection for your injury:

Embrace discomfort and be cautious with pain.

Everyone's pain perception is different and you know your body best.

Your bodies ability to move depends on your strength and coordination.

Bring more awareness to the way you walk, sit, and exercise.

Posture and movement shape the physical self.

I’m bias to movement as the best medicine for joint pain.

But I’ll admit chronic joint pain is a hard problem to solve.

You need a strong commitment to healing.

An agreement with yourself that you won’t get discouraged with setbacks.

Confidence that you can heal and get stronger.

Your friend,

Tyler Van Acker, Doctor of PT

PS

I’m offering fitness coaching for people with joint pain.

I want to limit myself to 3 clients at a time so right now there’s only one spot left.

If this sounds like something you’re interested in just reply to this email.