Returning to Strength Training After Injury

You’ve worked hard through rehab — now you’re ready to return to strength training.But where do you start, and how do you know you’re doing it safely?

At Kinetix we believe the transition from rehab to training is one of the most important (and most overlooked) stages of recovery. It’s where your gains become permanent — and where smart progress prevents re-injury. It's one of the reasons we designed our space to look and operate more like a gym than a medical office!

The following is general advice. It's always best to discuss with your physician and your physical therapist to make a game-plan that fits your specific needs!

1. Start Light — and Focus on Control

When your therapist or physician clears you to resume strength work, start with 2 sets of 20 repetitions. You'll be forced to use a little weight to accomplish 20 reps.The goal here isn’t to build muscle yet — it’s to retrain movement patterns, rebuild confidence, and allow tissues to adapt gradually.

Think of this as “strength training for your nervous system.”You’re teaching your body how to move well before you ask it to move heavy.

2. Leave Your Ego at the Door

This might be the hardest step — especially if you’re used to lifting heavy or competing.But trying to “pick up where you left off” before your injury is a fast track to re-injury.

The weight you lifted six months ago doesn’t matter — what matters is how you move today.

Focus on rebuilding capacity, not chasing old numbers.Your body will remember your strength — as long as you give it time to earn it back the right way.

3. Understand Pain and When to Pause

We come to enjoy the physical and mental challenges that come with the discomfort of working out, but in the rehab space it's important to differentiate between good and bad types of discomfort.

Expect to feel sore, fatigued and hopefully some of that good muscle burn!

Stop and contact your PT if you have any of the following:

• Sharp/shooting pains

• Pains that linger around > 1 hour after exercise

• Numbness

• Swelling

• Pain that worsens instead of eases throughout workout

4. Gradually Increase Resistance

After 1–2 weeks of consistent, pain-free training, begin to reduce reps and gradually increase resistance:

• Move from 2×20 → 3×15 → 3×10 as tolerated.

• Keep rest periods short (30–60 seconds) to rebuild endurance.

• Focus on foundational movements first — squats, bridges, rows, and presses.

This “slow cook” approach lets your muscles, tendons, and joints adapt without setback.

We built Kinetix to help people bridge the gap between rehab and real life.Whether you’re returning to the gym, the field, or your favorite weekend sport, our therapists combine clinical expertise, movement science, and strength/conditioning principles  to rebuild confidence and performance.

We don’t just help you recover — we help you come back stronger, smarter, and more resilient than before.