Prioritizing Quality Strain Over Max Weight

It was great to have John Rusin back on the show after some years, and with the release of his new book the timing was perfect for us to catch up and talk training. We dive into specifics of the training sessions, how to implement the methods, and nuances of the system and how to use it. 

Dr. John Rusin is an internationally recognized strength coach and injury prevention expert known for his innovative, health-first approach to training and performance. With nearly two decades of elite-level training experience and advanced degrees in both exercise science and physical therapy, Dr. Rusin has developed performance, regeneration, and aesthetics programs for some of the world’s best.

Named a "Top 50 Health & Fitness Expert" by Men’s Health magazine, Dr. Rusin took the methods proven at the highest levels of sport and adapted them specifically for everyday people―making elite-level injury prevention, sustainable health, and lifelong physical performance accessible to everyone. This approach evolved into the Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification (PPSC), the largest and fastest-growing fitness education company in industry history, certifying over 20,000 coaches, trainers, physical therapists, physicians, and allied healthcare providers since its inception in 2018. Today, thousands of clients across all ages, abilities, and experience levels have successfully transformed their bodies, rebuilt their health, and reclaimed their lives, demonstrating the unmatched real-world effectiveness of the pain-free performance training system.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

=> Why the single minded approach of training is dogmatic and far from what’s best for most people

=> Why the “little bit of everything” hybrid angle of training is what clients prefer and do best with for longevity. 

=> The 6 characteristics of lifelong health, performance and longevity and how to plug them into every training session.

=> How most programs are missing 3-4 characteristics when doing an audit, and it’s what leads to longer term issues. 

=> What is the KPI lift and why it’s many times NOT your traditional “big lift.”

=> Why does John combine a power and “muscle pump” combination BEFORE doing a big lift for strength training (and something many gurus may disagree with).

=> Determining your training split based on whether you train 3-6 days a week and how to break it down for each. 

=> The step-by-step breakdown of John’s lower body training session and why each exercise fits in where it does.

=> The philosophy of “primers” and who should do them, when. 

=>  The total amount of reps for strength KPI lifts, what works, and what’s overkill (which most people do).

=> A limiter of strength is having pain and feeling like s@*t, which is why you’ll do this _______ before your main lift.

=> The patience of working on weak links that pay off months later in improved performance. 

=> The method that gives you instant gratification in a training session. 

=> The rest periods that work, keep the session on time, and how to use fillers to improv how you feel while you’re training.

=> The addition vs the subtraction model when it comes to programming; choosing your main emphasis and tuning other characteristics down.

=> While seeing performance gains is key, making sure people feel good from day to day is just as, if not more important (for most clients).

=> Navigating the seasons of life, training history, and how to rotate training throughout someone’s health and performance journey. 

=> High/low alterations on conditioning and how to reduce eccentric load for recovery.

=> Doing the opposite of what you’re doing as the baseline, and how it may get you the greatest gains of their life. 

=> Mastering (not learning) training systems as the key to becoming a world class coach. 

LINKS & RESOURCES:

John Rusin's Website 

Pain Free Performance Training

John Rusin IG

Book: Pain Free Performance 

Super Coach Mentorship 

Luka's YouTube