Ask Coach E
Episode 18

Welcome message from Coach E 

I have a labral tear and partial rotator cuff tear in my left shoulder diagnosed 2/2023.  I no longer have any pain and now have 95% full range of motion thanks to your shoulder pain solution program. I have been back to lifting weights over the past year.  I am very mindful of proper positioning and alignment but am wondering if there are certain exercises I should be avoiding when it comes to strength training and lifting weights. I have found that when I go up in weight for some movements I have to quickly back off as my shoulder doesn’t feel quite right.  

Any tips/exercises to do or not do would be greatly appreciated.

Jan 2023 I performed a full squat quickly to say hi to a little dog :) There was a pop and pain in my left knee but minimal subsequent pain. A year later, walking upstairs, I had sudden, excruciating pain. An MRI showed a full tear of the root of the medial meniscus. Little to no arthritis so surgical repair was recommended and done. 9 months later I had pain on full extension so another MRI showed repair had failed so I had roughly the same surgery with a different surgeon. I'm now 14 months post-surgery with good range of motion and 0-2 pain. I workout on a bike, elliptical, hike and lift weights. I'm inclined not to squat lower than 90 degrees to protect the repair, especially because of how it tore initially. Do you think that's smart? Do you suggest other limitations on doing your exercises?

I also don't rotate with foot planted. I'm doing your Balance 360 program now.

Hi

I wrote you about exercise for a tibial fracture and its now been 9 weeks since the accident so am now able to walk after clearance from an mri . It indicated a miniscus tear on interior side and acl injury on the outside of the knee. I am not experiencing any pain walking wear a metal jointed side support brace while walking as it stabilizes me from twisitng movement. My physio suggested I wear it whenever walking and not to worry about any intervention for the tear. Im getting time on recumbent bicycle and step machine twice a week and have no problems at the setting suggested, so need to have strengthening in between sessions. What exercise program should I follow on the app,. 

Thanks for the previous advice and the amazing app.

Hi Coach E, I have been an ardent user of your programs since 2022 and I feel much stronger and fitter than most women my age. One of my favourite routines is the Low Back Pain Daily, which has been a tremendous help in keeping my back happy despite all the activities I put it through. BUT, due to technical difficulties (a heart blockage for an otherwise totally healthy heart), I had a pacemaker implant a week ago and was told not to push, pull or raise in insicion arm more than 90 degrees to the front or side for 6 weeks. And that means, I can no longer do hip bridges, bird dogs or side planks. Meanwhile, I'm just 10 days into recovery and my back is already stiff and achy.

Can your think of anything I can do to stay pain free without using my arms? Thanks for any suggestions you can provide to help!

Hello,

In March 2024 I had a 2mm simple patella fracture in my left knee that healed normally without surgery. I did the recommended physio exercises, but they were quite limited (hip bridges, quad raises & isometric contractions, calf raises & standing on one leg). One year after the accident, I began getting crepitus in that knee when it flexes from a fully extended position, and when descending the stairs. It doesn’t hurt at first, but will start to ache (to maybe a 3 or 4 on the pain scale) if I keep repeating the movement. I stop when it begins to hurt, so am unsure how strong the pain would get if I kept going. The noise is sometimes accompanied by an unpleasant grinding sensation. Recently I’ve started to feel a faint clicking when on the elliptical, although that isn’t painful. The knee isn’t unstable, but it does feel slightly looser than the other one. There is no redness, swelling etc. It's mostly okay the rest of the time, although it will ache sometimes (usually no worse than about a 4), especially if I’ve been more active than usual.

I have recently started the Knee Pain Solutions program and am currently doing the Foundations modules, but wondered if there are any specific exercises I should do to reduce the crepitus and help the knee feel more normal again? And if there are any exercises I should avoid?

I am also nearly halfway through the Hip Pain Solutions program for my right hip, which had some mild pre-existing pain that was aggravated by being on crutches for three months after the knee injury. That is going well so far.

Thank you :)

Hi coach E,

There is a body part that I can't find specific exercises for on the app. I wonder which routine I could follow for a recurring tightness in my front ribcage. The specific place would be where the lowest ribs end and the stomach/diafraghm begins, near the sternum. It's especially thight on the right part (liver side) of the ribcage and often on the right side and back of the ribcage. I hope I've explained well enough.

Thank you!

Hi Eric,

I've been working through both the Shoulder and Wrist programs since I've been struggling with Tendinitis from being a guitarist.

Something I've noticed is a lot of tension in my jaw. It often feels tired and sore. I know that part of the issue is stress but do you have any exercises to release jaw tension or build up resilience?
Kind regards,

Arnaut

My shoulder started to make grinding and clicking noises alongside a pinching sensation when lifting my arm. I started doing Foundations Phases 1 and 2, and I felt like they made it better. I still hear the grinding, and it occasionally pinches, but it's much better than before.

As I was doing the program, I was also following it for my right shoulder. My right shoulder had clicking sounds, but it never had any pinching or pain. However, after more than a month of rehab, my right shoulder started to develop the same pinching sensation, and now I have pain in both shoulders.

The left shoulder is a bit better, but the right feels like this is a new issue.

Why did this happen? Should I not have done the program on my right shoulder since it wasn't causing any pain? I was planning to progress to the next phase, but now I'm stuck and wondering if I should continue with Foundations Phase 1 all over again.

Hi coach E!

I have a partially torn infraspinatus and was wondering if there is any particular exercises in the shoulder program, that would be contraindicated. Also, would there be specific strengthening movements that would be beneficial for me; example subscapularis turn on?

Thank you!!!!!!

I had an elbow bone spur removed in January 2026, along with a partial bursectomy. As a result, I can’t do side planks right now and am wondering if there are alternative exercises I can do. Several of the DMT exercises involve side planks, and I want to keep up my core strength.

Hey Coach E. Been having SI Joint and Hip pain for a few years. Been able to mitigate for the most part. Has gotten a lot worse recently and decided to get the rom app and started hip foundations. I am having trouble feeling activation in my psoas and glute. It feels like other muscles are compensating.

Hamstring and quads, exercises i am working on for psoas is: Iliopsoas Control I for glute: 4-point oposites, hip bridge.