Broads: The Bold & Badass Fitness Podcast for Women

130: Build Strength Without Perfect Form or Fear of Getting Hurt - Dr. Susie Spirlock

Episode Summary

You’ve been told perfect form prevents injury and rounding your back will ruin your spine. But what if the real problem isn’t the movement? What if it’s fear, outdated advice, and expecting your body to heal like it’s Amazon Prime two-day shipping? We dive deeper into this in the latest episode of the Broads Podcast with strength coach Dr. Susie Spirlock. We also chat about why “perfect form” doesn’t exist, how to return to lifting after injury or chronic conditions like POTS and hypermobility, and why strength training is non-negotiable for women heading into perimenopause and beyond. Dr. Susie Spirlock is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and strength coach with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. She is Barbell Rehab Method certified, Precision Nutrition Level 1 certified, and a Pain Free Performance Specialist. She provides online rehab and fitness coaching and serves as an instructor for the Barbell Rehab Method.

Episode Notes

You’ve been told perfect form prevents injury and rounding your back will ruin your spine. But what if the real problem isn’t the movement? What if it’s fear, outdated advice, and expecting your body to heal like it’s Amazon Prime two-day shipping? 

We dive deeper into this in the latest episode of the Broads Podcast with strength coach Dr. Susie Spirlock. 

We also chat about why “perfect form” doesn’t exist, how to return to lifting after injury or chronic conditions like POTS and hypermobility, and why strength training is non-negotiable for women heading into perimenopause and beyond. 

Dr. Susie Spirlock is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and strength coach with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. She is Barbell Rehab Method certified, Precision Nutrition Level 1 certified, and a Pain Free Performance Specialist. She provides online rehab and fitness coaching and serves as an instructor for the Barbell Rehab Method.

What's Discussed:

• (08:44) Why “perfect form” doesn’t exist and how anatomy shapes technique
• (10:15) Gradual exposure to load and why rounding your back isn’t automatically bad
• (12:08) Fear of lifting heavy and how graded exposure reduces injury anxiety
• (14:00) Why fear predicts pain more than tissue damage after injury
• (18:25) Junk volume, overprogramming, and how smarter structure drives results
• (25:03) Why lifting advice from doctors lags 10-15 years behind research
• (32:26) Strength training, menopause, and what happens to bone density if you don’t lift
• (48:43) Clickbait rehab content and how to spot black-and-white misinformation

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Check out more from Tara LaFerrara:
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Check out more from Dr. Susie Spirlock:
Instagram: @dr.susie.squats

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Youtube: @dr.susie.squats

Facebook: @dr.susie.squats