LA is full of “second-shift athletes”—you do real work all week, then try to hit personal bests on Saturday. I love the ambition, but your tissues care about capacity and progression, not calendar bravado. In practice, I help runners, lifters, surfers, cyclists, and rec-league athletes build an injury-resistant routine: targeted mobility, spinal and joint care, and strength patterns that carry into your sport. This guide shows you how to organize training weeks, spot risky spikes, and use chiropractic care to keep you moving rather than yo-yoing between PRs and timeouts.
Training Architecture: No Orphans
Every workout needs a parent goal—speed, strength, skill, or capacity. Random sessions become random results (and random injuries). Pair each hard day with a recovery plan and a “tissue deposit” (mobility + control work) that pays interest later.
Mobility That Matters (By Sport)
- Runners: Ankle dorsiflexion, hip extension, and thoracic rotation. Think calf raises, hip flexor + glute activation, thoracic open-books.
- Lifters: Hip hinge quality, shoulder external rotation, ankle mobility for squats. Add controlled articular rotations for hips/shoulders.
- Surfers: Thoracic extension, shoulder endurance, hip internal rotation for pop-ups and cutting.
- Cyclists: Hip extension, thoracic rotation, neck retraction to offset aero posture.
- Rec-league court sports: Ankle stiffness/strength, knee control (lunge variations), and adductor strength.
Strength Patterns I Recommend (Universal)
- Hip Hinge: Deadlift or Romanian deadlift to teach posterior chain load sharing.
- Split Stance: Bulgarian split squats or step-ups for single-leg control—key for runners and field sports.
- Pulling: Rows and pulldowns for shoulder balance; surfers and lifters thrive on these.
- Anti-Rotation: Pallof press and suitcase carry for trunk integrity during twists and sprints.
Red Flags in Programming (Easy to Fix)
- Spike weeks: You double mileage or volume “because you had time.” Add no more than ~10%–15% total volume weekly.
- All gas, no brakes: Hard days stacked with no recovery tasks—add a mobility/control session within 24 hours.
- Single plane bias: Runners who never rotate; lifters who never split-stance; surfers with no land training. Add missing planes and patterns.
Where Chiropractic Fits
Joint motion feeds muscle firing patterns. When segments get sticky, we restore motion with mobilization/adjustment and reinforce it with soft tissue and control drills. A typical plan:
- Assessment: History, movement, sport-specific demands; identify limiting links.
- Restore: Segmental motion + targeted soft tissue; reduce pain/guarding.
- Reinforce: Hinge/hip control, thoracic rotation, foot/ankle control depending on sport.
- Reload: Gradual return with capacity ramp, not cliff jumps.
Recovery Timeline Templates
After a Hard Session (0–24 hours)
- 10 minutes mobility in the tightest region (ankle/hip/thoracic).
- Walk 10–20 minutes; hydration and protein.
- Light core control (dead bug, side plank holds).
After a Tweak (1–7 days)
- Reduce intensity, keep gentle movement; avoid painful ranges.
- Chiropractic visit for motion + soft tissue; reassess triggers.
- Gradual reload plan; pain is a guide, not a trophy.
When to Get Checked
Red flags: sudden weakness, night pain, progressive numbness, or loss of function require medical evaluation. For stubborn aches or recurring hot spots, early assessment prevents long layoffs and detours to surgery talk that you may not need.