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Pain-Free Performance

@painfreetraining

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Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification
Join our Global Community of 20,000+ Certified Fitness Pros
👇Online Certification AVAILABLE NOW!

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Content drops begin in our new community over on Skool.

Here’s the reality:

Top 10% coaches don’t just show up to a certification, collect a piece of paper, and call it a career.

They become obsessed with:
• learning
• application
• service
• refining their systems
• and surrounding themselves with other high performers who push them to level up

That’s what Skool is.
(Comment SKOOL 👇🏼 to join for free!)

Yes — it’s a course.
Because learning the foundational Pain-Free Training system is step one.

But reviewing it… applying it… building confidence with programming, coaching, modifications, exercise selection and client communication?

That’s where great coaches are actually built.

For years, we’ve led the fitness education space with elite certifications and content.

But Skool is MORE than content.

It’s about:
• long-term growth
• sharpening your coaching eye
• solving problems in real time
• building systems that reliably deliver results
• and becoming the kind of coach clients trust deeply and never want to leave

Because no one builds a meaningful career in this industry alone.

The work we do matters too much.

Most people became a trainer or coach because they genuinely care about helping people improve their lives.

We care about helping YOU become the type of coach who changes lives, builds an incredible career, and continues growing for years to come.

That’s the mission. 🫡

Comment SKOOL below and we’ll get you in for free! by @painfreetraining

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5 months ago

Over the past 3 years @drjohnrusin and co-author @glencordoza worked to create a self-guided strength training book that teaches you how to get out of pain, rebuild your body and reclaim your health and longevity.

Pain-Free Performance: Move Better, Train Smarter, and Build an Unbreakable Body, is now available through all major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target.

Comment BOOK below and we’l send you the link to order yours (or search “Pain-Free Performance John Rusin” to order your copy from your fave book source!) by @painfreetraining

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a year ago

Stop sleeping on basic split squats trained hard and heavy…

Here’s 3 reasons they’re so simple AND effective:

1️⃣Both legs working out of an asymmetrical stance
2️⃣Max muscular recruitment of quads, glutes, adductors
3️⃣Safe, self limiting and extremely spine friendly

Best trained in traditional strength schemes 5-10 reps. by @painfreetraining

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2 days ago

Train movements, not just muscles.⁠
⁠
Muscles don’t work in isolation in real life — they work in integrated patterns. When you focus only on a single muscle, like doing leg extensions for quads or curls for biceps, you’re training the isolated action, not how your body actually moves in the real world.⁠
⁠
Here’s what that looks like in practice:⁠
⁠
Quads: In a squat, they work with glutes, hamstrings, and core to extend the knee while stabilizing the hip and spine.⁠
⁠
Hamstrings: During a hinge, they control hip extension and knee flexion while protecting your spine and coordinating with glutes.⁠
⁠
Erectors: Not just holding your back straight — they transfer force from lower to upper body during lifts or carries.⁠
⁠
Lats & pecs: In presses or rows, they don’t just move the arms; they stabilize the shoulder, rib cage, and core, allowing smooth, powerful motion.⁠
⁠
Training movements over muscles improves:⁠
✅ Coordination and timing between muscles⁠
✅ Core stability and force transfer⁠
✅ Balance, mobility, and injury resilience⁠
⁠
The result? Strength and control that translates outside the gym — picking up kids, shoveling snow, carrying groceries, twisting on the court, or reacting safely to a slip.⁠
⁠
Your muscles are smart — train them in the patterns they were designed to work in, and your whole body functions better, everywhere. by @painfreetraining

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3 days ago

What if you started thinking about exercise as something you get to do, instead of something you have to do?

I know that when you’re struggling to be consistent, another workout can feel like one more obligation on an already full list.

Something you should be doing. Something you’re behind on. Something to feel guilty about when life gets busy.

And that kind of pressure can make it even harder to show up.

So maybe it’s worth changing the conversation you’re having with yourself.

You get to move your body.

You get to discover what it’s capable of.

You get to build strength that makes everyday life easier, confidence in your abilities and the capacity to keep doing the things you love.

And you get to start wherever you are today.

That might mean a challenging workout. It might mean twenty minutes of movement, a walk outside or a few exercises that help you feel better.

You don’t have to love every workout. Some days will still require discipline, and there will be times when showing up feels hard.

But you can practice approaching movement with appreciation instead of obligation.

Your body is something you’ll live in for the rest of your life. It deserves care, attention and opportunities to grow.

You get to invest in that relationship.

And if you’ve been struggling with consistency, perhaps that’s a more inviting place to begin. by @painfreetraining

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4 days ago

AI isn’t coming for great coaches.
It’s coming for average ones. 👀

Dr. John Rusin @drjohnrusin joins Trey and Corey on The Coaches Unscripted Podcast to talk about quality movement, coaching, longevity, and the future of fitness, plus the system behind his Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification.

🎙️ WATCH. LISTEN. FOLLOW.
🔥 Tag a coach. SHARE THIS.

#CoachesUnscripted #DrJohnRusin #PPSC #PainFreePerformance #StrengthAndConditioning #fitness #explore #reel by @painfreetraining

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11 days ago

The difference between a good exercise and great coaching? Knowing what to say, when to say it, and where to direct your client's attention.⁠
⁠
Internal and external cues both have a place in the PPSC training system—but they serve different purposes.⁠
⁠
🧠 INTERNAL CUES: Feel it first.⁠
⁠
During Phase 5 of the 6-Phase Dynamic Warm-Up, we want clients to develop awareness, refine positioning and groove quality movement.⁠
⁠
“Feel your whole foot connected to the floor.”⁠
“Maintain tension through your core.”⁠
“Feel your lats engage as you pull.”⁠
⁠
We're helping clients understand and control the movement before we ask them to perform it with greater intensity.⁠
⁠
🏋️ EXTERNAL CUES: Then perform it.⁠
⁠
When we transition into the Strength KPI, the intention changes.⁠
Now we're asking clients to express strength through integrated movement with enough intensity to drive adaptation.⁠
⁠
“Push the floor away.”⁠
“Drive the weight toward the ceiling.”⁠
“Throw the medicine ball through the wall.”⁠
⁠
Rather than consciously managing every muscle and joint, we're directing attention toward accomplishing the task.⁠
⁠
Same movement. Different intention. Different coaching strategy.⁠
And neither type of cue is inherently better in every situation. The skill is knowing which one will help the person in front of you succeed.⁠
⁠
That's the difference between simply prescribing exercises and developing the ability to coach them.⁠
⁠
Want to deepen your knowledge, sharpen your coaching skills and help your clients achieve better results?⁠
⁠
Explore the full Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification.⁠
🔗 Link in bio.⁠
⁠
#painfreetraining #fitnesseducation #strengthtraining #personaltrainer #functionalstrength #longevitytraining by @painfreetraining

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20 days ago

I want to teach you my pain-free system FREE!

If you’re a coach and you see clients falling through the cracks due to pain, injuries and movement deficits? Listen up…

I’m running a FREE Pain-Free Performance masterclass to teach you my exact coaching and programming framework to best serve these clients in need. And this is your official invite:

👉Comment MASTERCLASS and I’ll send the registration link

Did I mention that the 20,000+ coaches already certified in this method earn 3-5x more than their colleagues and have TWICE the client lifetime value from superior results and relationships?

You’re not going to want to miss this. I’ll see you inside. by @painfreetraining

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27

a month ago

Sumo is cheating and conventional is best?

If you’re looking for longevity in your performance, allow me to introduce you to the hybrid stance.

Rather than forcing yourself into a poor position, use a set up that works with your body. Then you can always rotate through other stances.

But living and arguing over which is best spoils the plot.

Lots of strength in a variety of movements provides you with 2 big things:

1. An athletic look

2. Real world applicable strength

Learn how to pick the right exercise for the client in front of you, their current capabilities, goals and training scenario AND how to further customize & modify the exercise to have them lifting successfully, getting stronger safely and finally trusting their body again.

That’s Pain-Free Performance. by @painfreetraining

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a month ago

Before you STOP deadlifting, read this…

The deadlift is NOT an inherently dangerous exercise. But it is an advanced movement that requires a non cookie cutter one size fits all approach if you want to deadlift heavy SAFELY.

Here are the 3 upgrades you need right away to prevent injury:

1️⃣Choose the right stance for YOU

I recommend hybrid stance which is wider than conventional (not now as wide as sumo) with hands inside of knees. This allows more knee bend, helps maintain neutral spine position.

2️⃣Customize your authentic range of motion

Not everyone needs to pull a bar from the ground at 8.75 inches. Matter of fact, 90% of people can’t even hinge down to a bar at that height with neutral spine mechanics. Elevate the bar up on blocks or in a power rack to make more accessible.

3️⃣Program properly (stop ego deadlifting)

The safest and most effective rep range for dead’s is 3-8. It’s NOT maxing out every session, and not higher reps where your form falters and your spine buckles. Train hard, go heavy but remember your breathing and brace protect your lower back.

💥And if all of these upgrades fail? Deadlift out of the trap bar by @painfreetraining

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a month ago

The goal isn’t to get every client into the same position.⁠
⁠
The goal is to find a successful place to start.⁠
⁠
“Basic” mobility positions aren’t always basic for everyone.⁠
⁠
Quadruped might bother someone’s wrists.⁠
Kneeling might irritate their knees.⁠
A mobility drill might require more range than they currently have available.⁠
⁠
That doesn’t mean we force the position—or abandon the movement altogether.⁠
⁠
We modify. We adapt. We use props. We find another way in.⁠
⁠
Elevate the hands. Add padding. Change the joint position. Reduce the range. Add support.⁠
⁠
The key is understanding the intention of the exercise well enough that you can change the setup without losing the purpose.⁠
⁠
Because if your client is fighting just to tolerate the starting position, they probably aren’t getting much out of the mobility work you actually wanted them to do.⁠
⁠
Give them a version they can successfully experience today.⁠
⁠
Then build from there.⁠
⁠
Same intention. More options. Better coaching.⁠
⁠
📚 Read the full article FREE inside our PPSC Skool community—and check out the bonus curriculum videos for practical ways to modify mobility and developmental positions for the person in front of you.⁠
⁠
👉 Join through the link in bio.⁠ by @painfreetraining

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a month ago

Coaching can be a surprisingly lonely job.

Maybe you work on a team—but the people around you don’t care about the work quite the way you do.

Maybe there’s drama, negativity or an energy you constantly have to protect yourself from.

Or maybe you’re independent, spending most of your working hours one-on-one with clients.

And when you’re someone who gives for a living, that matters.

You lend people your confidence when theirs is low.

You bring energy when they don’t have it.

You listen. Encourage. Teach. Problem-solve. Lead.

And sometimes you have to turn down the volume on whatever YOU are carrying that day so you can show up fully for the person in front of you.

Do that long enough without anyone pouring back into you and things can start to feel a little flat.

Because energizing people need to be energized.

Inspiring people need to be inspired.

Teachers need places to learn.

People who care need to be cared for, too.

That’s why community matters so much.

You need people who challenge your thinking. Celebrate your wins. Share what they’re learning. Understand the weird realities of this career. Remind you why you love this work—and sometimes simply make you excited to get back out there and coach.

That’s what I love so much about our Coaches Community.

I get to serve there.

But I also get inspired there.

And that’s pretty freaking cool.

If you’ve been doing this alone—or you’ve realized the people around you aren’t helping you become the coach you want to be…

Maybe it’s time you joined us. by @painfreetraining

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3

a month ago