Rebuilding Milo - Dr. Aaron Horschig
In the world of strength training and athletic performance, injuries are often viewed as inevitable setbacks. However, Rebuilding Milo: The Lifter’s Guide to Fixing Common Injuries and Building a Strong Foundation for Enhancing Performance by Dr. Aaron Horschig challenges this notion by providing a practical, science-based approach to injury prevention and rehabilitation. As a doctor of physical therapy, strength coach, and founder of Squat University, Horschig has dedicated his career to helping athletes, lifters, and fitness enthusiasts move better, lift smarter, and stay injury-free. This book serves as a comprehensive guide for addressing common lifting injuries, diagnosing movement dysfunctions, and implementing corrective strategies to ensure longevity in training. Whether you're a competitive powerlifter, an Olympic weightlifter, a CrossFit athlete, or just someone who loves to lift, Rebuilding Milo is an invaluable resource for understanding how to keep your body strong and resilient.
At its core, Rebuilding Milo is built on the philosophy that pain and injuries are not simply problems to be masked with medication or ignored until they worsen. Instead, Horschig emphasizes the importance of identifying the root causes of dysfunction and addressing them with proper movement patterns, mobility work, and strength-building exercises. The book is structured in a way that allows athletes to diagnose and treat injuries in a systematic manner. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific region of the body like lower back, hips, knees, shoulders, elbows, and ankles. Making it easy to navigate based on an athlete’s particular pain points. Horschig walks the reader through common issues in each area, explaining the anatomy, biomechanics, and underlying causes of dysfunction before outlining corrective exercises and treatment protocols.
One of the most valuable aspects of Rebuilding Milo is its emphasis on movement assessment. Horschig teaches readers how to perform self-diagnosis by assessing mobility, stability, and movement quality. This approach is a game-changer for lifters who often ignore minor aches and pains until they develop into serious injuries. By learning how to identify dysfunction early, athletes can address imbalances before they escalate, ultimately reducing their risk of injury and improving performance. Horschig provides step-by-step instructions for self-assessments, complete with clear explanations and detailed photographs to help readers accurately evaluate their movement patterns.
A major strength of the book is its practical application. Unlike traditional injury rehab books that focus solely on clinical treatment, Rebuilding Milo is written with lifters in mind. Horschig understands that strength athletes need solutions that not only alleviate pain but also allow them to continue training. His corrective exercises are designed to be seamlessly integrated into a lifting program, ensuring that athletes don’t have to completely stop training while addressing their issues. He offers progressions and regressions for each movement, allowing lifters of all experience levels to find a suitable starting point for their rehabilitation.
One of the most common areas of dysfunction in lifters is the lower back, and Rebuilding Milo provides one of the most comprehensive breakdowns of lower back pain in strength training literature. Horschig explains that while many lifters assume lower back pain is a result of a "bad back," the true cause often lies in poor movement mechanics, weak core stabilization, or tight hips. He walks readers through a series of tests to determine whether their pain stems from issues such as poor bracing mechanics, tight hip flexors, or an anterior pelvic tilt. He then provides a structured plan for addressing these dysfunctions, including core stabilization drills, mobility exercises, and technique corrections for squats and deadlifts.
Another key area of focus is knee pain, which is common among lifters, runners, and field sport athletes. Horschig debunks common myths surrounding knee pain, such as the idea that deep squatting is inherently bad for the knees. Instead, he explains how knee pain is often a result of poor ankle mobility, weak glutes, or improper squat mechanics. By addressing these underlying issues, athletes can significantly reduce their risk of knee injuries while improving their squat depth, force production, and overall lower-body mechanics. The book provides a series of ankle and hip mobility drills, as well as strengthening exercises to improve knee stability and resilience under heavy loads.
Shoulder pain is another major issue in the strength training community, particularly for those who perform a lot of pressing movements or Olympic lifts. Horschig provides an in-depth look at common causes of shoulder dysfunction, including poor scapular control, tight pecs, and restricted thoracic spine mobility. He emphasizes the importance of scapular stability and shoulder positioning in exercises like the bench press, overhead press, and snatch. His corrective strategies include mobility drills to improve thoracic extension, activation exercises for the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers, and technique refinements to optimize pressing mechanics. By applying these principles, lifters can reduce shoulder impingement risk and improve pressing strength without discomfort.
One of the most unique aspects of Rebuilding Milo is its integration of strength and rehabilitation. Horschig recognizes that strength itself is a powerful tool for injury prevention and recovery. Unlike conventional rehab programs that focus on passive treatments or isolated corrective exercises, his approach emphasizes the importance of maintaining strength and gradually reintroducing load to injured tissues. He provides detailed programming recommendations that help lifters transition from rehabilitation back to full-intensity training without reinjury. This approach aligns with modern sports science research, which supports the idea that movement and progressive loading are essential for tissue healing and long-term durability.
Beyond injury rehabilitation, Rebuilding Milo also serves as a guide for optimizing movement efficiency. Horschig highlights the importance of proper bracing techniques, foot positioning, and bar path mechanics in major lifts. He breaks down common technical flaws in the squat, deadlift, and bench press, offering corrective cues and drills to enhance movement efficiency. These insights are valuable not just for injury prevention but also for maximizing performance and lifting efficiency.
The book is also filled with real-world case studies from Horschig’s experience working with athletes of all levels, from weekend warriors to elite powerlifters and Olympic lifters. These case studies provide practical examples of how lifters have successfully overcome chronic pain, mobility restrictions, and movement dysfunctions by applying the principles outlined in the book. Seeing these success stories reinforces the idea that pain and injury do not have to be permanent roadblocks—they can be addressed with the right strategies and a proactive approach.
One of the biggest takeaways from Rebuilding Milo is the importance of a long-term perspective. Many lifters take a short-term approach to training, pushing through pain or ignoring warning signs until an injury forces them to stop. Horschig encourages readers to adopt a mindset of proactive injury prevention, prioritizing movement quality, mobility work, and proper technique over chasing short-term gains. By implementing the principles in this book, lifters can build a stronger, more resilient foundation that allows them to train hard for years to come.
In conclusion, Rebuilding Milo by Dr. Aaron Horschig is an essential resource for any lifter serious about longevity in strength training. It provides a detailed, evidence-based approach to diagnosing and correcting common lifting injuries, optimizing movement mechanics, and building a more resilient body. Unlike traditional rehab books, it is written specifically for lifters, making it one of the most practical and applicable guides on injury prevention and rehabilitation available today. Whether you’re dealing with nagging pain, looking to improve your mobility, or simply want to lift smarter and stay healthy, this book is a must-read. If you want to future-proof your body and ensure that you can continue training at a high level for years to come, Rebuilding Milo is a game-changer that belongs on every lifter’s bookshelf.
