Stop chasing pain, rehab is training and why variety wins with David Grey
Season 1
Alright girl, today I’ve got David Grey on the pod. If you don’t know him — he’s one of the most sought-after and coolest coaches in the rehab and performance space. He’s worked with Olympic athletes, pro footballers, and everyday people who were told they’d never move pain-free again.
What I love about David is he doesn’t just chase symptoms — he changes how you move. He blends rehab, strength, and athleticism in a way that’s simple, powerful, and actually works.
His approach is rooted in strategy and systems. But he always starts with the goal or vision - what do you want to be able to do. (and not being in pain is not a goal). Then we reverse engineers the plan and strategy from there.
We talk about why variety is the secret to resilience, why pain isn’t proof you’re broken, and why rehab is just training with a different name. This one’s sharp, practical, and it’ll flip how you see your body.
Key Takeaways
- Rehab = Training. The only difference is pain. The process is progressive loading, intelligent exercise selection, and consistency.
- Variety builds resilience. Pure specialization makes you fragile; mix loads, tempos, planes, and patterns.
- Execution > exercise list. It’s not “do calf raises,” it’s own the standard and progress it (tempo, range, reps, load).
- Pain is nuanced, not a verdict. The biopsychosocial model matters: training load, sleep, stress, food, belief.
- Foundation before hacks. Walk more, eat enough, sleep, and dose your training — before you blame hormones.
- Joint longevity kit. Daily walking, big-toe extension, strong knees (bend + load), a supple spine (rotate/side-bend), hips that move.
- Goal → map → milestones. Start with the vision (play tennis, run 5K, lift), then reverse-engineer the steps and targets.
Quotes
- “Rehab is just training in the presence of pain.” — David Gray
- “Variety is what keeps you resilient. Specialization without it makes you fragile.” — David Gray
- “Every movement has a standard — own it before you load it.” — Amy Bowe
- “It’s not your hormones if you’re under-recovered and under-fed — clean up the foundations first.” — David Gray
- “Pain doesn’t mean you’re broken; it means your body wants better capacity.” — Amy Bowe
What We Cover
- The myth that anything sub-maximal is “useless” — and why low-load work still drives progress
- How David programs for athletes and everyday humans: vision → constraints → clear targets
- Training through pain without making it your identity
- Why scans rarely change the plan — and what actually does
- The most over-prescribed rehab trope (hi, “sleepy glutes”) and what to do instead
- A realistic “joint health insurance” plan for women in their 30s–40s
Links & Resources
Connect with David — Coach & educator at David Grey Rehab, known globally for redefining movement and rehab with precision, clarity, and results.
The gram: https://www.instagram.com/davidgreyrehab/
Website: https://www.davidgreyrehab.com/pages/david-grey-rehab
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Published on 12 hours ago