Bax Performance and Rehab

Bax Performance and Rehab Helping active adults and athletes get out of pain and back to top level performance.

07/12/2026

Every knee rehab needs to have a hip circle.
Our foundation for stability comes from our hips. Being able to catch ourselves and activate our muscles appropriately is what’s going to make the difference in the long term.
We generally use this variation as a warm up for other exercises. To make sure muscles are primed and ready to take load, rather than dump everything to the knee that we are trying to rebuild

07/10/2026

REBUILDING STRONGER THAN BEFORE

Single-leg balance with a controlled arm pull — this combo is doing a lot more for ACL recovery than it might look like. Balancing on one leg while pulling against resistance forces the surgical leg to stabilize the ankle, knee, and hip all on its own, with zero help from the other side.

That single-leg stability piece is huge post-ACL. Surgery and the time spent protecting the joint afterward disrupt the neuromuscular connection between the brain and the knee — the fine-tuned proprioception that normally keeps the joint stable during everyday movement. Standing on one leg forces that connection to switch back on.

Adding the arm pull on top raises the difficulty. Now the leg has to hold its position while the upper body works against it, creating rotation and shifting weight through the standing leg. That's a much better test of real stability than just standing still, and it starts to mimic the kind of multitasking the knee has to handle in daily life and in sport.

Training this way also rebuilds confidence, not just strength. A lot of the setback after ACL surgery isn't physical capacity — it's trust in the knee. Controlled single-leg work like this, done consistently, is what rebuilds that trust rep by rep.

Recovery isn't just about getting back to where you were — it's about building a leg that's stronger and more resilient than before. That's the mindset BPR trains into every session.
If you're working your way back from an ACL injury, or any setback that's taken something from you physically, BPR is here to help you gain back what you lost — and then some.

📞 Call/text us (925) 397-0399
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🔗 Schedule an appointment with the link in bio

MIDFOOT CONTROL DURING STEP-DOWNS | PLEASANTON PHYSICAL THERAPYStep-downs are a great exercise for building lower-body c...
07/08/2026

MIDFOOT CONTROL DURING STEP-DOWNS | PLEASANTON PHYSICAL THERAPY

Step-downs are a great exercise for building lower-body control, but what happens at the foot matters just as much as what happens at the knee.

During a step-down, the midfoot and arch have to help control how force travels up the chain. If the arch collapses or the foot loses stability, it can change knee alignment, increase stress through the lower body, and make the movement less efficient.

At Bax Performance and Rehab, we use band resistance around the foot to help the arch muscles work more effectively during movement. The band gives the athlete feedback and encourages the foot to stay active instead of passively collapsing.

This helps improve midfoot control, supports better knee tracking, and reinforces strength from the ground up. For athletes recovering from knee pain, ACL surgery, ankle injuries, or running-related issues, this type of foot control can make a major difference.

Rehab is not just about strengthening the obvious muscles. It is about improving how the entire system works together so every step, landing, and change of direction is more stable and efficient.

At Bax Performance and Rehab, our sports physical therapy and orthopedic rehabilitation in Pleasanton and Livermore focuses on building better movement from the ground up.

📞 Call/text (925) 397-0399
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🔗 Schedule with the link in bio

07/01/2026

Train the Glutes Where They Matter Most
The glutes are one of the most powerful muscles in the body—but after ACL reconstruction, they often don't contribute the way they should.

If the glutes aren't doing their job, the knee is forced to do more than it was designed for.

In this phase of rehab, our athlete is using a machine that begins with the glutes in a lengthened position before driving into full hip and knee extension. This isn't just about building muscle—it's about teaching the posterior chain to generate force through a large range of motion.

Why is that important?

Because athletes don't produce force from perfect positions. Whether sprinting, jumping, or changing direction, they constantly move from deep, loaded positions into explosive extension.

Training the glutes this way helps athletes:

• Produce more force from lengthened muscle positions

• Improve hip extension power for sprinting and acceleration

• Reduce reliance on the knee during explosive movements

• Strengthen the entire posterior chain

• Build capacity for the demands of return to sport

As athletes progress after ACL reconstruction, every exercise should have a purpose. The goal isn't simply to check off another strengthening drill—it's to restore movement patterns that carry over to competition.

The stronger the engine behind the movement, the less the knee has to do on its own.

📞 Call/text us (925) 397-0399
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🔗 Schedule an appointment with the link in bio

06/28/2026

Earning Back Full Depth

One of the hardest things for soccer players coming back from ACL reconstruction isn't just getting stronger—it's learning to trust the knee again in deep positions.
That's why we don't avoid depth. We train it.

Here, our athlete is performing full-depth kickstand squats while holding a medicine ball, challenging the surgical limb through large ranges of motion while maintaining balance, control, and proper loading.
The medicine ball isn't just there for added weight. It helps reinforce trunk position and encourages the athlete to move with intention rather than simply getting through the rep.
As depth increases, so do the demands on:
• Quadriceps strength and control
• Hip mobility and force production
• Balance and weight acceptance through the surgical side
• Confidence in loaded knee flexion
• Coordination between the trunk and lower extremities
For soccer players, these positions aren't optional. They're encountered every time an athlete accelerates, decelerates, cuts, shoots, or battles for possession.
Rehab isn't about avoiding uncomfortable positions forever.
It's about gradually exposing the body to them, proving to the athlete that the knee is capable, and building confidence rep by rep.

Because confidence isn't given back after ACL surgery—it has to be earned.

📞 Call/text us (925) 397-0399
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🔗 Schedule an appointment with the link in bio

06/26/2026

Sometimes the Smallest Movements Matter the Most
When people think about ACL rehab, they picture squats, jumps, and eventually getting back on the court.
But before all of that comes one of the most important milestones in the entire process: restoring terminal knee extension and re-establishing quadriceps strength.
In this phase of rehab, our volleyball athlete is performing an upright open-chain terminal knee extension with Blood Flow Restriction (BFR).
It may not look flashy, but don't let the simplicity fool you.
After ACL reconstruction, the quadriceps often struggle to fully "wake up" because of pain, swelling, and arthrogenic muscle inhibition. That's where exercises like this become incredibly valuable. BFR allows the athlete to create a high training stimulus with relatively low loads, promoting strength gains while minimizing stress on healing tissues.
More importantly, terminal knee extension isn't just about straightening the knee.
It's about:
→ Restoring normal gait mechanics
→ Rebuilding confidence in the surgical limb
→ Improving quad activation and strength
→ Preparing the knee for running, jumping, and landing
→ Creating the foundation for higher-level performance
For a volleyball athlete, every jump, cut, and landing depends on a strong and responsive quadriceps muscle.
The later stages of rehab may get the attention, but the details addressed early and mid-way through recovery are what make those explosive moments possible.
Big returns to sport are built on small wins repeated consistently.

📞 Call/text us (925) 397-0399
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🔗 Schedule an appointment with the link in bio

06/24/2026

Balance Starts From the Ground Up

When athletes think about stability, they often think about the core or the hips.
But true balance starts much lower.
In this drill, the athlete is performing lateral trunk flexion while holding a Tidal Tank, with the front foot elevated and the rear foot maintaining an isometric heel raise. The shifting load of the Tidal Tank continuously challenges the body's ability to maintain position, forcing the feet, ankles, hips, and trunk to work together.

And that's the key—balance isn't just about standing still.
The foot and ankle are responsible for creating the foundation that allows everything above them to function efficiently. Every sprint, jump, cut, and landing starts with the ability to sense, adapt, and produce force through the ground.
By maintaining an isometric heel raise, the calf complex and intrinsic foot muscles are forced to remain active throughout the movement, improving their ability to:
• Create a stable base for force production
• Maintain balance during single-leg and asymmetrical positions
• Absorb and redirect forces during athletic movements
• Improve proprioception and body awareness
• Enhance coordination between the foot, ankle, hip, and trunk
The Tidal Tank adds another layer of challenge. As the water shifts, the body must make constant micro-adjustments, training the balance systems in ways that traditional strength exercises can't.
Because in sport, balance isn't something you have.
It's something you continually earn—one adjustment at a time.

📞 Call/text us (925) 397-0399
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🔗 Schedule an appointment with the link in bio

06/22/2026

Strong Through Every Inch

Most athletes train the muscles they're strongest with—but elite movement requires strength in the positions where you're weakest.

In this video, a high school athlete is performing lateral lunges on a slide board. While it may look simple, this exercise challenges the hip adductors through varying muscle lengths, requiring them to produce force while lengthened and control force as the body moves back to center.
Why does this matter?

Think about sprinting, cutting, changing direction, or planting to jump. The ability to create and absorb force laterally is essential for athletic performance. And much of that responsibility falls on the adductors.
Training the adductors at varying lengths helps athletes:
• Develop strength in positions commonly encountered in sport
• Improve lateral force production and deceleration capabilities
• Enhance pelvic and trunk control during change-of-direction tasks
• Build resilience to the high-speed demands of competition
• Become more efficient moving outside of the sagittal plane
Sport doesn't happen in straight lines.

The athletes who move best aren't always the strongest in the weight room—they're the ones who can produce force in awkward positions, control momentum, and own every inch of movement.
Performance isn't about avoiding vulnerable positions. It's about becoming strong in them.
📞 Call/text us (925) 397-0399
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🔗 Schedule an appointment with the link in bio

06/21/2026

Teaching the Knee to Produce and Absorb Force

One of the biggest mistakes athletes make after ACL reconstruction is assuming that getting stronger automatically means they're ready to return to sport.

Strength is important—but so is the ability to create force quickly and control it just as efficiently.
In this stage of rehab, our athlete is performing an isometric split squat with the rear foot driving into the wall while lifting a Tidal Tank sphere explosively and lowering it with a slow, controlled eccentric.
The goal isn't to simply move weight. It's to teach the body how to transition between producing force and absorbing force—something that happens every time an athlete lands from a jump, decelerates, or changes direction.

The quick concentric portion helps:
✓ Reawaken power production
✓ Recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers
✓ Restore athletic intent
Meanwhile, the controlled eccentric phase teaches the body to:
✓ Absorb force safely
✓ Improve deceleration capacity
✓ Build confidence through the surgical limb
The shifting load of the Tidal Tank adds another layer, forcing the core, hips, and knee to work together to maintain stability throughout the movement.
By the middle stages of ACL rehab, the question changes from "Can the knee handle load?" to "Can the athlete handle sport?"
Those are two very different questions.
Because returning to sport isn't only about having a strong knee—it's about rebuilding an explosive, resilient athlete.
📞 Call/text us (925) 397-0399
📧 [email protected]
🔗 Schedule an appointment with the link in bio

06/19/2026

Athletic Performance Doesn't Happen One Task at a Time

In sport, you're rarely asked to do just one thing.
You have to stabilize while reacting. Cut while scanning the field. Catch while changing direction. Think while moving.

That's why exercises that combine multiple tasks can be so valuable.
In this drill, a high school athlete maintains an isometric lateral lunge while repeatedly throwing and catching a lacrosse ball against the wall. On the surface, it looks simple. Underneath, it's training much more than just the legs.
The lower body is working to maintain position and produce stability. The upper body is reacting to the ball. Meanwhile, the nervous system is processing information, coordinating movement, and making constant adjustments.

This type of training helps athletes:
• Develop stability without sacrificing awareness
• Improve coordination between the upper and lower body
• Challenge reaction time and proprioception
• Build concentration under physical fatigue
• Prepare for the unpredictable demands of competition
The game doesn't slow down when you get tired.
The best athletes are the ones who can process information, maintain body control, and execute skills simultaneously.
Because sports aren't just about strength—they're about solving movement problems in real time.

📞 Call/text us (925) 397-0399
📧 [email protected]
🔗 Schedule an appointment with the link in bio

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7051 Commerce Circle Suite B
Pleasanton, CA
94588

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