Strength and Conditioning for Injury Prevention and Recovery

Overview

By the end of this course, you will (1) apply strength and conditioning principles to injury prevention and rehabilitation and (2) design evidence-based programs to restore performance safely and efficiently. Presented by world-renowned performance coach Mike McGurn, whose career includes elite roles with the Irish National Rugby Team, EPL clubs, and world champion athletes, this course bridges the gap between athletic performance and clinical rehabilitation. You’ll learn how to use strength, power, and movement training to build resilience, accelerate recovery, and reduce the risk of re-injury. Through professional insights, video demonstrations, and real-world examples, participants will master how to integrate conditioning, mobility, and load management strategies into practice. What makes this course unique is its hands-on, performance-driven approach—giving rehabilitation and fitness professionals practical tools proven to help athletes and patients return stronger than before.

Syllabus

Strength and Conditioning

Module 1 introduces the foundational strength and conditioning lifts used in athletic training and rehabilitation. You’ll learn teaching progressions for squats, deadlifts, pressing and pulling patterns, and how to regress or modify exercises to ensure correct movement mechanics and reduce injury risk. Instructor Mike McGurn demonstrates the squat pathway from novice to barbell squatting, including regressions like counter-movement squats, goblet squats, box squats, and landmine squats — all aimed at improving movement competency, mobility, and confidence before loading. The module also explores technique faults commonly seen in athletes (e.g., leaning forward under load, excessive depth turning deadlifts into squats) and provides corrective strategies. You’ll learn when and how to progress athletes toward front squat, back squat, and overhead squat, and how these variations produce different adaptations. The goal: build strength safely, develop efficient movement patterns, and prepare the athlete for higher loads and performance work.

Rehab and Mobility

This module shifts the focus from foundational strength movements into mobility restoration, tissue health, and the reintroduction of power in late-stage rehabilitation. Learners will explore how movement quality, joint mobility, and neuromuscular control influence safe progression from rehab to full activity.

Practice Assignments

This module provides an opportunity to consolidate and apply what you’ve learned throughout the course. You will review key concepts, reflect on clinical relevance, and complete a short practice assignment and/or course reflection quiz. The goal is to reinforce understanding and strengthen your ability to integrate these skills into real-world client care.