Shashank O.
“My low back doesn't bother me as much anymore.”Read on Google →
About Therapeutic Strength
Meet Rithik, Founder of Therapeutic Strength
Personal trainer and movement specialist for adults 40+Serving adults 40+ and seniors across South Surrey, White Rock, Ocean Park, and Crescent Beach.
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Stretching didn't fix my back. Strength did.
The injury
Second year as a trainer. One heavy deadlift, and something in my lower back gave out. Within days I had pain shooting toward my leg, and I was close to full sciatica.
So I did what you're supposed to do. I saw physios and chiropractors, and I did my rehab exercises every single day.
Better, but never gone
The pain went down, but it never fully went away. Some days were fine and some days weren't, and I never knew which one I'd get. I stopped lifting heavy, because who wants to load a back that already hurts?
Then the doubts started. Would I ever train the way I used to? Could I still call myself a trainer?
I was ashamed. I was telling people to get strong while my own lifts were tiny.
That went on for almost a year.
The shift
I've always been someone who keeps learning, so I went looking for answers. Eventually I took mentorship from a kinesiologist and a movement specialist, and one idea changed everything for me:
My muscles weren't tight because they needed stretching. They were tight because they were guarding. My body was protecting a range it didn't trust. What it needed was strength in that range, not more stretching.
So I stopped treating my back as the problem and started training my body as one connected unit. I trained whole movements instead of isolated muscles, built control at the end of my range, and loaded positions I'd been avoiding.
Stronger than before
As I got stronger in those end ranges, the pain didn't just ease. It went away, for good.
I went back to traditional deadlifts. About two and a half years after the injury, I pulled 315 lbs, 90 pounds more than my best lift before I got hurt.
Why this matters for you
If you've done the physio, done the exercises, and things are better but never quite right, I know that place. I lived there.
Since 2021, I've worked with adults in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond who got stuck in the same gap between rehab and real strength, unable to truly transform their bodies. Some have bad backs and knees. Some tried a trainer once and got hurt. Some just want to keep skiing, hiking, gardening and picking up their grandkids for a long time.
That's why I call it Therapeutic Strength. Some people come to change their body and protect their health. Others come to strengthen the muscles around weak joints. Either way, everyone deserves training that makes them stronger without breaking them.
I coach the person and the movement, not just the program. Every rep is coached, and load only goes up when your body earns it.
If you want to move better, feel better, and look better as a result, I'm your coach.
See if it's right for me →This Is Real Work
None of this is a quick fix, a gadget, or a six-week promise. It is consistent effort, two or three times a week, with someone watching every rep and adjusting as you go. The pay-off is real and it lasts, less pain, more strength, and the confidence to keep doing what you actually care about. But it is earned, not bought.
What People Worry About First
“I'm too old to start strength training.”
Reality: Strength and balance respond to training at every age. Adults in their 60s, 70s, and 80s are the people this practice was built for.
“My back and knees have been bad for years.”
Reality: Long-standing pain is the starting point, not a disqualifier. We work in ranges and loads your joints tolerate today and expand from there.
“I tried a trainer before and it made things worse.”
Reality: Generic programs written for young, pain-free bodies do that. Here, the assessment comes first and the plan changes the moment your body says it should.
“I'm scared of hurting myself.”
Reality: Every session is coached one-on-one, one rep at a time. Load only increases when your movement quality earns it, never on a fixed schedule.
“I'm too far behind and out of shape to begin.”
Reality: There is no fitness prerequisite. We start with what you can do well right now, and the first weeks are about building capacity, not proving anything.
Still unsure? Read the FAQ or see what clients say.
Who Is It For
Real people, real results
Come train with us
If you've been putting off training because you're worried about pain or starting too late, that's exactly the conversation to have. Start with a free consultation, or read what clients say and our FAQ.