The Injury That Keeps Coming Back: What Body Asymmetry May Be Telling You

Send us Fan Mail You can get stronger, follow the plan, hit your numbers—and still have the same side of your body keep breaking down. In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie are joined by physical therapist Craig Depperschmidt to explore why endurance athletes are naturally asymmetrical, how repetitive training can magnify those patterns, and why recurring injuries may involve more than weakness or poor form. The conversation goes beyond muscles into movement, breathing, the brain, body awareness, and what it really takes to build durability for the long haul. **What You’ll Learn** - Why the same side of your body may repeatedly become your “problem side” - Why getting stronger doesn’t automatically correct the movement patterns underneath recurring injuries - How single-leg training, body awareness, and movement variability can help athletes better manage asymmetry - Why rigid, metric-driven training may be missing an important piece of long-term adaptability and durability **Timestamps** 00:00 — Why body asymmetry matters for endurance athletes 09:01 — What does it actually mean to be asymmetrical? 12:23 — Why endurance training can magnify imbalances 17:01 — When the same side keeps causing problems 19:41 — Asymmetry, durability, and injury-prone athletes 23:11 — Why single-leg and single-arm strength work matters 31:42 — Signs your asymmetry may be affecting movement 37:25 — What may be happening before mechanical breakdown 44:32 — Strength training progression for endurance athletes 55:05 — The connection between the brain and body 1:02:34 — Metrics, body awareness, and rigid training habits 1:14:53 — RPE, novelty, community, and becoming more adaptable **Connect with Craig Depperschmidt, DPT, PRC:** Craig is a physical therapist at ProActive Physical Therapy & Performance Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, and is Postural Restoration Certified through the Postural Restoration Institute. Learn more about Craig and his work: Craig’s website — Resilient Endurance Craig’s Postural Restoration Institute provider profile **For coaching inquiries:** Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com Podcast Email → [theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com](mailto:theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com)