You don’t need to stop training in order to rehab.

For women who want to get stronger but are scared their body will let them down if they push.

Whether you have a nagging injury, or chronic pain, I know it’s possible for you to get back to lifting heavy weight in the gym and set yourself up for success in the long run. 

Traditional PT keeps you stuck doing endless banded activities and never gets you back under an actual barbell, leaving you in limbo. 

I’m here to change that and help you reclaim your confidence and healthy longevity. 

learn more

You went to a tired looking clinic with not a weight in sight, and a provider who looked like he hadn’t been to a gym since 1995.

and it wasn’t designed for the active, badass woman you are.

You thought you were doing the right thing by getting a professional to help you out, but you left the clinic feeling more defeated than empowered - with a generic printed list of weenie exercises and some unhelpful advice to “not lift so heavy.” 

I’ve been there too! 

 I was on the receiving end of that advice when I sought a professor’s help in literal PT school.  And I was working in clinics where I overheard that advice being given to active women by inactive men, or those who just didn’t “get it”.  It made me so mad that I decided to forge my own path.

I knew active women and women just starting their strength training journey, needed some guidance on exactly how they can keep lifting and getting strong AF in the gym, even in the presence of pain or injury. 

Now I lead women who want to be active but aren't sure how to get out of pain,  get back to that feeling we love so much in the gym - confident, capable, and like a badass.

enter the solution

This is how we bridge the gap between injury and lifting heavy ass weight again.

Lioness Strength rehab + fitness is a 3 month coaching program where we combine strength training and personalized rehab protocols so that you can rebuild your strength, trust your body again and feel capable of getting stronger for life.

The program takes into account your specific goals, your evaluation delivered by a doctor of physical therapy (that’s me!), and gives you a full fledged strength training program that incorporates exactly the things you need in order to make real adaptations in the way of strength, bone density, confidence, and mental health that only strength training can deliver. 

You rehab AND you train, and you never get told by some old white guy to stay away from the heavy weights. 

i'm ready

What’s Included?

let's do it!

$299/mo for 3 month committment

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$299/mo for 3 month committment 〰️

Hear it from my clients first hand:

  • “My favorite part about Dr. Kristen’s coaching was that when I told her ‘it hurts when I do this,’ she didn't say to stop doing that thing like every other doctor or physical therapist has ever said. She never told me to stop running, never told me to stop lifting, and I really loved that she treated my goals like they mattered.”

    ~ Cheyenne

  • I've had persistent shoulder issues for over a decade with limited mobility on my right side as well as intermittent pain when overhead lifting. I've done everything over the years - sports massage, needline, cupping, and working with another PT - but I haven't seen any lasting improvement. After working with Dr. Kristen for the last 4 months, I'm finally seeing a difference in my mobility and strength, and critically she seems to have pinpointed the underlying issues after many years."

    ~ Catilin

  • "The biggest transformation I’ve noticed so far has been in how I feel daily and my confidence in the gym and in everyday life. Before starting, I was often dealing with nagging weaknesses in my back and hips and second-guessing my training, I didn’t know where to start when I walked into a gym. Now, I feel stronger, more confident and everyday activities feel easier and more natural. Plus, Kristen is just so fun to work out with, I look forward to our workouts!"

    ~ Cate

my secret sauce

yass girl, you got this!
i'm ready

This is exactly how we work together to reach your goals.

Unlike traditional PT visits where you see your provider 2-3x a week max and get no attention when you’re actually in the gym doing your workouts, I am available to answer questions and give feedback for every training session throughout the week.  You get a full week’s worth of programming that takes into account your current deficits/strengths, and uses real loads to make meaningful changes in the body.  No filler clamshells here (unless you really need it!)

If you get a flare up, you can reach me right away!  No need to wait and guess until your next appointment.  

After 3 months, you’ll walk away feeling like you understand exactly what’s been holding you back in the gym and the exact tools to continue to progress or to take care of a flare up if it were to happen in the future.

You’re able to lift heavy in the gym with confidence, knowing exactly how far to push your body, what it looks like to mindfully pull intensity back when needed, and what exercises to focus on if your pain turns up again (which is a normal part of life).  

Hi, it me.

    • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York

    • Bachelor of Arts in Biology from SUNY New Paltz

    • Trained in Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment (MDT) method

    • Moment Mentorship

    • First Principles of Movement

    • Barbell Rehab Method Certified

Hey I’m Kristen, aka Dr. K.  It’s my mission to help women who already lift or are interested in lifting to get through their pain and get back to getting strong AF.  After 5 years as a staff PT in multiple insurance-based clinics with little to no heavy weights and no way to bridge the gap between rehab and training for my patients, I stepped away and created Lioness Strength.  Here I seek to help you get out of pain and get back to lifting to revive that badass energy and fulfillment that only the gym can bring.

My philosophy revolves around the idea that rehab and training are one in the same, and that no movement is inherently “bad” or off limits.

My clients never have to worry about being told not to do something in the gym - I solemnly swear I will never take anything from you!

I NEVER tell someone to rest completely, fear-monger around an exercise,  tell you that you need fixing, or that you’ve done something wrong to get to this place you find yourself.  I believe training is a part of healthcare and that women especially need strength training and are especially dissuaded from participating in it. 

That can’t continue.

For my own fitness career, I competed in high level CrossFit for about 10 years. During this time, I was able to compete at Regionals, Wodapalooza, and The Fittest Experience, all on the Rx level.  I loved competing and pushing my limits, but I eventually burned out big time, and rerouted toward old fashioned strength and conditioning.  I reassessed my relationship with fitness and found more fulfillment in moving to move and in strengthening myself for the future me, to make life feel better overall and still feel like a strong badass woman. 

I hope to help you in the same way. <3

What the girlies are saying:

“I learned so many different exercises and stretches that helped with my back pain. Using the app made this process super easy. Kristen also stayed in touch with me frequently through the app and with our check ins. It was always such a pleasure talking with her. She is super smart, non-judgmental, and has a sense of humor. I also appreciated how she asked how I was doing mentally and emotionally as well - that this wasn’t just about my body, it was about ME.”

~ vienna

“After another 3 months, I can say that I am finally back to 100% with zero time wasted commuting and waiting in a medical office. This was the worst and longest injury I’ve ever had, and I went from not being able to tie my shoes back to deadlifting heavy weight! The price is 100% worth the program and time saved from going to appointments.”

~ val

“I reached out to Kristen after nearly a year of knee pain while running or squatting. After an assessment, she created a thoughtful plan that addressed areas I needed to activate and strengthen. The plan was unique to me because she incorporated movements and reps to train my nervous system how to handle loading in those areas. I was also able to continue workouts with modifications, and in the end, I think this provided me even better results.”

~ Braison

Is this for me?

I want to make sure we vibe so I can be of the most assistance in your journey.

say less! 
We’d be a great fit if you’re:

  • A woman looking to push herself in the gym

  • Committed to the process of returning back to pain-minimal lifting

  • Motivated to stay on top of personalized exercise plan

  • Can take a little tough love <3

You should prob look for someone else if you’re:

  • Looking for a quick fix

  • Looking for a list of exercises to do on your own without any progressions

  • Not interested in pushing yourself physically in the gym

  • Expecting pain free training right away (or in general for that matter)

The Breakdown

Everything you need to get back to the gym with confidence and clarity.

sign me up

3 months of personalized strength programming written by a DPT

1

1 hour initial evaluation of your body / routine to find the root cause

2

Movement snacks assigned to address the root of the problem weekly

3

Ongoing communication and accountability with your coach (hi, me)

4

Nutrition and recovery guidance to maximize the effects of the program itself

5

$299/mo for 3 months

〰️

$299/mo for 3 months 〰️

Got Q’s?

I got A’s.

  • I wish it was that easy to make real lasting change in the gym with just 1 session!  The thing is, the body needs time and progression to make real changes and the adaptations we want so that you can get back to feeling your best in and out of the gym.  I offer a 1 time WTF is Going On call to see where your problem might be coming from, and a starter exercise stack to address it.  HOWEVER, this is just a starting off point.  And I’m sure it took you more than 1 lifting session to get to where you are now ;)

  • YEAH GIRL.  You can lift heavy weights at any time!  The thing is, “heavy” is relative.  Your version of heavy weights might not be mine.  The most important thing is that it feels like an effort to you.  That’s where real adaptations take place, and that’s how the body learns to feel safe (aka with less pain) with movement again.  Heavy weights for everyone!

  • I mean yeah.  I also put videos on youtube lol.  But the thing is, Dr. YouTube has no idea what your current mobility and strength restrictions are, how your daily habits might be affecting those restrictions, or keep you accountable in actually performing the movements needed to fix those.  If you’re a pro at knowing all of the above, go for it!  But just know, even I have my own rehab coach because coaches need coaches and accountability partners are REAL.

  • Girl, no.  You’d need to eat sooo much food and train in a very particular way to get bulky.  You can get toned though!  And that requires lifting heavy enough weight for your body to make changes in its muscle mass, as well as eat enough to promote these changes to happen.  No worries, I won’t let you get bulky, just sexy ;)

  • Sorry bb, I don’t fux with insurance.  Why?  Because insurance companies do not reimburse a fair amount of money for the breadth and depth of what we do while working together.  In order for me to keep my roster low/intimate, I can’t accept what insurance things is acceptable reimbursement for services.  However if you have an HSA i can totally give you a receipt to submit and you can get reimbursed that way!

  • Generally, you can and you absolutely should!  Weight bearing exercise is what stimulates bones to turn over cells and build more of it in the first place.  So you definitely want to get into weight training sooner than later.  They key is to find an entry point to exercise that is tolerable for you, stay there for a few weeks to promote positive adaptations, and then progress.  (Which I lay out for you in the program).

  • In general, i say fuck no to this.  Likely, your doctor is covering his or her ass in this statement.  Will avoiding a previously provocative exercise temporarily reduce pain associated with it? Yes ofc. Will this magically make this movement (or similar ones you need to do IRL) feel better?  Probably not.  When you go back to it, you body won’t feel safe because it’s not used to it, and then pain will likely be a byproduct.  But I’ll find the exact starting point you need based on your eval to get back to whatever movement you’ve been avoiding/told to avoid, promise!  

  • bb girl, it is absolutely imperative that you DO.  Strength training is literally the only way to build muscle and bone density, which directly correlate to a happier and healthier life as we progress forward.  Isn’t that worth putting in 2-3 days a week of work for?  For your sexy old lady self!

  • As mentioned either implicitly or explicitly before, one specific body part being in pain does not tell me the whole story behind how we got here in the first place (things not working well up/downstream, lifestyle factors, current program design all contribute).  I would do a disservice to you to just check one part and send you on your way.  In order to make real lasting changes, we need a full evaluation and comprehensive program (aka this)! 

    That said, I do offer a one-time evaluation in the WTF is Going On call!  We’ll see where your problem might be coming from and you’ll get a starter exercise stack to address it, with a lower total commitment. 

  • Unless you’re fresh out of surgery, I rarely recommend or perform manual therapy (even with my in-person clients).  IMO we gain a lot more positive adaptations in the DOING of certain movements.  It’s easy for individuals to become almost dependent on their practitioner in order for them to get any pain relief. There are many ways to 'release' spams and downregulate the neural response in those areas such as breathwork, self soft tissue mobilizations using tools, engaging the muscle on the opposite side of the body, contract relax stretching - they all affect the nervous system which is the driver of the spam and tightness in the first place.

    TLDR i personally do not practice manual for these reasons and find wayyy more value in movement

You, back in the gym, feeling confident and strong AF.

That is my goal and that’s exactly what we’ll accomplish while working together.

I promise to be both the warm empathetic therapist who understands you as well as the no BS hype girl to push you to your next level. 

Let’s do it!

join now