Dr. J’aime Goguen-Locke: Coaching Strength and Fixing Injuries: Lessons From a Powerlifting Rehab Specialist
I want to extend a sincere thank you to Dr. J’aime Goguen-Locke for taking the time to share her knowledge and experience on this episode. Her ability to bridge the gap between clinical rehabilitation and real-world strength training is exceptional, and the work she is doing to help athletes recover, rebuild, and return stronger is having a meaningful impact across the strength community.
J’aime is a rehabilitation clinician specialising in strength athletes, particularly powerlifters. Originally trained in Canada, she earned her doctorate before opening a private practice focused on musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Alongside her husband, she built a strength sports coaching company that now works with athletes around the world, and she co-owns a powerlifting coaching company called Kodiak Barbell.
Working in a traditionally male-dominated space, J’aime has built a reputation through competence, clarity, and results. Coaching strength athletes requires more than simply writing programmes — it requires listening, understanding the athlete in front of you, and building a relationship that allows honest feedback and continuous improvement. Often the ability to communicate, analyse, and adapt proves more valuable than brute strength or athletic reputation alone.
Her work also challenges a common belief within strength sports: that heavy weight itself is the primary cause of injury.
One of the most powerful examples she shares is her own experience of herniating a disc while bending down to pick up a J-hook weighing less than a pound.
The lesson is clear. Strong people often get injured doing simple things.
The problem is rarely a single lift or one moment under a heavy bar. More often, injury is the result of cumulative stress, fatigue, poor recovery, and small technical faults that build over time — until the final straw breaks the system.
J’aime’s work focuses on identifying and correcting those underlying causes. Many clinicians are not trained to rehabilitate barbell athletes, and movements like squat, bench press, and deadlift are rarely taught in medical education. As a result, athletes are often told to simply reduce load or stop training, only to return later with the exact same problem.
Central to her approach is teaching athletes how to move and brace properly. Bracing — creating controlled pressure and stability through the core — protects the spine and allows force to move safely through the body. When bracing fails, stress accumulates in the wrong places and eventually becomes pain or injury.
Her message extends beyond powerlifting. Learning how to brace and move efficiently is not just a gym skill — it is a life skill. Whether lifting heavy, carrying children, or performing everyday tasks, movement quality protects the body and builds long-term durability.
But rehabilitation is not purely mechanical. Sleep, stress, emotional load, and recovery capacity all influence how the body responds to training. The body does not separate life stress from training stress — it simply accumulates it.
Having helped over a thousand athletes return to training, she continues to bridge the gap between medicine, strength coaching, and performance.
At its core, her message is simple:
Fix the cause. Respect recovery. Learn to brace. Move well — not just in training, but for life.
🔗 Connect with J’aime
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaimegoguenlocke
https://www.kodiakbarbell.com
Online resources, rehabilitation guides, and consultations available through her Instagram bio link.
I am Damian Porter , Former NZ Special Forces Operator, Subject Matter Expert from www.hownottodieguy.com and www.eatwellmovewell.net
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