From Herniated Disc to Mountain Biking: A Real Client's 13-Year Journey With Leverage Fitness

When people come to us with back pain, they often arrive carrying something heavier than the pain itself: the belief that this is just how things are going to be now. That the hiking, the skiing, the mountain biking — those things belong to a previous version of their life.

Matthew Ostrander arrived at Leverage Fitness in 2011 with a herniated disc in his low back. He's been training here ever since. This is his story, in his own words.

The Problem: A Herniated Disc That Threatened His Active Life

Matthew started working with Ryan — Leverage Fitness's founder and owner — specifically to address the herniated disc. A herniated disc at the lumbar level is one of the most common and most feared back injuries among active adults. The disc material presses against nearby nerves, causing pain that can range from a dull ache to sharp, radiating pain down the legs. For someone who mountain bikes and skis, it's a direct threat to the activities that make life worth living.

The conventional advice for a herniated disc is often rest, anti-inflammatories, and a wait-and-see approach. Sometimes physical therapy. Occasionally surgery. What's rarely prescribed — and what makes the biggest long-term difference — is progressive, targeted strength training that builds the stability the spine needs to protect itself.

That's what Ryan built for Matthew.

The Outcome: Pain-Free, and Performing Better Than Before

In Matthew's own words, from his Google review:

"It didn't take too long before Ryan had me pain free and back to mountain biking and skiing. Honestly, my riding and my skiing improved just through the gains I made, and that's why I'm still working with Leverage."

That last sentence is worth sitting with: his performance improved. Not just "I got back to the sports I love" — but "I got better at them." This is the part that surprises people most. They come in hoping to get back to baseline. They often end up exceeding it.

The reason is straightforward: the same strength and stability work that resolves back pain also makes you a more powerful, more resilient athlete. Better hip stability means more power transfer on the bike. Better core endurance means better posture and control on the mountain. The training that fixes your back is the same training that makes you better at everything else.

Why He's Still Here 13 Years Later

Matthew didn't stop training once his back pain resolved. He's been a Leverage Fitness client for over a decade — long enough to see the studio grow from just Ryan to a full team of coaches. Here's what he says keeps him coming back:

"Personal one-on-one and small group (3 people) training. The trainers have the ability to give their attention to you when you need it. When a particular exercise causes pain, they're quick to know how to modify the exercise, or change to a different exercise, to target the same muscle group. Personalized program to help you reach your goals. Every workout (even when working in a group) is individually tailored for you. When given an exercise to do, they can tell you why you're doing that exercise. They know me, greet me by name, and are genuinely interested in knowing me."

What Matthew is describing is the difference between a gym and a coaching relationship. At Leverage, you're not following a generic program. You're working with coaches who know your history, understand your goals, and can adapt in real time when something isn't working. That's not a feature — it's the entire model.

What This Means for You

If you're dealing with a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, or chronic low back pain, Matthew's story is worth taking seriously — not because it promises a specific outcome, but because it demonstrates what's possible when back pain is treated as a solvable problem.

The approach that worked for Matthew is the same approach we use with every back pain client at Leverage Fitness: a systematic assessment of movement patterns, a progressive program that builds stability from the ground up, and ongoing coaching that adapts as you improve. We call it the Resilient Spine Protocol, and it's the framework behind every back pain transformation we've been part of.

To understand the specific exercises and principles involved, read about the Big 3 exercises that form the foundation of every back pain program we build. And if you want to start applying the same framework Matthew used, the Healthy Back Handbook walks you through it step by step — free this month.

If you're in Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, Millcreek, Holladay, Murray, Draper, or anywhere in the Salt Lake Valley and you're ready to find out whether we can help, the first step is a free Longevity Blueprint Calibration. We'll assess your movement, identify what's driving your pain, and tell you honestly whether we're the right fit. Book yours here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Matthew's story typical for herniated disc clients?

Every case is different, but Matthew's trajectory — pain relief followed by a return to full activity, with performance improvements along the way — is consistent with what we see when clients commit to a progressive, well-designed program. The key variables are the severity of the herniation, the client's consistency, and whether the program addresses the root cause rather than just the symptoms.

How long does it take to get back to sports after a herniated disc?

There's no universal timeline. Some clients see meaningful improvement in 4–6 weeks; others take 3–6 months. What we can say is that the clients who progress fastest are those who follow the program consistently and communicate openly with their coaches about what's working and what isn't. The worst outcomes come from either doing nothing or trying to push through pain without guidance.

Do you work with clients who have already had back surgery?

Yes, regularly. Post-surgical clients require a different approach and clear communication with their surgical team, but many find that the progressive strengthening work we do provides what their rehabilitation program didn't. If you've had surgery and are still dealing with pain or limited function, a Calibration session is a good place to start.

What's the difference between your approach and physical therapy?

Physical therapy is typically focused on resolving acute pain and restoring basic function — and it's often excellent for that. Our work picks up where PT leaves off: building the long-term strength, stability, and movement quality that prevents pain from returning. Many of our clients come to us after completing PT and finding that their pain came back once they stopped going. We build the foundation that makes those gains permanent. Learn more about our 1-on-1 personal training program.