You’re Not Broken: Finding Clarity and StrengthPodcast

Today I sat down with Dr. Danielle (Dani) LaMartina.Dani is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, an IFBB Pro and Olympian in the Women's Physique division, and a Top-5 ranked All-Time Powerlifter. She walks the walk 100%. She has totalled nearly 1,100 lbs at 132 lbs and 1,000 lbs at 123 lbs and competed at the 2023 Olympia in Women’s Physique. After years of pushing herself to prove what was possible as an athlete, Dani has shifted her focus to helping others find clarity, confidence, and capability in their own training and recovery.

What unfolds is a raw and honest discussion that goes far beyond programming and exercise selection. Dani shares hard-won wisdom from her own journey through injury, identity crisis, and personal transformation—lessons that have not only shaped her approach to working with clients but have also revolutionized her business. For coaches in the trenches working with athletes and everyday lifters alike, this interview offers a masterclass in understanding the human being behind the barbell.

10 Key Takeaways from You’re Not Broken: Finding Clarity and Strength

Fear is at the core of most training issues.

Dani emphasizes that clients are often afraid of what they might lose or have already lost, and this fear keeps them stuck. Until coaches address this underlying emotion, technical solutions won't create lasting change.

Isolation amplifies fear.

When people feel alone in their struggles, fear becomes paralyzing. Dani highlights that coaches who have been through challenges themselves can be present with clients in a way that pulls them out of isolation—and this is the fastest way to eliminate fear.

Integration over separation.

Dani carved out her niche by rejecting the dichotomy between training and rehab. She showed that you don't need to "foam roll yourself to infinity"—you can make the training itself the rehab.

Don't let social media trends put people on the defensive.

Dani notes how many fitness trends immediately make people feel wrong or broken. Instead, coaches should focus on creating capability and clarity, becoming a "signal in the noise."

People hide behind hard work.

Dani works primarily with men who aren't afraid of hard work—if anything, they use it as a shield. The real coaching opportunity is asking what they're running from and what they're hiding behind.

The 25 qualities framework.

Dani uses a mental model where we have 25 qualities in our bodies and 100 points to allocate. As life changes—whether through aging, stress, or responsibilities—we need to reallocate those points differently, even if we don't want to admit it.

Identity must evolve.

Clinging to past identities ("I'm a powerlifter," "I train everything to zero RIR") prevents adaptation. Dani explains that people need to become the heroes of their own story rather than letting their challenges or past achievements define them.

Training doesn't exist in a vacuum.

Coaches must consider the 25 qualities of someone as a complete person—parent, professional, partner. Often people run from those responsibilities through extreme training pursuits, when what they really need is permission to show up in those other areas.

Externalizing growth is dangerous.

Dani openly shares how focusing all her points on proving she belonged at the Olympia caused her marriage, business, and health to suffer. She cautions against clients (and coaches) believing that one achievement will make everything else fall into place.

Personal growth fuels professional excellence.

The biggest lesson: as Dani invested in her own journey, clarified her values, and leaned into her true identity, her business exploded—nearly doubling in revenue with a waitlist of clients. Coaching effectiveness flows from personal authenticity.

What makes Dani's insights so valuable is that they're not theoretical—they're forged in the fire of her own struggles with injury, identity, and the pursuit of external validation. Her message to coaches is clear: technical knowledge and programming expertise will only take you so far. The real breakthroughs happen when you can meet your clients in their fear, help them navigate identity shifts, and guide them toward becoming the heroes of their own stories rather than victims of their circumstances.

Find Dani

IG - @danilamartinadpt

Website -https://www.paradigm-performance.com/

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