WE'RE MOVING TO SERVE YOU BETTER!
Black Diamond Chiropractic is Opening a NEW State-of-the-Art Facility!
📍 New Address: 1451 Richardson Rd., Apex, NC
📅 Opening Date: July 1st, 2025
✅ Larger treatment rooms for enhanced comfort
✅ Expanded recovery zone with advanced equipment
✅ Better parking & accessibility for all patients
✅ Same exceptional care with Dr. Zach Higgins
Every week at Black Diamond Chiropractic and Sports Performance, we see the same pattern: dedicated athletes and fitness enthusiasts walking in with nagging shoulder pain, persistent lower back discomfort, or plateaus they can’t seem to break through—despite training consistently and pushing hard in the gym.
The culprit? It’s rarely the amount of weight they’re lifting. It’s how they’re lifting it.
Here’s what most people don’t realize about improper lifting technique: the damage isn’t always immediate or dramatic. Sure, there are catastrophic injuries—torn muscles, herniated discs, joint dislocations—but those are actually rare. The real problem is more insidious.
Poor form creates compensatory movement patterns that your body accepts as normal. Over months and years, these patterns lead to:
The frustrating part? You might be working incredibly hard, showing up to the gym consistently, and eating right—but getting subpar results because your body is fighting against itself with every rep.
This is where Black Diamond Chiropractic stands apart. Dr. Zach Higgins isn’t just a chiropractor who happens to have an interest in fitness. He holds a Master’s degree in Sports Performance and is a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician. Before entering chiropractic school, he worked at Diamondfit Performance in Raleigh, immersed in the world of athletic training and performance optimization.
This unique background is what makes our weightlifting form correction service so effective.
That combination of academic knowledge and hands-on coaching experience means Dr. Higgins understands lifting from both perspectives:
It’s one thing to know what’s wrong. It’s another thing entirely to communicate how to fix it in a way that clicks for each individual person.
Dr. Higgins’ own journey into chiropractic care started with a weightlifting injury. While working at Diamondfit Performance and preparing to apply to graduate school, he developed debilitating back pain during lifting sessions. His boss recommended a chiropractor, and after just one visit, the pain vanished—but more importantly, he felt like he was finally using the muscles he should have been using all along.
That moment of clarity—the realization that proper biomechanics unlock performance—became the foundation of his practice philosophy. At Black Diamond, we don’t just adjust you and send you on your way. We spend 30 minutes with each patient, using every tool in the toolbox to address the root cause of your issues.
What it looks like: Your knees drift toward each other as you descend into the squat.
Why it matters: This puts dangerous stress on the knee ligaments (especially the ACL) and creates compensation patterns in the hips and ankles.
The root cause: Usually a combination of weak hip external rotators (glutes) and limited ankle mobility. Your body finds the path of least resistance, even if it’s not safe.
Our approach: We assess whether the issue is strength, mobility, or motor control, then address the actual limitation while teaching proper knee tracking cues.
What it looks like: Your lower back curves into flexion as you pull the weight from the floor.
Why it matters: Loaded spinal flexion dramatically increases pressure on the intervertebral discs and can lead to disc injuries over time.
The root cause: Could be hamstring tightness limiting your hip hinge, poor core bracing, starting position issues, or simply trying to lift too much weight.
Our approach: We work backward from the movement, identifying which component is breaking down first, then systematically address each limitation.
What it looks like: Your elbows angle out perpendicular to your body (making a “T” shape) instead of roughly 45 degrees.
Why it matters: This position puts excessive stress on the anterior shoulder and can lead to impingement, rotator cuff issues, and chronic shoulder pain.
The root cause: Often learned from watching others at the gym or following outdated “chest day” advice.
Our approach: We teach proper scapular positioning, the relationship between grip width and elbow angle, and how to maintain shoulder safety while still achieving a powerful press.
What it looks like: Your lower back arches dramatically as you press the weight overhead.
Why it matters: This compensation pattern indicates you’re “leaking” force through your core instead of transferring it efficiently from your legs through your trunk to the weight. It also puts your spine in a vulnerable position under load.
The root cause: Typically a combination of limited thoracic spine mobility, poor core stability, and inadequate shoulder mobility.
Our approach: We assess each component of the kinetic chain and address the true limiting factor, whether it’s mobility, stability, or coordination.
Our weightlifting form correction service integrates seamlessly with The Black Diamond Method:
We identify exactly where your movement patterns break down through comprehensive assessment. This isn’t guesswork—we use movement screening, video analysis, and hands-on evaluation to pinpoint the precise moment your form degrades.
Before we correct your lifting technique, we often need to address underlying restrictions. If your ankles don’t have the mobility to squat properly, or your thoracic spine won’t extend enough for a safe overhead press, we use techniques like myofascial release, muscle scraping, and joint manipulation to restore the movement capacity your body needs.
This is where form correction lives. We provide specific drills, corrective exercises, and coaching cues to build proper movement patterns. We also address any muscle imbalances that might be contributing to poor form.
We teach you why certain positions are optimal and how to self-assess your form. The goal is to make you an educated lifter who can continue improving long after you leave our office.
We don’t just tell you what’s wrong—we fix why it’s wrong.
Most trainers can spot poor form and tell you to “keep your chest up” or “don’t let your knees cave.” But if you lack the ankle mobility to squat without your knees caving, those cues won’t help. You’ll just compensate somewhere else.
At Black Diamond, we have the clinical expertise to:
We spend actual time with you.
In our 30-minute appointments, we’re not rushing you through to see the next patient. Dr. Higgins is working with you one-on-one the entire time, providing hands-on guidance, real-time feedback, and the attention necessary to make meaningful changes to your movement patterns.
You’re new to lifting and want to establish proper patterns from the start. This is actually the ideal time to learn correct form—before bad habits become ingrained. Starting with good technique means faster progress, fewer setbacks, and better long-term results.
You’ve been training for a while but keep hitting plateaus or experiencing nagging discomfort during certain movements. Often, small technique adjustments can unlock significant strength gains and eliminate training-related pain.
You’re preparing for competition, training at high volumes, or working with heavy loads. At this level, even minor form inefficiencies can impact performance and increase injury risk. We help you fine-tune your technique for optimal results.
You’re recovering from an injury and want to return to training safely. We identify movement patterns that may have contributed to your injury and help you rebuild proper technique as part of your rehabilitation.
You’re performing complex movements at high intensity and want to ensure your technique remains solid under fatigue. We work with the unique demands of varied functional fitness programming.
You used to be active but took time off and want to restart your training safely. We help you rebuild strength while accounting for how your body has changed.
Initial Assessment (First 10 Minutes) We’ll discuss your lifting history, current training program, goals, and any pain or limitations you’re experiencing. Then we’ll perform movement screening to assess your fundamental patterns—how you squat, hinge, push, pull, and stabilize.
Hands-On Analysis (Next 15 Minutes) You’ll perform the specific lifts you want to improve (don’t worry—we have equipment at the clinic). Dr. Higgins will watch your movement from multiple angles, often using video analysis so you can see what he sees. He’ll identify exactly where your form breaks down and explain the biomechanical why behind each correction.
Immediate Corrections and Drills (Final 5-10 Minutes) You’ll receive specific coaching cues and corrective drills to address your primary form concerns. If mobility or stability limitations are contributing to poor form, we’ll address those with hands-on treatment and provide exercises to continue improvement at home.
Take-Home Plan You’ll leave with a clear understanding of what to work on, how to practice the corrections, and guidelines for appropriate loading as you integrate new movement patterns into your training.
Here’s what we need to be honest about: when you start correcting long-standing form issues, you’ll likely need to reduce the weight you’re lifting temporarily.
We know this can be frustrating. Nobody wants to deload the bar and lift what feels like “less” than they’re capable of. But here’s the reality: lifting heavy weight with poor form is like driving 100 mph with a flat tire—you might be going fast, but you’re damaging your vehicle and heading for a breakdown.
The good news? The deload period is usually brief. Once you establish proper movement patterns, most people quickly surpass their previous personal records because they’re now recruiting muscles efficiently and loading their joints safely.
Think of it as an investment. You’re spending a few weeks building a foundation that will support years of injury-free training and continued progress.
We understand you have training goals and aren’t starting from scratch. Dr. Higgins works with your current program structure, not against it.
Whether you’re following a powerlifting program, training for a specific sport, working with a personal trainer, or doing CrossFit, we provide recommendations that complement your existing approach while addressing technique concerns.
We can also communicate with your coach or trainer (with your permission) to ensure everyone is on the same page about your movement quality and any modifications that might temporarily be necessary.
While we can certainly help you perfect your squat, deadlift, or bench press, our approach goes deeper than individual exercises. We focus on fundamental movement patterns:
Hip Hinge Patterns Deadlifts, kettlebell swings, Romanian deadlifts, good mornings—these all require the same fundamental hip hinge mechanics. Master the pattern, and you can apply it across variations.
Squat Patterns Back squats, front squats, goblet squats, overhead squats—the fundamental squat pattern remains constant even as loading and demands change.
Push Patterns Bench press, overhead press, push-ups, dips—understanding horizontal and vertical pushing mechanics transfers across exercises.
Pull Patterns Rows, pull-ups, lat pulldowns—developing proper pulling mechanics protects your shoulders and maximizes back development.
Carry and Stability Patterns Loaded carries, planks, anti-rotation exercises—these teach your body to maintain position under load, which transfers to all other lifts.
By focusing on patterns rather than just exercises, we give you tools that apply broadly across your training.
Learn more about our comprehensive approach to weightlifting form correction →
Many patients come to us dealing with pain during specific movements. In these cases, weightlifting form correction often becomes part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes:
This integrated approach—addressing both the symptoms and the movement patterns that created them—is what makes Black Diamond Chiropractic different from working with a personal trainer alone or a healthcare provider who doesn’t understand training.
Every training session you complete with poor form reinforces faulty movement patterns and increases your injury risk. Every plateau you hit with suboptimal technique is time you’re not making the progress you’re working for.
The question isn’t whether you should address your lifting technique—it’s whether you address it now or after you’ve developed an injury that forces you to stop training entirely.
If you’re serious about your training and want to maximize your results while minimizing injury risk, it’s time to invest in proper technique.
Explore our Weightlifting Form Correction service or schedule your assessment today:
We serve athletes and active individuals throughout Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, Pittsboro, Durham, and Chapel Hill.
Currently accepting new patients at our Apex location (1001 Vision Dr.) with appointments available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. We’re also preparing for our move to our new location at 1451 Richardson Rd., Apex, NC later this year.
Remember: At Black Diamond Chiropractic and Sports Performance, we use every tool in the toolbox. Proper lifting form isn’t just about injury prevention—it’s about unlocking your true strength potential and building a body that performs at its peak for years to come.
