Loved reading about your positive gym interactions and friends. You are such a positive force Dani and I truly thank you for sharing a part of yourself on this forum. It is people like you that restore my faith in humanity and stop me from buying that island. Have a great Friday and a great weekend.
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I talked to a client in her 70’s this week about strength training. She’s a retired teacher and walks regularly, but isn’t feeling as “right” as she always has. We talked about balance and flexibility and strength and the hour flew by way too quickly.
She’ll be ending with me soon, because fitness is not really my job (though I talk about it regularly because it’s so connected to mental health and overall wellbeing). Anyway, her mother recently died in her 90’s with pretty severe dementia, and the primary reason she came in was for help dealing with three somewhat bullying brothers and the anxiety they and the situation were causing.
I love (LOVE!) my older clients. And also the younger ones, haha. I had a new one come in yesterday, all 18 and gender-nonspecific and life-confused and hot-mess-y. “They” are going to be fun as well.
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That means the world to hear. Thanks so much for chatting with me and sharing about your sweet family. Your dad sounds like a hoot! Hope your weekend is off to a great start!
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Amazing!! We always hear that cliche, “it’s never too late to start” but it’s worth repeating over and over until that generation gets comfortable with the idea of using resistance to challenge their bodies.
Have you seen this TED talk from Dr. Gabrielle Lyon? She talks about how we don’t have an obesity problem, we have a lack-of-muscle problem. And the lack of muscle is what really leads to all the other bad things.
It’s so freaking cool that you got her interested! I hope she’s able to find a good place and get bitten by the lifting bug, or at least make a little hobby and community out of it.
That is so tough! Bless you for helping her through such a hard situation with her family. WOW. 
You’re the perfect person for the job. Love you, girlfriend.
Playing Scientist When Your Body Hurts
Can someone help me find that quote from Greg Glassman, where he said something about your body being a laboratory? It’s a good one!
But my “laboratory” is pissed off.
Those tight hip flexors I wrote about in Wednesday’s workout actually led to what feels and looks like a hip impingement. So yesterday afternoon I pulled out all the stops and did some deep stretching and mobility work. But it was weird.
No matter what I did, the muscles tightened right back up. Trainer Rebecca called this “muscle guarding” when I hired her last fall.
So after dinner last night I did more deep stretching and mobility work, and finally when I went to bed I experienced a night of excruciating pain in the hips and low back. So maybe the tightness was functional.
Maybe it was serving a purpose, and my efforts to loosen everything up led to the instability my body’s been fighting for some reason.
Could this have something to do with trying to progressively overload lower body exercises, while also trying to avoid that ongoing high ham area?
That’s just a guess.
Another guess is this kneeling office chair that I started using a couple months ago. It has no backrest and after sitting in that kneeling chair position too long your hips and knees feel terrible. (I should probably get rid of that thing.)
Here’s what I don’t like thinking about.
My dad and I have the same frame and genetics: long torso, narrow hips, broad shoulders, meaty arms and legs, height, basically every physical characteristic of mine is something I inherited from my dad.
And he had chronic hip problems, too. Then he solved everything with a hip replacement.
So is that what I should expect? Should I just start the process now? Because I’ve had hip issues since high school.
The only thing that my dad and I don’t have in common is that he doesn’t lift weights, and he’s on the heavier side, likely somewhere between 275-300 pounds. But at this point I’m pretty sure my 23 years of gym-time hasn’t solved this problem.
Freakishly narrow hips and an extra vertebra: I don’t recommend it.
These pics kinda show what that combo looks like. When your shoulders are wider than your hips, you’re considered an “inverted triangle” rather than an hourglass, rectangle, or any of the other shapes.
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I think I misrepresented - I don’t mean I’ve started someone on the path to anything, more that I love it so much when I have the opportunity to talk about this stuff. She’s already got her own fitness history, which I’m sure is somewhat varied and why we’re discussing it. “This belly I can’t get rid of.” She’s lovely and well-connected to her community, this is just one more thing she’ll maybe try and like or not. The pleasure was mine, really. We’ll be finishing up soon because if we’re chatting about workouts, we’re finished with the work piece (anxiety, depression, whatever). But I had a fun hour quoting Peter Attia and talking about the research and such.
As far as blessings go, again I think they’re largely mine, though I know people need help and I provide that. But I get to do work that I love, and that’s one of the greatest blessings imaginable. Fitness/diet is really just a piece of the whole for me. What I’m really passionate about it well being. Emotional, physical (medical and fitness), and social. Oh, and budgeting. Probably other things. I love thinking about this stuff and reading about it and talking about it. All of it! It’s all self-care, I guess.
I’m definitely not a jock. That’s just something I stumbled into when I got a job at a gym and loved it. 
Others will know more about this than me, but A) I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. B) I would check in with an ortho or sports physician or whatever. I hate it when my body doesn’t cooperate. I want to do what I want to do without pain! I want to run and run without knee/feet problems, and I want to lift without neck and shoulder stuff. I want to hike as far as I want to hike without grouchy joints. Is that too much to ask??
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You’re back there, though!
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Oh that’s huge. What a journey she’s had!
Excellent.
Such a great perspective! When it comes to mental wellness there’s no denying that physical health plays a role. So the fact that you’ve got an interest and knowledge of both things is a big deal!
Have you ever helped a client overcome a mental hurdle by encouraging them to change something physical? I love hearing success stories about that.
I don’t know if many of us here are jocks… maybe there are a few professional athletes secretly lurking around our community. But it seems like all people who love working out (and overall self improvement) go through seasons of easing up a bit and seasons of pushing it hard… and everywhere in between. We’re all just trying to get better in some aspect. Your perspective of self care is the best explanation I’ve seen! Love that!
Thank you friend! I’m mainly just griping. lol
Since my 20s I’ve seen every type of professional in the book. The good news is, I have a fantastic chiro who fixes me right up in a session or two. His ART (active release technique) works wonders.
But the same issue pops back up again. And I’ve had my lifting form analyzed and perfected by the best coaches, so it’s not that. It’s also not a matter of using too much weight. Most lifters would think I’m too conservative with adding load.
So, this is what makes me think my weight training – particularly for lower body – cannot be what strength coaches traditionally recommend: progressive overload on compound lifts. It has to be more intuitive than following a plan or strategy created for normal bodies.
What I probably need to embrace is more of a do what you can when you can type of strategy. It’s just frustrating to re-irritate a decades-old problem. Just when you think you’re past that, it always comes back.
Read your post and all I could think about was my my mums recent new knee and how my knee has been in pain for a few years now. I have no good advice to give. I am planning on ignoring mine for as long as I can still train. 
Hope you can at least find some release.
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Ok this actually makes me feel better. HA! Glad to know you’re right there with me on this!
My mom and dad are awesome in so many aspects, but I’m trying my best not to become like them physically because they’ve delt with a lot of pain and health issues. But genetics are tricky and you can’t really control your anthropometry or the weird characteristics of your skeleton.
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Awwww that’s a great pic of you guys!!
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Regularly, yes. I don’t ask sedentary indoor people to be different than they are, or at least I don’t think I do. I would imagine I’m a role model to some extent. Anyway, It’s getting cold out, so I will soon be talking about the cold weather gear that allows for happy outside time and its positive impact on depression and anxiety, and as a counter to the weight gain associated with the big gun meds for serious mental illness. I tend to have stock “talks” about things like that. About my accidental discovery that good boots actually keep your feet warm and how every year since I’ve added something really warm and snug to my collection of outdoor wear (really I spend a lot on this stuff because I’m on snowshoes in the mountains, but that doesn’t matter to people who can’t circle the block when it’s 35 degrees out). If they do wind up going outside for walks, I’ll tell them about HIIT as a way to increase conditioning quickly, and maybe recommend the One Minute Workout book or share the high points, depending.
For sedentary people with no history of exercise I’ll recommend something like Leslie Sansone’s Walk at Home series, as it incorporates balance and flexibility and she’s probably in her 40’s and 50’s teaching it. I think it would just make people feel good to do it if they gave it a shot. 10-40 minutes of easy cardio for some of these patients would be overwhelmingly good for every single facet of their lives, and of course physical and mental health.
I spend a lot of energy encouraging both men and women to view the gym as a place for everyone (a big reason for my outrage in that fat people thread) and if they’re interested in workout stuff, of course I love talking about it. Strength vs cardio, sprint vs LISS.
I don’t know about overcoming a specific hurdle. I know that clients who’ve gotten serious about fitness (though if they’re serious, I’m probably not their first exposure to it) have then stopped drinking, or whatever. Unwanted divorce and all of the other self-esteem killers are helped by improvement in physical health.
Of course, maybe the work I do on their mental health and sense of self allows success in active pursuits, not the other way around.
It’s so hard! I have upper back/neck/shoulder stuff that’s regularly re-irritated. Generally I have to stop for a bit to let it settle, then eventually I’ll come back and be okay for a bit before triggering it again. Same with running for me. Eventually I’ll injure. I compare my treadmill to a bad boyfriend. He keeps promising he won’t hurt me again, so I go back and for a little bit, it’s perfect between us. But inevitably he betrays me, and I swear we’re through for good. Then one day I’ll feel like maybe we can just walk together - what’s the harm in that? - but it never lasts. Eventually I’ll think “maybe just sprints” and then down the slippery slope I go. 
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Haven’t had time to reply in full yet, but I’ve had a listen to two of the sermons on my commute, just wanted to post up quickly to say how much I enjoyed them and how blessed you are with your teaching in that church (listened to unanswered prayer and finances, both took exactly the same tact I would have, but still challenged me directly).
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I’d imagine you are! And that seems like one of the best ways to help a person to change: model the healthy habits you hope they adopt.
The right gear makes all the difference in the world.
I’m amazed at what you do. That’s life-changing stuff.
And there has to be all sorts of hormonal effects from exercise that help people through hurdles like you mentioned.
That’s a tricky area! I had that part of my spine X-rayed a year ago for what sounds like the same sort of irritation. It’s awful. Sorry you have to go through that.
Dump him!
You’re definitely not alone with that bad ex boy friend. Running can feel so awesome when you’re doing it, but I discovered that the risk-to-reward ratio is not worth it. Not even in small doses. It actually makes me inflamed to the point of looking chubbier and hurting all over, so the rewards that used to be there as teen and twenty-something, are gone for good.
Oh no pressure! Real life stuff always takes precedence over internet social time.
You’re absolutely right; it’s been a huge blessing. I think our pastor is a prodigy. Chris and I have been to so many places from enormous mega-churches to teeny tiny congregations, and his messages have resonated the most. And when another pastor fills in for him, they do a great job too.
One time I had a question that was bugging me, and my beliefs kind of went against the ideas that were being taught in the series the church was doing. So I sent them an email asking about it. And you wouldn’t believe what I received back. The pastor wrote the most deep explanation that made me do a complete 180. It was so compelling I actually cried.
But there’s even more to it than that. They’ve cultivated this attitude that I can’t describe as anything other than family. You walk in and feel surrounded by brothers and sisters. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
I’m so touched that you took the time to check a couple of them out! Sounds like they hit home for you just as much as they do for us.
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It has been a crazy busy couple of days and I’m writing a recipe for this loaf of magic.
It’s grain free, no added sugar, super filling, and contains 3 scoops of protein per loaf, which doesn’t seem like a lot, until you compare it to other, more conventional desserts, which contain basically zero protein.
I live off stuff like this.
Monday’s Workout
Full body, but I only did isolation stuff for leggies out of fear of triggering more hip weirdness.
Leg Extension Drop Set: 4 x failure, drop, failure
I’m going as heavy as possible until the quad burn causes my whole torso to hinge forward out of incredible pain, then decreasing the weight again for three to five more reps.
Booty Machine: 4 x 15
Controlled reps, lighter than usual. Wondering if last week’s hip flexor tightness was a reaction to possibly overdoing it on this thing.
Arnold Press: 4 x 8-10
Bent Over Lateral Raise: 4 x 12
Pausing at the bottom of an Arnold press, exploding up, then lowering under control gives me the best mind-muscle connection. I try not to let the dumbbells touch at the top.
Chest Press Machine: 3 x 15, 10, 8
I’m not using as much weight as I did earlier this year: 160 for 5 reps was my limit, but that weight felt really risky. It wasn’t easy on my shoulders, and after losing some strength, I’m finding 140 challenging for 8 reps. I could’ve done a rest pause and added more reps, but didn’t feel it was necessary.
Seated Cable Row: 4 x 10
Heavier than usual. And given the sounds coming out of me, I would’ve set off the “Lunk Alarm” if we were at the gym I won’t name.
One-Arm Cable Rear Delt Flye: 3 x failure drop set each side
Good pump work. I’m probably never going to increase weight with this. I stop feeling the delts working when the weight goes higher than what I usually use.
Here’s another picture of this stuff.
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Today’s Workout
I taught Steve how to do an E-Z bar bicep curl. I ended my workout with some arm isolation and he happened to walk by while I was unloading the bar. More on that later.
Seated Chest Press: 3 x 8-10
Lateral Raise: 3 x 15
Used more weight on the lateral raises than usual and had to do a dead stop between reps to get all 15. Same weight as usual on the chest press: a 45 and 25 on each side.
T-Bar Row: 5 x 15, 10, 8, 5, 3
(Worked up to 70 pounds. Woohoo!)
Machine Lateral Raise: 3 x failure
With the dumbbell version, you lose tension at the bottom. With the machine version you get just as much tension at the bottom as you do at the top. So for these, I like to emphasize the bottom range of motion with extra bottom-range partials after the full ROM reps.
E-Z Bar Curls: 2 x failure
Tricep Rope Pulldowns: 2 x failure
So anyway, Steve has been using bands for bicep curls and it’s gotten too easy for him. I had him do curls with just an empty bar to get the technique down: elbows tucked and pinned at the sides, no hinging forward or humping the air to get the bar up. And he did such a good job I was able to add a five pound plate on each side.
Is a bicep curl the first thing I’d have a person do? Nope. But if an elderly man expresses interest in an exercise, I’m not going to lecture him about the importance of compound lifts. I’m going to show him how to do it, and how to progress safely.
Saturday’s Dog Walk:
Our first walk with the parkas on. In this type of weather, your body may feel fine, but your fingertips start hurting and gloves don’t help.
Fall ends early in Colorado so it was nice to get a few pictures when things still looked golden.
These clouds were distinctively pink and stunning. The camera just didn’t do it justice.
This is the love of my life, holding a bag of poop and pretending to be a swamp monster.
Sunday’s Dog Walk:
I shoveled the sidewalk outside our house first thing in the morning, and cannot recommend that more. Shoveling snow is a seriously fun workout that hits the lats, gets you out of breath, and warms up your whole body before having to walk the fur-monsters.
Kipper could’ve pooped where the snow wasn’t so high. But he made the awkward choice. Definitely my dog.
We had the streets to ourselves.
Then after church…
Kipper sometimes gets the urge to sit on someone. Check out the Philodendron Brazil in the left corner. One of the coolest plants of all time.
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Nice on teaching Steve!
The pics are gorgeous. You got a lot of snow early it looks like? I know you’re in Colorado, but are you high enough that’s normal in October? It looks awesome.
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