Hmm. Is there really a "key to all of it"? Yes, there is.
Repeat after me: Progressive Overload
Let's talk about that as it pertains to building or maintaining bone, muscle, red blood cells, and mitochondria (your metabolism).

Bone

Strength training stimulates bone formation, which is a complex process involving bone cells acting as tiny sensors, detecting stress and signaling for repair and strengthening.

Living and walking in Earth's gravity stimulates bone formation too, which is why astronauts lose bone density rapidly when in space.

What if your hormonal changes, aging, and other factors have you losing bone faster than you are repairing it? You will get a diagnosis of Osteopenia or Osteoporosis.

This is where progressive overload comes in. Maybe you were maintaining your bone density. Good job! That means the level at which you were exercising was working. If your bone density starts to decrease, the exercise prescription for that would be to safely increase the amount of weight or reps. You have to put stress, or load, on the bones for them to sense the need for new bone. It's time to level up.

Muscle
Lifting weights also triggers a signal that stimulates muscle growth. To trigger this signal, we have to subject muscles to enough tension and stress to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. This requires - you guessed it - progressive overload.

Notice it isn't called load. It's called overload, which can be done with more weight, more reps, higher frequency, or higher intensity. In other words, we have to push ourselves just beyond what we are currently capable of. It is the only way to adapt.

Red Blood Cells
The formation of RBC's is near and dear to my heart as a kidney patient who has been through two bouts of anemia that felt like the end of the world.

Luckily, they make a synthetic version of the hormone that stimulates new RBC's called EPO. Do you know what else stimulates new RBC's? Progressive overload.

That looks like going into higher elevation places where oxygen is less available. That stress, called hypoxia, stimulates the production of the hormone EPO, which tells bone marrow to get to work. New red blood cells needed. The higher you go, the more RBC's you make.

Mitochondria
We all want more mitochondria, whether we know it or not. They are the energy centers of cells.

I thought about listing all the amazing things your mitochondria do, but let's just say when we talk about our metabolism, we a really talking about our mitochondria and their ability to burn fuel and create energy. They rock.

Once again, mitochondria creation, aka biogenesis, is triggered by cellular energy demands and stress.

I looked up stress in this context:
"Stress is the physical challenge or stimulus placed on the body during exercise that disrupts its normal state, or homeostasis. To build strength and muscle, the body must be forced to adapt to this new level of tension that is above and beyond what it has previously experienced."

All four systems work the same. Above and beyond.

Provide a level of stress that is enough to trigger the adaptation. The body does the rest.

I know that can sound daunting. Or even unsafe. That's why there are trainers, and it is what we are specifically taught to do. We design plans for progressive overload that are safe for you. Like I have said for years, we are finding that place between challenging and doable that makes all this magic happen.

I've seen it work over and over. Those lab results change. The muscles develop and get stronger. Heck, I have so many red blood cells now after hiking at 10,000 ft this summer, I don't know what to do with all this energy!

I guess I'll go create your plans for the week. Be ready. We are going to LIFT!

 saw my hip fracture surgeon for our one year follow up this week.
Everything is perfect.
I asked her what limits there were on my hip.
Can I run or jump without hurting it? "Yes."
Can I go paragliding if I want to? "Yes."

Can you show me exactly how you reattached the Gluteus Medius muscle to my femur? "Sure." She pulls up a screen and shows me the intricacies of the repair.

Can you tell me why, at the end of a four-mile hike, I start walking sideways like I'm drunk? "That's just muscle fatigue. Hike more, wobble less. It's conditioning."

Can you tell me why, if I misjudge traffic at a crosswalk and try to run, I feel so awkward? "That's the mind-muscle connection that needs to be strengthened."

How should I proceed? "Go live your life."

Ever since hearing those words, I've been tearing up at every little thing. I have so much gratitude that it won't stay in. It keeps seeping out through my eyes.

The rest is up to me!! Oh, friends - I can handle that. I can hike more, wobble less. I can go live my life.

578 days ago, I was told there was nothing they could do. The bone had been fractured for too long, the bone fragment was scarred in, the muscle had shortened excessively. It was too late.
Yet here we are.
If you've ever felt stuck or broken without a way out, and suddenly there was a way, you know what I'm feeling. If you have been rescued, saved, forgiven, shown radical grace, or given a second chance - mind, body or spirit - then you know.
I am not going to squander this.

I'm not sure what that looks like just yet, but just like when I was rescued from the alley, I know I'll never be the same. And I will never stop singing.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.

I thought I would start with a few celebrations.

First, the Hooligans and I just celebrated our eight-year gotcha day. Hard to believe that was eight years ago. Remember our "meet the puppies" day at the Tread studio? Well, here they are living their best Arizona life. They are very good little adventurers.

Second, it has been one year since my talented surgeon gave me a bionic hip. Her work is literally holding me together. When I look back on the day I sat down and typed, "Hip Fracture Specialist in Phoenix", it blows my mind that one simple moment can lead to something so great. It was a lesson to me. I don't always get to know what the big moments are at the time.

Third, I got nothing but wonderful encouragement from last week's newsletter. Here are a few:

• "Ahhhhh...your words and travels bring me Zen."
• "Thank you for sending the newsletters!! I read and enjoy them. Please enjoy 'being as me as I can be'! Glorious freedom in Christ."
• "Love your newsletters!"
• "I'm reading...keep writing."

Now I want to celebrate a few guys I train, even though I am known more for my work with women.

Ernie is sixty-one. He lives in a rural part of the country and much of his work and recreation depends on the strength of his body. Think cowboy. He came to me with a post-surgery brace on his knee, and an arm he was unable to lift due to rotator cuff tears. "Hmm, where to begin?", I thought. Core strength! We got to work doing basic core strengthening exercises for 30 minutes once a week. Lots of isometrics (holds). Modified planks. Can you guess what started to happen? His shoulder started improving. I shifted our sessions to include shoulder range of motion work, which led to light weights. Well, fast forward two years. He can now lift heavy weight overhead with good form. His knee has healed and he can now squat, lunge and deadlift. But the best thing is he can do all the things that make him...him. That outdoor lifestyle is once again completely accessible. We laugh each week at the aging process since we are similar in age and have been through many surgeries combined - but his commitment to strength training is solid. He did the work and saw the results firsthand. Way to go, Ernie!

Robert is sixty-six. He came to me at the beginning of the pandemic, when the gyms were shuttered. He had been working out with a male trainer at a big gym and wanted to maintain his workouts for the few weeks the gyms would be closed (we were so hopeful, weren't we?). He joined my online program and has been a committed student ever since. If you have done an LYBU class, you know Robert. He is dedicated to both a healthy lifestyle and having a pain-free back. His work requires many hours at a desk, and he would tell you that his three weekly workouts with me keep him moving and help keep his chronic back issues from becoming unmanageable. A pain free life is a happy life! Way to go, Robert.

I find them inspiring because they reinvented their fitness when they reached a certain age. They didn't let arthritis derail them. They didn't let injuries and surgeries stop them. They made a commitment and got to work.

One more story. I've known Sean for years. He has been through the ringer with back surgeries and pain. Several years ago, he moved to the mountains of Oregon. His new home was just minutes from a canyon with an extensive trail system. The beauty of this new land summoned him outside to explore. As he started to walk more frequently, guess what happened? Decades of chronic pain started to improve. His core strength and posture started to progress. Could that really be? Isn't it just a walk? Who knows the magic that happens when you start to move, especially outside. Sean is a reminder to me - it is always worth a try. Way to go, Sean.

Since I spend a lot of time celebrating my women, I thought I'd give a shout out to the guys. Thanks for bringing your energy and dedication to my practice.
Have a great week!

Thanks for still being here. My third newsletter of the 2025 reboot.
This came about when I visited Marie and Richard in Denver a few weeks ago. She said, "Every time I get an email from you, I hope it is a newsletter." I said, "REALLY?" I was shocked. Prior to those words, I had a voice whispering to me that said something like - irrelevant now. Don't bother. People just unsubscribe.
And while it is true a few people unsubscribe every time I send one out (that's OK - simplify that inbox!), most people don't. Half the people on my pretty big Clear Rock Fitness email list actually open and read at least some of it.
But here's what I am remembering. Sitting down every Sunday and writing makes me feel more like me. So, you'll have to tolerate a weekly email, at least for a little while. haha
The other thing that feels very authentic are the responses I have gotten.

"Once again your words resonated with me...Lots to think about as I go about getting to know and accept what these changes I am experiencing mean, each and every day, while reminding myself change does not always mean something is lost. It's different for sure, but that difference can take me someplace very good. Thanks for being part of this journey."

This is from a client who just completed her 13th year training with me. By the way, she turned 80 this year. Badass. You should see her muscles.
As for the three pictures at the top: The first one is from our trip to Page, Arizona last week. This tribal, sacred place speaks to me. The second is of my client Kathleen from Ohio and her BFF who met me for some adventuring at Lake Pleasant. It is amazing to see my client, who is 77, doing all the things. I believe that is due, in part, to her and my work together over the past 18 years. The third is Marie hiking with me at Turquoise Lake (elevation 9,865') just outside Leadville, Colorado. Although it might be cold there, the beauty speaks and the mountains roar. And also, Marie always reminds me to be myself.

I went to Zion National Park last week with a group. I had not been to Zion since my surgeries. It is one of my favorite places to hike. Our group split into three levels, and I was in level two, unable to go the pace the lead group wanted to go. On the way down, I sat on a huge rock, gazed at the incredible scenery, and had a big ol' cry while looking a thousand feet up at places I used to hike easily. It wasn't a bad cry; it was a renewal. A little grief, a little Grace. A cry of letting go, so there is room to rebuild.

"The way women are capable of building not just an okay second half, but a stunning second half is the whole entire truth. It doesn't matter what we've lost or what is changing in midlife - marriage, our parenting roles, our bodies, careers, friendships, our faith - we have the capacity to reinvent and flourish." - Jen Hatmaker
Don't get hung up on the math. "Second half" doesn't speak to me either. How about "Current chapter" instead, whether you are 55 or 85: Stunning. Changing. Capacity. Reinvent. Flourish.
I like those words. They describe how I can be more me at 60, and maybe how you can be more you wherever you find yourself today.
Shall we? I'm so ready.

Once upon a time, there was a woman named Darlene. She trained at Clear Rock Fitness and spent lots of time on the trails around central Ohio.
She was in the best shape of her life.
Then, life happened. First there was an injury that took a long time to recover from. Next came a shoulder replacement that made lifting impossible for quite a while. She put on weight and lost that feeling she had when she was working out consistently.
Fast forward many years when I received this text: "Is this still your number, Sue? I am interested in working out again."
Yes, it is still my number, and I'd love to hear more.
We got together and talked. She, like so many of us, had been trying to put together something safe and sustainable on her own. But it wasn't working. She was in her sixties now, so everything she tried seemed to end in injury or frustration.
I get that!
I told her I would love to work with her again. I asked her to commit to sustainable fitness that is age appropriate. I no longer want to sign on to anything rooted in diet culture or any of the other nonsense that is out there.
She agreed and we started training three days a week. This was one month ago and WOW! Some really exceptional things happened right away.
That nagging, persistent hip pain that had been hanging around for some time was simply gone.
She no longer needed to ice her shoulder after using it.
Sleep just got a whole lot better.
That was after one month. She has some big health goals, and I believe we can meet them all. I'm super excited to share her journey with you, so stay tuned.
I think what stood out to me was this idea of starting over.
Losing your fitness, getting out of shape, it hurts. I get it more now than I ever did. I'd just like to remind my amazing Clear Rock community that it isn't starting over. It is a reinvention at this age and stage. But we've got this.
If you look back on your Clear Rock years and think, "I was in the best shape of my life back then", don't despair. Reinvent!
I'd love to see a text from you that starts, "Is this still your number, Sue?"
Because it absolutely is.
Now get moving.

I loved the responses I received from last week's newsletter. It felt like the old days!! Here is one of my favorites.


"I started training with you in 2007. It took quite a while, but I got strong and learned a lot about great form. I was 55 yrs old then. Finally, the day came that you left to move on to a place you needed to be. I moved on to workout with another trainer. He always remarked at how strong I was. I never slacked.


Fast forward. I am now 73. Unfortunately, I now have arthritis in my neck and back. I have had to cut back quite a bit on the amount of weight I can do, and it has really bothered me that I am not that person anymore. I still have great lower body strength. I focus more now on my cardio when I warm up. Your client’s story has inspired me to accept what has changed and be the best I can be and just keep moving forward. Tell your client thank you for being my inspiration."


I will tell her.


It's true, isn't it? - we have always been one another's inspiration.


As I read this response, I was struck by the words, "I am not that person anymore." I get that. I really do. I have that thought daily. So, what is the antidote? I received another response that I believe captures it perfectly.


"I love that you wrote, “Don’t despair. Reinvent!” I just read a devotional that talked about God’s mercies are new every day, including us. And he doesn’t mean the old version shows up again. It means we are a new creation every day!"


What a beautiful reminder. I need not wait for the former version to show up again. Life is new today and every day.


What does that look like for those of us with arthritis (or something else that has changed us)? We get to discover that by compassionately implementing daily practices that connect us to our authentic, present-moment selves.


"Every morning starts a new page in your story. Make it a great one today." - Doe Zantamata


I'll see you there!