Lift 2 Live

01/25/2026

Traditional View vs. Current Understanding

For years, the idea was popular that lifting weights causes tiny "micro-tears" in muscle fibers, inflammation follows, the body repairs them stronger/bigger (via elevated muscle protein synthesis), and that's how growth happens. This stems from older models (e.g., around 2010) that listed three main mechanisms for hypertrophy:

Mechanical tension (force/stretch on muscle fibers)

Metabolic stress (buildup of metabolites like lactate during higher-rep sets)

Muscle damage (micro-tears and inflammation)

While all three can contribute, newer research (especially from the last ~5–10 years, with summaries in 2023–2025 sources) shows that muscle damage is not essential and often doesn't correlate strongly with growth.

Studies and reviews indicate that hypertrophy can occur with minimal to no significant muscle damage — for example, in well-trained people using controlled, moderate protocols that emphasize tension without extreme novelty or eccentric overload.

High damage (e.g., from lots of eccentric-focused training, new exercises, or very high volumes when unaccustomed) can actually impair recovery and reduce the ability to train consistently with high tension/volume over time.

Mechanical tension (especially under load with sufficient range of motion and effort close to failure) reliably triggers the signaling pathways (like mTOR) for muscle protein synthesis and growth, even when damage markers are low.

Supporting Evidence from Recent Sources

Multiple 2024–2025 articles and expert summaries explicitly call the "micro-tears are required" idea a myth or outdated. For instance, mechanical tension is described as the primary or main driver, while damage is secondary or dispensable.

You can achieve solid hypertrophy with progressive overload focused on tension and volume (e.g., 6–10 rep ranges, multiple sets per muscle group per week) without chasing soreness or extreme damage.

Protein synthesis ramps up from tension and nutrition (especially leucine-rich protein intake post-workout), not solely from repairing tears.

Practical Takeaway

To grow muscle effectively:
Prioritize progressive mechanical tension: Lift challenging weights with good form, full range of motion, and get close to (or to) failure in most sets.

Accumulate sufficient volume: Typically 10–20+ hard sets per muscle group per week, spread across sessions.

Recover well: Nutrition (protein ~1.6–2.2g/kg bodyweight), sleep, and manage fatigue so you can keep applying tension consistently.

Don't chase soreness or DOMS — it's not a reliable indicator of growth and can signal unnecessary damage.

12/04/2025

【The Era of Sarcopenia: We’ve Been Ignoring the Most Important Muscles – Red Muscle Fibers and the Deep Stabilization System】

In recent years, sarcopenia has become a major topic in geriatric medicine. Most medical journals encourage older adults to perform resistance training to strengthen large muscle groups and increase fast-twitch (white muscle) power. However, many elderly individuals and those with joint degeneration suffer greatly while chasing the trend of “heavy weights × big muscle groups”: their joints can’t handle it, pain keeps recurring, training gets interrupted, and some even develop a fear of exercise.

The problem has never been that older adults don’t want to train — it’s that they don’t know what they should actually be training.

🔍 The Overlooked Key: Red Muscle Fibers (Type I / Slow-twitch) and Deep Stabilizer Muscles.
Red muscle fibers have high endurance, low energy consumption, and are specialized in stability and postural control. They have two major roles in the body:
Maintaining joint alignment and stability (e.g., deep pelvic muscles, scapular stabilizers, deep neck flexors)
Protecting cartilage, menisci, intervertebral discs, and other structures from excessive shear forces

For people with degenerative conditions:
❗ No stability → faulty movement patterns → even light weights become “wrong forces”
❗ Lack of red muscle endurance → unable to withstand repeated daily loads (walking, sitting/standing, carrying objects)
Thus, the decline of red muscle fibers leads to falls, degeneration, and chronic pain cycles earlier and more severely than the loss of white muscle fibers.

📚 Evidence from Research: Deep Stabilizers Are Strongly Linked to Functional Decline

1️⃣ Deep core muscles (diaphragm, transversus abdominis, multifidus) and gait/fall risk in older adults
Multiple systematic reviews show:
Older adults with poorer deep stabilization have significantly reduced gait speed, stability, and turning control.
Decline in multifidus and transversus abdominis function is positively correlated with chronic low back pain and increased fall risk.

2️⃣ Red muscle endurance predicts functional ability better than maximum strength
Recent studies indicate:
Loss of endurance-type muscle function predicts difficulty with activities of daily living (ADL) such as walking, climbing stairs, and standing up more accurately than loss of maximum strength.
While the quadriceps (mostly white fibers) provide explosive power, it’s the slow-twitch fibers that allow seniors to walk longer and stand steadily.

3️⃣ Patients with joint degeneration need “low load × high repetition × precise control”
Studies on knee osteoarthritis, hip degeneration, and shoulder impingement show:
Jumping straight into heavy resistance training often worsens pain and joint shear forces.
A more effective prescription is:
Activate deep muscles first → Ensure joint centration → Gradually increase load.

All these studies point to the same conclusion:
👉 It’s not wrong to say “older adults need training,” but “train fast-twitch muscles first” is the wrong sequence.
👉 Stability must come before power — only then does strength have a proper foundation.

🏋️‍♂️ The Correct Training Sequence for Older Adults

Phase 1: Red Muscle Activation (low load × high reps × breathing × control)
Deep pelvic muscles (multifidus, transversus abdominis)
Scapular stabilizers (lower trapezius, serratus anterior)

Deep neck flexors
✔️ Improves joint positioning
✔️ Reduces compensation and pain
✔️ Builds neuromuscular control

Phase 2: Functional Movements (low-to-moderate load × large movement patterns)
Sit-to-stand
Single-leg stance, lateral steps
Stepping, stairs
✔️ Improves movement quality
✔️ Directly transfers to daily life

Phase 3: White Muscle Strength Training (safe, progressive loading)
Quadriceps & hamstrings
Gluteus maximus
✔️ Prevents sarcopenia
✔️ Enhances mobility and metabolism

Many seniors aren’t unable to train — they’re just training in the wrong order and with the wrong strategy.
The prescription for sarcopenia should never be limited to “lift heavy, target fast-twitch muscles.”
Instead, we must return to the body’s most fundamental foundation:
First stabilize the joints, then express power.

First activate red muscles, then train white muscles.

First control, then chase weight.

🧠 Conclusion:
Real anti-aging training is not about lifting “heavier” — it’s about becoming “more stable.”

When we teach older adults how to activate their deep stabilizers and master movement quality, they can stay away from pain and safely progress into proper strength training.
An older person’s body is like an old car:
🔧 You don’t fix it by flooring the gas pedal — you repair the chassis first.

10/23/2025

Rest days call for my daily morning coffee. Before working out, I opt for black coffee to avoid dairy bloating and get the energy I need for fasted runs.

09/09/2025

Watching my 80-year-old dad perform bodyweight squats with such grace and perfect form is a constant reminder that age is just a number. It's about consistency, dedication, and a commitment to moving well. He's not just exercising; he's living proof that you can regain mobility, reduce pain, and build strength at any age. His discipline inspires me every single day.

If you’re ready to start building your own success story—no matter where you're starting from—contact me. Let's make your health the priority, and watch everything else fall into place.

04/24/2025

You prepare yourself, harvest knowledge, feed your body right, do your homework, and then give your best effort to the Iron.

But you don't chase PRs every workout, you don't try to be who you were yesterday— you take what is there, and accept the hand you've been dealt with grace.

One day you'll be stronger, one day you'll be weaker— 'cause you're not the same person, every time you bang that iron.

You don't shoot for being the same weight you were 10 years ago— you're not the same person.

You apply yourself, diligently— consistently over time— and accept whichever results you’re given for it.

That's what lifting stoically is all about.

STAY ON THE IRON PATH, STAY HARD - Mr. Potato

07/30/2024

The capability of your body may surprise you. My 13-year-old client, who is sedentary, is warming up with perfect deadlift form. Let me help you tap into your body's potential.

10/29/2023

Hello neighbors!

Are you tired of feeling stuck in your fitness journey? Do you struggle to make healthy habits stick? As a certified in-home personal trainer, wellness coach, and behavioral change specialist, I'm here to help you transform your life.

Together, we'll create a personalized fitness and wellness plan that's tailored to your unique needs and goals. With my expertise in behavior change, we'll work together to make healthy habits a part of your daily routine, so you can achieve lasting results.
I'll provide you with the motivation, accountability, and support you need to stay on track and reach your full potential. With my in-home services, you can enjoy the convenience and comfort of working out in your own home, without the hassle of going to a gym or studio.

Whether you're looking to lose weight, build strength, or simply improve your overall health and wellbeing, I'm here to guide you every step of the way. Let's work together to make your fitness goals a reality.

Contact me today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards a healthier, happier you!

06/06/2023

Expand your comfort zone instead of stepping out of it.

04/19/2023

One of my senior clients complained to me that he has to spend money to get new pants and belts because they are too big for him.

Congrats on your success and continued improvement at your age sir 👍👍💪💪

03/24/2023

The single best thing one can do to improve their health.

You heard about how cardio can help you to LIVE LONGER,
LOOK BETTER, THINK CLEARER.

Yet some also rationalize an excuse like this "everybody dies" & "but you can have cancer randomly so why bother keeping healthy, it's not worth it"

Fair enough, but did you know that your odds of SURVIVING a high-risk surgery are DIRECTLY RELATED to your heart's ability to keep beating while being operated.

150 - 220 min of zone two (60% to 70% of max heart rate) not only increases your cardio strength but also improve your body composition so you get LEANER, SLEEP BETTER , CONTROL YOUR APPETITE EASIER.

But it doesn't stop there, vasodilation happens in the brain too, Flooding the brain with the neurochemicals dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine, which are required for us to feel less anxious, less depressed, stay focused and emotionally balanced.

And the closer you go to 220min, now you're also making your body produce Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factors (BDNF) that will make your hypothalamus get bigger, the hypothalamus is responsible for short-term memory, it's the area of the brain that starts to fade when we develop age-related dementia, and in the worst scenario, Alzheimer's dementia, cardio offsets and combat BOTH. Did I also mention that how well school kids' learning depend hugely on BDNF?

Best time to do it? In the morning with sun exposure. Your body is made to move with light exposure early in the morning. Early morning cardio with raising sun regulates your circadian rhythm better to cause better sleep at night.

You simply LIVE BETTER with endless benefit with just cardio. Turn your excuses into reasons to jump into it. As we get into warmer temperature, take advantage of the long waited good weather to get yourself out there and get those zone 2s in!

02/18/2023

https://youtu.be/Iofb4Hu-BHM
Tips to alleviate and potential long term solution for your neck / shoulder pain

Wellness coach Eric shows you some of the simple ways you can do at home or in a gym to help with your stiff neck and shoulder pain from relieve to strengthe...