Precerpt from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary: The Knees Know When to Say "Enough"

 


There was a time I thought my knees were indestructible.

I was leg‑pressing 380 pounds and feeling smug — stronger than most of the guys around me. I was aiming for 400, the max on the machine. I’d hop on after some strong fellow and match his weight just to prove I could. It felt glorious.

Then my sister, a massage therapist, found out. She didn’t congratulate me. She said one word: STOP.

Apparently, cartilage doesn’t care how proud you are. It cares about pressure. And mine was getting plenty.

So, I listened — reluctantly. I dropped to 200 pounds, which felt embarrassingly light at first. But my knees stopped complaining. The strain faded. One of the trainers showed me a machine that lifts the lower leg to strengthen the joint without crushing it. He said if he were my age and could press 200, he’d pat himself on the back. He was amazed I could still push 300 for a single rep. I smiled, but I also heard my sister’s voice again: STOP.

Now I take Move Free and collagen — maybe they help, maybe they don’t, but I figure every little bit of support counts. What really helps is movement: stairs, squats, wall sits, walking hills. My knees have no complaints. Seventeen stairs, multiple times a day? Piece of cake. No pain, no crankiness, just steady cooperation.

Most of my friends my age have had knee surgery. My husband Carl needed it — but died instead. That’s the thing about aging: you can’t control everything, but you can control how you treat what’s still working.

Cartilage doesn’t regenerate easily. It’s like a friendship you’ve neglected — once it’s gone, it’s hard to rebuild. But it responds to respect. Lower the weight. Keep moving. Stay strong without being reckless.

I still test myself sometimes — one push over 300, just to see if I can. And most times, I can. But I don’t chase numbers anymore. I chase longevity.

The Grandma Ninja moral? Strength is knowing when to stop before something breaks. And sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is lift less.


Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary is the inspiring true story of a septuagenarian grandmother who dared to dream big—by training for American Ninja Warrior. Teaming up with her coach and trainer, she embarks on a three-year journey to build strength, resilience, flexibility, balance, and endurance—starting from scratch.

While COVID and two disabled adult children moving home permanently put a kibosh on those American Ninja Warrior plans, she continued to train -- a little more modestly but regularly -- and maintain the ninja strength and flexibility she had developed prior to these changes in life circumstances.

Told in a dynamic mix of diary entries, coaching insights, and behind-the-scenes reflections, this book chronicles the ups and downs of late-in-life athletic training. From gym workouts to rock climbing, yoga to injury recovery, sleep to mindset—every aspect of the transformation is explored with honesty and humor.

Grandma shares what she’s learning; her coach explains why she’s right—or wrong. Together, they offer a realistic, encouraging look at what it takes to pursue an extraordinary goal at any age.

Part training manual, part motivational memoir, Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary is packed with practical tips for readers over 50 who want to improve their fitness, health, and confidence. You’ll also get insights into strategies for balancing real life with ambitious goals and hard-won wisdom about success, failure, and the joy of simply showing up.




To read more precerpts from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary, click HERE.




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