Precerpt from Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary: L-Sits, Strong Muscles, and a Missing Ball

 

My trainer of a few years back watched me doing L-sits in the captain's chair and asked, “Is that hard? Let me help.”

Now, when a trainer offers to help, I have learned to be suspicious. Help generally means making an exercise harder, not easier.

Sure enough, she put a ball between my ankles and encouraged me to “hold onto that and swing right and left with it while maintaining a good-form L-sit.”

And so I did.

I miss that ball! Now L-sits are not nearly as interesting.

The problem is not that I can no longer do the exercise. The problem is that I have no one to put the ball between my ankles!

Getting into position in the captain's chair requires me to climb partway up the equipment, position my forearms on the supports, and lift myself into place. Trying to accomplish all that while simultaneously holding a ball between my ankles would be quite a feat of gymnastics in itself.

Once I am in position, of course, my hands are occupied supporting my body. I cannot exactly reach down and insert the ball.

So, for now, I do my L-sits without the added entertainment.

There is a certain irony in being perfectly capable of doing an exercise but unable to arrange the equipment necessary to make it more challenging.

Perhaps that is another lesson from Ninja training: sometimes the hardest obstacle is simply getting to the starting position!

What Is a Captain's-Chair L-Sit?

Interesting or not, L-sits remain one of my favorite exercises for maintaining strength, coordination, and muscular control. They are particularly valuable for those of us over 70 who have no intention of surrendering our physical abilities simply because another birthday has arrived.

The captain's chair is a piece of gym equipment with padded armrests, handles, and usually a back support. You position yourself with your forearms resting on the pads, your hands gripping the handles, and your legs hanging freely.

Then you raise your straight legs until they extend horizontally in front of you, forming an L with your torso.

And hold them there.

Sounds simple, doesn't it?

Well, try it.

Your abdominal muscles must stabilize your trunk while your hip flexors keep your legs elevated. Your shoulders and arms provide support, and your quadriceps help keep your knees straight.

The longer you hold the position, the more demanding it becomes.

And if you add a ball between your ankles and start swinging your legs from side to side, you discover muscles you may have forgotten you possessed.

Why L-Sits Matter After 70

As we age, maintaining strength becomes increasingly important. We naturally tend to lose muscle mass and strength over time, particularly if we become less active. But that loss is not entirely inevitable. Resistance training and other challenging exercises can help us preserve—and sometimes increase—our strength well into later life.

The captain's-chair L-sit works several muscle groups that contribute to everyday functioning.

Abdominal strength and trunk stability. The abdominal muscles work to keep the torso controlled while the legs remain elevated. Strong trunk muscles help us maintain posture and control our movements when bending, reaching, or carrying objects.

Hip-flexor strength. The hip flexors lift the thighs toward the torso. We use these muscles when climbing stairs, stepping into a bathtub, getting into a car, or lifting a foot over an obstacle. Maintaining their strength helps preserve mobility.

Upper-body stability. Supporting our weight on the forearms requires the shoulders and surrounding muscles to remain engaged. Although a captain's-chair L-sit is not primarily an arm-strength exercise, it does challenge the upper body's ability to maintain a stable support position.

Muscular endurance. Holding the legs horizontally requires sustained muscular effort. This is different from simply lifting and lowering them once. Developing muscular endurance helps us perform activities that require continued effort.

Coordination and body awareness. An L-sit requires several muscle groups to work together. We must control the legs while maintaining a stable trunk and upper body. That coordination is useful far beyond the gym.

Of course, an L-sit alone will not prevent falls or guarantee continued independence. But it can contribute to the strength and movement control that support an active life.

And Then There Was That Ball!

My trainer's contribution turned an ordinary L-sit into a much more complicated exercise.

First, I had to squeeze the ball between my ankles to keep it from falling. That brought my inner-thigh muscles into the action.

Then I had to move my extended legs from side to side without losing the L position.

Now my abdominal muscles, particularly the obliques, had to work to control the movement. My pelvis wanted to follow my legs, but my trunk needed to remain stable.

The challenge was not simply to move the ball. It was to move the ball without allowing the rest of my body to move unnecessarily.

That distinction matters.

In everyday life, we often need to move one part of the body while keeping another stable. We reach sideways while standing, turn to retrieve something from the back seat of a car, or carry an object while navigating an uneven surface.

The ball exercise challenged that ability to separate movement from stability, although it did so in a supported position rather than while standing.

And, of course, it made the exercise more entertaining.

Can People Over 70 Do L-Sits?

Some, like me, certainly can. Others can work toward them.

One of the mistakes people make about exercise after 70 is assuming that every exercise must be gentle, easy, or performed while sitting in an ordinary chair.

There is nothing wrong with gentle exercise. But there is also nothing inherently wrong with challenging exercise, provided it suits the person's physical condition, abilities, and training history.

A beginner using the captain's chair might start by raising one knee at a time. Next might come raising both knees together, then gradually extending the legs farther forward.

Eventually, some people may be able to straighten both legs and hold them horizontally.

Others may find that bent-knee raises provide all the challenge they need.

The important thing is not whether everyone can perform a perfect L-sit. It is whether we continue challenging our muscles appropriately.

People with shoulder problems, significant back pain, osteoporosis, or difficulty supporting their weight should seek professional guidance before attempting this exercise. And my trainer's ball variation is an advanced challenge, not a starting point.

Why I Like Exercises That Make Me Think

One of the things I have enjoyed most about Ninja training is that it requires more than strength.

It requires problem-solving.

How do I get from here to there? Which muscles must I engage? How can I maintain my balance while moving? What happens if I change my position?

My trainer's ball exercise presented precisely that kind of challenge.

Holding an L-sit was one problem. Holding a ball between my ankles was another. Moving the ball sideways while maintaining the L-sit added a third.

Suddenly, I had several things to think about simultaneously.

I like that.

Exercise becomes much more interesting when it engages the mind as well as the muscles. And an interesting exercise is one I am more likely to continue doing.

That matters at any age, but perhaps especially after 70, when maintaining a consistent exercise routine can become increasingly challenging.

image and some content by AI

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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