MSI Press Blog

  People love to say, “After 50, getting up from a chair gets harder every year.” That’s the hook for every joint supplement ad on the internet. But here’s the truth: It only gets harder if you stop doing the things that make it easy. I’m 76, and I get up from chairs, floors, ladders, and the ground without thinking. Not because I’m lucky. Not because of supplements. Because of how I live. 🧠 Why Most People Struggle — The Real Physiology Standing up from a chair requires: Strong quads Strong glutes Good balance Good proprioception Confidence Most people lose these because they stop using them. I never stopped. 🥋 What I Do Right (The Grandma Ninja Method) 🟣 1. I live on the floor — literally I’m on the floor multiple times a day: Retrieving my son’s shoes (he can’t bend safely) Doing glute bridges, Russian twists, and other calisthenics Playing with ten cats (they are much shorter than I am) Cleaning floors the old Maine way — on hands and knees Cleanin...

  I didn’t set out to become a ninja. But when you live with a cat, stealth becomes second nature. Suddenly, you’re tiptoeing around sleeping furballs, dodging surprise attacks from under the couch, and learning to read micro‑expressions like a spy in a Cold War thriller. It’s not training. It’s survival. Here’s how my cat turned me into a stealth‑level strategist: Silence is power. Cats move like mist. No thuds, no stomps, just quiet presence. I learned to walk softly, breathe evenly, and open doors without a sound. It’s not sneaky — it’s respectful. Balance is everything. Watching a cat leap onto a narrow ledge without hesitation taught me to trust my own footing. I started practicing slow, deliberate movement. Ninja grandma was born. Awareness is a superpower. A cat knows where every person, object, and snack is at all times. I began scanning rooms like a tactical operative — not paranoid, just prepared. Timing is the secret weapon. Cats don’t rush. They wait, they ...

  Coming soon! Watch for it!  Grandma's Ninja Training Diary  (Leaver and Renz) Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary  is the inspiring true story of a 70-year-old grandmother who dares to dream big—by training for  American Ninja Warrior . Teaming up with coach and trainer Brittany Renz, she embarks on a three-year journey to build strength, resilience, flexibility, balance, and endurance—starting from scratch. 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; Coach Brittany 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,...

Slugging though a 5-year period of preparation has moments of high motivation and moments of wondering if the bridge is just too far. I was wondering that today after gaining (not losing) two pounds (still beating around the overweight-obese divide) and thinking maybe commonsense is the better part of valor when I saw this quote from Thomas Merton: "The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little," OK - rock climbing, yoga, it's still on! Judo in January!! And back to more sit-ups, more push-ups, trying to really do a pull up. Strong Fitness challenges -- I'm all in!