Month: January 2026

Have you ever caught yourself thinking: “Ugh… I guess that’s just part of getting older.”

Aches, stiffness, loss of strength, slower movement – some changes happen naturally with age… but losing muscle, strength, and confidence in your body doesn’t have to.

That’s where strength training comes in.

Here’s what happens as we age

As we get older, we naturally lose muscle and strength. Without regular training, that decline speeds up over time, and it can impact:

• mobility
• balance
• bone density
• energy
• confidence doing everyday tasks

The good news? Progressive strength training is one of the best tools we have to fight back.

Why resistance training is so important (especially later in life)

 1) It protects your independence

Everything we do in the gym carries over to real life.

• Farmer Carries = carrying groceries
• Squats = standing up from a chair easily
• Pressing = lifting things overhead (like luggage, boxes, dishes)

The goal isn’t just to “work out.” It’s to help you move well for life.

 2) It reduces injury + fall risk

Strength matters… but so does power (how quickly you can produce force).

That quick reaction is what helps you:

• catch yourself if you trip
• regain balance
• grab a railing on the stairs
• move confidently without hesitation

Power work doesn’t always mean jumping. At SSP it can look like:

• ladder drills
• medicine ball throws
• controlled deceleration + balance training

One of our members told us they slipped during the night, and instead of going down, they caught themselves and stayed upright. They credited their training here. 

 3) Training evolves with you

Your body changes over time and your training should too.

That’s why we tailor and scale everything to:

• your body
• your starting point
• your goals
• your stage of life

No ego. No all-or-nothing. Just smart training that meets you where you’re at and keeps you strong.

If you ever have questions about the positive effects a consistent strength training routine can have on your body as you age, we’re here for you.

We’re talking about today a special variation of split squats which we find most people love or hate, and that’s the rear foot elevated split squat. 

But, here’s the deal: doing these well means understanding how to make them work best for your body. There’s no single “right” way to do this exercise, and there are ways to progress, regress, or alter the exercise to work better for you, including: 

• Adjusting your range of motion
• Changing how you load the movement
• Using assists like mobility sticks for balance and support

Any way you slice it, however, this is a challenging lower-body movement, but the goal is to find the version that feels strong, controlled, and appropriate for where you’re at. 

 Watch Coach Natalie break the exercise down in this video. 

Have any questions about how to make this exercise work for you? Just hit reply…and happy split squatting 

Happy New Year! We are so excited about 2026. 

Here’s what we’ve got for you… Join our 30 day transformation program for… wait, you’ve probably heard that one before, huh? How about join our 6-week post-holiday shred program to drop those holiday pounds… that one too? 

I know I’m poking a little fun, but these same messages pop up everywhere this time of year because, as you probably know, January is widely known for being the busiest time of year in gyms all across the world. Most people come into the New Year with a fresh feeling and perspective and they attack those New Year’s Resolutions with vigor! 

We love to see people excited about improving their lives and their health! That’s what we’re all about at SSP. The challenge we oftentimes see in this approach tends to be very intense and, as a result, short-lived. People adopt a big “all or nothing” approach to achieving their goals, and as it relates to fitness, many of those classic marketing messages play into the psychology of going “hard” for a short period of time to achieve results. We see this lead to burnout, frustration, and lack of motivation. According to Forbes, up to 45% of resolutions made in a new year are abandoned by March!

Here’s what we do at SSP: 

• Provide really smart strength training that is customized and progressive to you from a team of amazing coaches who are really good at their craft. 
• A safe and inclusive environment that feels safe, has no mirrors, and one where we celebrate strength and what our bodies are capable of. 
• A really, really great community of people. I mean, we’re biased, but we’re pushing 1000 members between our four locations and we know one of the reasons they keep coming back is because of the people. 
• A path for developing a healthy and sustainable relationship with your fitness that is lifelong and one that ultimately improves your muscle mass, bone density, decreases risk of cardiovascular disease, and improves your functional independence as you age. Quite simply, you’ll be able to do more of the things you love to do for longer and perform better doing them. 

I know maybe some of that doesn’t sound as exciting or as sexy as a 30-day shred, but I know I can stand by every single word. New habits take a long time to solidify and become sustainable. They take work and consistency. Building strength takes work and consistency. Improving your cardiovascular function takes work and consistency. Your time with SSP will do all of that (and then some). 

However you decide to tackle your New Year’s goals, I am wishing you 100% the best for 2026. 

Your friend,

Chris