Client Experience: Greg Pella’s Road Back to Strength

First, Stop the Spiral. Then, Start the Climb

Training with an empty tank

Energy was scarce at the start. Food intake was limited, and his GI system was finicky. We took a micro-dose approach to training, not because we loved minimalism but because his recovery capacity demanded precision. Each session had a narrow target. A few well-chosen moves, clean technique, and then leave enough in the tank for the nervous system to adapt. Progress looked like steadier mornings, fewer evening flares, and the quiet satisfaction that he could move without paying for it later. These were subtle wins that stacked into bigger ones.

One team, one plan

We stayed in lockstep with his medical providers. Everyone had the same scoreboard. Clear notes, realistic expectations, and adjustments that kept training complementary to treatment. Instead of competing plans, we worked a single plan that served Greg’s interests. That coordination protected his recovery and opened a path from survival to progress.

Year 3: Life, reclaimed

Four years later: strong, capable, and in control

Today Greg is pain free. He eats with discernment and can still enjoy spicy and oily favorites when it is time to celebrate a big game. In the gym, the numbers tell part of the story:

• Viking press: 100+ pounds
• Reverse hyper: 90+ pounds
• Push-ups: 30 unbroken



Numbers alone are not the point. They are proof that his body supports deep work at the keyboard, long commutes on I-680, and a life with real adventure. Functional strength is not a slogan for Greg, it is a daily reality.

What We Built Leading to Those Year 3 Wins

The next part of Greg’s story is the blueprint. People often think training is about muscles alone. It is, but not only. Muscles are the expression. What powers that expression is focus, balance, control, power, and breathing, woven together with smart progressions. We added isometrics and dynamic stability, and we rebuilt him joint by joint, foot to neck, so new patterns could replace the old compensation strategies. Here is how that looked.

Focus: the engine of quality

Focus is the first skill in hard times. It is the part of training that decides how much value you get from each rep and each breath. Early on, when Greg’s system was reactive, we treated focus like a lift. He learned to downshift on command, to orient his attention toward the part of his body we were asking to move, and to relax the parts that were bracing out of habit. We built simple pre-set rituals: eyes on a single point, jaw relaxed, tongue resting on the roof of the mouth, gentle nasal inhale, slow exhale. When focus slipped, we paused, reset, and continued.



The payoff: fewer protective spasms, cleaner movement, and a body that was no longer scanning for danger during every rep. Focus built the conditions for recovery.

Balance: the language of joint-by-joint stability

Balance is strength’s quiet partner. Greg’s pain history and weight loss left him with shaky foundations, especially at the foot and hip. We started with tripod foot work, barefoot when appropriate, re-teaching pressure under the first and fifth met heads and the heel. We layered in short foot holds, single-leg hinges to a box, and stance variations that challenged the lateral hip without provoking symptoms.

At the same time we addressed midline balance. The ribcage and pelvis needed to face the same direction to keep the spine calm, so we used half-kneeling presses, tall-kneeling chops, and carries that taught his torso to stack. Wrist and elbow balance mattered too, especially for a coder whose day puts load into the forearms. We used open-hand hangs, controlled wrist CARs, and light pronation-supination drills so typing no longer meant tension that crept up the chain.



Balance gave Greg a platform. Without it, power has nowhere safe to land.

Control: slow strength that rewires patterns



Control is the ability to own the shape you are in, not just pass through it. We used tempo lifts, positional isometrics, and eccentric work to engrain new choices. When you lower slowly into a split squat and pause, your body learns what neutral feels like at the hip and spine. When you hold a row at full retraction and breathe, your shoulder blade learns to sit, not shrug. Control also meant removing the old, unhelpful shortcuts. We stripped away shrugging to create neck relief. We cleaned up rib flaring to protect the low back. We reduced butt-gripping so the hips could actually hip hinge.



Greg learned the difference between tension that produces stability and tension that is just noise. Control is how you turn the volume down on noise.

Power: force on request, not by accident

Power is force delivered fast and accurately. Once Greg had consistent control, we shifted the focus to producing force quickly without losing form. As a former high school cornerback, he knew what it felt like to be springy and responsive. Our goal was to recapture that quality, then surpass it.

We built rate of force development through contrast work. Heavy, crisp reps that taught quality under load were paired with light, fast reps that taught speed. Think landmine push press singles followed by medicine ball chest passes, or reverse lunges from a dead stop followed by snap-down to quick pogo hops. We ran viking press speed sets with a focus on a clean dip and a violent, vertical finish, then cut the set as soon as the bar slowed. Every fast rep had two rules: posture stays tall, and the rep looks like the first rep. When either rule broke, the set ended.



Power training raised a different kind of confidence. Greg no longer had to test whether his body would respond. He could call it on command.

Breathing: the governor of effort and calm



Breathing was the thread that tied the system together. Nasal breathing during warmups settled the nervous system. A gentle fill into the back ribs and low abdomen gave him circumferential pressure, not just a belly push. During isometrics we used long exhales to reduce unnecessary co-contraction in the neck and jaw. During heavier sets we coached a controlled brace on the descent and a smooth release on the finish so pressure never spiked in a way that felt threatening.



Breathing is not a side note. It is how the body decides if it is safe. Greg’s breath gave him a steering wheel for effort and recovery.

Isometrics and Dynamic Stability: the scaffolding

Isometrics were a cornerstone during the sensitive phase and remain a tool we return to. We used two flavors, each with a purpose.

Yielding isometrics taught ownership in mid-range positions. Think of holding a split squat at 60 percent depth, front knee stacked, back glute lightly on, torso tall, and all of it quiet. The goal was time, not pain. We stopped every set while he still felt fresh.

Overcoming isometrics taught intent. Pushing against an immovable pin or strap at a joint angle that mattered allowed Greg to practice effort without the joint shear of heavy external load. Ten seconds of organized, rising output, then a full reset, did more for his confidence than any grindy rep could have done early on.

Dynamic stability gave those isometrics a context. We introduced controlled perturbations on the trunk with bands, suitcase carries that required anti-lateral flexion, and half-kneeling presses that challenged anti-rotation. Hips learned to resist collapse during step-downs. Shoulders learned to stay seated during rows and presses. Ankles learned to manage quick load-unload cycles during low-amplitude hops.



Isometrics told the body where to be. Dynamic stability taught it to stay there when the world moves.

Head to Toe: every joint matters



We did not skip the small parts. Sore systems hide in the details, and those details often live in the feet, wrists, elbows, and neck.

• Feet: Tripod stance, toe articulation, heel-to-toe roll, light pogo series, and short bouts of barefoot work on safe surfaces. Better feet made his knees and hips more honest.
• Ankles: Dorsiflexion and plantarflexion control through calf raises with pauses, controlled heel lowers, and tibialis raises to clean up anterior chain timing.
• Knees: Split squats, step-downs, and sled drags that taught the knee to track while the hip actually hinged.
• Hips: Hinge mechanics with a dowel, glute med focus through step-ups and lateral shifts, and controlled bridge progressions that avoided back extension.
• Pelvis and spine: Tall-kneeling, half-kneeling, and carry variations that kept the ribcage stacked over the pelvis. Minimal cueing, maximal repeatability.
• Scapula and shoulder: Scapular CARs, end-range holds, face pulls with pauses, and the discipline to finish every press with a tall, centered ribcage.
• Elbow and wrist: Open-chain pronation-supination, wrist extension strength with light dumbbells, and grip variations that relieved the perma-tension of coding.
• Neck: Gentle isometrics, chin tuck with reach, and a rule that neck tone never takes over the lift. If it did, we changed the movement.



This full-body approach let us remap how Greg moved. Instead of borrowing from the neck and low back, he earned strength where it belonged.

Unlearning Old Patterns



Pain teaches patterns. Occupation does too. Greg’s body had accumulated a set of protective shortcuts that helped him get through days and months but did not serve him in training. We identified the big ones and replaced them.

• Shrug and hold: The habit of lifting the shoulders during any upper body effort. We taught the shoulder blades to glide and sit. Rows paused with the scap tucked, not the trap clenched.
• Rib flare for range: Using the ribcage to steal motion in pressing and reaching. We set range by the shoulder, not the spine. If the ribs flared, the range was too big, and we scaled it.
• Butt gripping: Posterior pelvic tilt and glute squeeze used as a cure-all. We replaced it with stacked posture and honest hip hinge so the low back did not become a hinge substitute.
• Death grip typing: Constant forearm tone that never downshifted. Soft-hand drills, open-hand hangs, and breathing resets broke the loop.



We did not scold these patterns. They existed for a reason. We gave Greg better options that felt stronger, and the old patterns faded.

The Transition to Explosive Work



Control created a runway for speed. With consistent calm, good positions, and steady strength levels, we moved to the next chapter: quickness on cue. The goal was not max vertical jump numbers. The goal was the ability to turn the lights on instantly, express force cleanly, and then return to a calm idle. Think of it as athletic on-off control.

How we trained it

• Contrast sets: Heavy landmine press single, then two medicine ball chest passes with crisp intent.
• Speed presses: Viking press speed clusters with short rest, reps cut at the first sign of bar deceleration.
• Lower body snap: Split squat from a dead stop, then quick ankle pogo series for ground contact timing.
• Crisp pulls: Deadlift to the knee with an isometric hold, then kettlebell high pull with an emphasis on a tall finish and tight path.
• EMOMs: Timed efforts that emphasize quality under a ticking clock. Work, rest, repeat, and never allow technique to fade.

Readiness checks and stop rules

• We checked sleep, stress, and GI comfort before fast work. If the system was upregulated, we adjusted the plan.
• We used conservative volume. Fast reps are potent. Small servings win.
• We ended sets early on purpose. The best rep is the last good rep, not the first ugly one.

What improved

• First reps fired without lag.
• Transitions between movements felt smooth, not sticky.
• Posture held under speed, which turned high-velocity work into skill practice, not chaos.
• Confidence returned, the kind based on repeated success rather than a brave guess.

The Metrics That Matter

Greg’s headline numbers are great. The deeper metrics tell the story of a system that works.

• Tolerance to travel: Multi-hour drives and flights without symptom spikes.
• Workday capacity: Longer coding blocks before posture breaks, and the ability to recover with a short reset rather than a long layoff.
• Food flexibility: A calm enough system to enjoy celebratory foods without cascading flares, thanks to better baseline regulation.
• Training density: More quality work inside each session and more sessions per month with no penalty to recovery.



These are not abstractions. They are the outcomes people want when they say they want to feel like themselves again.

A Day in the New Greg Program



Here is a snapshot of how a current session might look. The theme changes across the week, but the structure remains consistent: prepare, build, finish, downshift.

• Reset and prepare, 8 to 10 minutes
• Nasal breathing with back-rib expansion, light mobility for the hips and T-spine, tripod foot drills, and a brief isometric in the position that matters that day.
• Skill and speed, 10 minutes
• Low volume power pairing, such as viking press speed clusters and medicine ball chest passes, or split-stance snap downs with quick low-amplitude hops.
• Strength and stability, 20 minutes
• Two main lifts organized for intent. For example, landmine press with tall posture and reverse lunge from deficit, both with pauses or slow eccentrics in the last set.
• Accessory and capacity, 8 to 12 minutes
• Carries, face pulls with pauses, wrist and elbow work for his coding demands, and anti-rotation core work.
• Downshift and leave better than you came, 3 to 5 minutes
• Gentle exhales, a relaxed hang, or a short walk. The goal is to leave the gym already recovering.

We keep the volume honest and the focus sharp. Sessions finish with momentum, not exhaustion.

Why This Approach Worked for Greg

It respected his physiology. We did not argue with his nervous system. We earned the right to load by first calming the noise.

It integrated his life. His job, family, and travel were not obstacles. They were the context that informed decisions.

It used the right tool at the right time. Isometrics when the system was sensitive, dynamic stability to hold positions under motion, tempo to engrain control, and then speed to express power.

It valued communication. With Greg and with his medical team. Questions were welcomed, and small course corrections were normal.



It targeted identity, not just capacity. Greg is not only stronger. He is the kind of person who can trust his body, work hard, cheer for his teams, travel with family, and jump in the car for a festival without worry.

The Next Chapter: From Control to Explosiveness

Greg mastered control. Now we are refining explosiveness. The goal is athletic reliability, the ability to call up maximal intent at a pin drop and then switch it off just as fast. We are using his background as a former cornerback as inspiration and a standard. Corners need sharp footwork, quick hip turns, clean contact balance, and short-burst acceleration. That is the palette we are painting with.

• Footwork ladders and snap turns sharpen rhythm without pounding the joints.
• Low amplitude plyometrics focus on ground contact time rather than jump height, because quickness beats volume.
• Sprint mechanics in place teach posture and arm drive before asking for distance.
• Contrast work keeps speed honest by pairing it with well-owned strength.
• Viking press speed cycles retain a place of honor because they blend posture, timing, and intent.



We will continue to protect the system that got him here. Good sleep, smart fueling, and stress management are not side quests. They are part of performance. Greg knows that now, and you can see it in how he shows up.

What Greg’s Journey Shows

• The right pivot at the right time changes everything.
• Progress often starts with calming the system before loading it.
• Collaboration across providers protects recovery and accelerates results.
• Isometrics and dynamic stability are tools that rebuild trust, rep by rep.
• True strength includes focus, balance, control, power, and breathing, woven together.
• Athletic power is safest and most useful when it sits on a foundation of control.
• The outcome that matters most is freedom. Freedom to work, travel, parent, cheer, and live.

Ready for your own turning point?

If Greg’s story resonates, we would love to help you write your own. We will meet you where you are, calm what hurts, rebuild what you need, and progress you toward strength that fits your life.



Contact Us Now to start a pain-smart, joint-friendly plan that leads from control to power. Or Continue Reading our client stories and practical guides to see how our system delivers real-world results.