Most people believe rest = healing = problem solved. But if you’ve dealt with the same injury over and over, you already know the truth: taking time off usually makes things worse.

In this episode of Past Your Prime, Craig Smith (PT & life professional) and Alex Keicher (pro athlete & busy dad) break down:

• Why time off creates “fake improvement” and the dreaded doom loop

• When rest actually works (and when it doesn’t)

• The difference between tissue capacity and exercise capacity

• Hidden triggers that keep injuries coming back

• How to create a therapeutic gap where healing outweighs irritation

• Practical strategies like lateralization, cool-downs, and trigger management

Whether you’re a weekend warrior, a parent trying to stay active, or someone tired of the same injury cycle, this episode will help you understand why rest alone won’t fix the problem—and how to finally break free.

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Welcome to Past Your Prime – the podcast for active adults balancing training, rehab, family, and real life.

Each episode, hosts Craig Smith and Alex Keicher dive into real-world strategies for overcoming injuries, staying strong, and living pain-free—even when life gets chaotic.

💡 Learn more, access resources, and join our community:👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠pastyourprime.com⁠⁠⁠

⁠

Follow us on Instagram:

📲 Alex – ⁠⁠⁠@spikerkeicher⁠⁠⁠

📲 Craig – ⁠⁠⁠@craigsmithPT⁠

Old injuries that never seem to stay gone?
Taking time off, stretching harder, or grinding through ibuprofen won’t break the cycle. If you keep re-irritating the same spots, it’s not because you’re weak or unlucky—it’s because your programming isn’t addressing tissue capacity and you’re ignoring the feedback that matters.

In this episode of Past Your Prime, Craig uses Alex as a live case study to show how recurring injuries happen and—more importantly—how to stop them. We dig into the body inventory, needs analysis, and therapeutic gap to build a framework that actually reduces flare-ups and keeps you on the court, field, or trail.

You’ll learn how to set up training that builds resilience instead of breakdowns, why key signs are non-negotiable, and why warm-ups and cool-downs are more than box-checking—they’re your chance to test and reset your body so it recovers stronger.

In this episode:– Why old injuries keep coming back (and why “time off” isn’t the fix)– How to use a body inventory and needs analysis to prioritize what really matters– The concept of the therapeutic gap and why athletes with high physical capacity are at higher risk– Why warm-ups and cool-downs should revolve around your key signs– How to design a simple, two-day program that builds tissue capacity without triggering flare-ups– Why avoiding unforced errors in the gym is the key to staying competitive

If you’re tired of living in flare-up mode and want to finally build confidence in your body again, this one’s for you.

____________________________________

Welcome to Past Your Prime – the podcast for active adults balancing training, rehab, family, and real life.

Each episode, hosts Craig Smith and Alex Keicher dive into real-world strategies for overcoming injuries, staying strong, and living pain-free—even when life gets chaotic.

💡 Learn more, access resources, and join our community:👉 ⁠⁠⁠pastyourprime.com⁠⁠

⁠

Follow us on Instagram:

📲 Alex – ⁠⁠@spikerkeicher⁠⁠

📲 Craig – ⁠⁠@craigsmithPT⁠

“Ever pushed through a workout just because it was on the plan—only to pay for it later?
Most athletes and lifters know the trap: the program says one thing, your body says another. That’s where autoregulation comes in.

In Episode 35 of Past Your Prime, Alex and Craig break down how to adjust a structured program in real time without losing progress. Alex shares what he’s been hearing about “intuitive exercise,” Craig explains why skill and measurement matter, and together they walk through the tools you can actually use to autoregulate training—so you know when to regress, lateralize, or progress.

In this episode:
– Why rigidly sticking to a plan often backfire– The difference between intuitive exercise and autoregulation– Key autoregulation tools: RPE, reps in reserve, fatigue response levels, and key signs– How to use tissue, energy, and exercise capacity to guide decisions– Regression, lateralization, and progression explained– Real-world examples from Alex’s training and injuries

____________________________________

Welcome to Past Your Prime – the podcast for active adults balancing training, rehab, family, and real life.

Each episode, hosts Craig Smith and Alex Keicher dive into real-world strategies for overcoming injuries, staying strong, and living pain-free—even when life gets chaotic.

💡 Learn more, access resources, and join our community:👉 ⁠⁠pastyourprime.com⁠

⁠

Follow us on Instagram:

📲 Alex – ⁠@spikerkeicher⁠

📲 Craig – ⁠@craigsmithPT