Attention: Men & women aged 50-75
(and those a little younger who want to get a head start)
Gain the skills & knowledge you need to:
Improve your strength, movement, & injury resilience in 7 days.
Individual coaching and feedback from a doctor of physiotherapy on how to safely perform the most important strength exercises to get you feeling great now and functioning at a high level long into the future.
At the time that suits you from the comfort of your own home (no matter where you are in the world) via a simple to use app.
First cohort starting 15 May 2024
Quick Quiz:
Is The Start Strength Challenge right for you?
The Complete Beginner
Have you done no strength exercise before and hate the idea of it?
Have you done no strength exercise before but know you probably should?
Are you not even really sure what counts as a strength exercise?
The Dabbler
Have you tried but hated it or maybe even injured yourself?
Have you tried but have never managed to do it consistently?
Do you have a drawer, cupboard, or even garage full of exercise equipment you never use?
The Veteran
Are you already strength training but only do high-intensity cardio-style lifting workouts?
Are you already strength training but would like a plan for when you travel or need to skip the gym?
Are you already strength training but don't have a plan that will adapt as you age or an injury?
The Retire Strong Project - Start Strength Challenge is program designed and online coaching experience by a doctor of physiotherapy for people who want to establish a -
Safe
Simple
Sustainable
- approach to strength training in 7 days from the comfort of your own home, at a time that suits you.
I have selected only the most important at home exercises for the 5 areas of the body:
1. Ankle & Foot
2. Hip & Knee
3. Back & Core
4. Shoulder & Elbow
5. Wrist & Hand
And created detailed videos to guide you through how to incrementally progress each exercise from:
• What I taught patients who were 90+ in a geriatric rehab hospital
To:
• The at home exercises I did as a 32-year-old to train for a mountainous ultra-marathon.
You can then upload videos directly through the app to receive video feedback so you can safely choose the right level for you and know how to make each exercise easier or harder.
So you can:
Feel strong, mobile, & energetic now and long into the future
Manage pain and decrease risk of future injury
Stay out of physios, hospitals, & nursing homes
Without:
Long and complicated workouts
Feeling lost and out of place in a gym
A rigid program that falls apart when you travel or have a dip in motivation
All for the price of 1 day in a nursing home in Australia (if you have zero assets) - $60.86AUD
Not $426.02 ($60.86 x 7)
Just $60.86
And because I believe that making exercise social is the easiest way to make it enjoyable and consistent - The cost of your ticket includes a free plus one.
In other words: Buy one, get one free.
Sign Up Today
***DISCLAIMER:
This is not a physio rehab program, and you are not my "patient" unless you also book a physio consultation (available after completing the order at a discounted rate)
I will be providing advice on technique and exercise programming, but I will not be giving specific, individualised physio assessment or advice for your specific injury and context.
Unless you are also my physio patient in which case communication will be done privately.
The doctor and dietician will answer your pre-submitted Q&As in a general sense if they can but will also not give you specific medical advice.
This is for your safety and our medico-legal responsibility as registered health professionals.
It is your responsibility to book an online physio consultation if injury is a concern or to seek professional advice before starting exercise***
How does it work?
7-Day Challenge Breakdown
Click the day for more information or press the expand all button to see them all
Pre-Challenge | Foot + Ankle Strength & Stability + Educational Course
Available Tuesday, the day before the start of the program.
Foot & ankle strength will help you:
Enhance your hiking ability by improving stability on uneven surfaces
Build stamina to stay on your feet all day for golf or travel
Increase your running efficiency and reduce the risk of injuries
Boost your jumping power and the ability to land safely
Improve balance, crucial for preventing falls
While helping reduce risk of injuries such as:
Calf strains
Plantar fascia (bottom of foot) pain
Ankle sprains
Shin splints
Fractures from falls
(Optional) Online Physiotherapy Session
If you currently have an injury that will limit your ability to participate in the challenge, you can book an appointment for an online physio consult for a reduced rate at any point between signing up for the challenge and completing of the challenge.
If you book a session and I do not think your case is right for online physiotherapy, I will refund your payment and refer you to someone more suitable to help.
Day 1 - Wednesday | Hip + Knee Strength & Stability
Hip & knee strength will help you:
Climb stairs & mountains with ease
Walk longer distances
Get up and down from the floor or low chairs
Enhance your sports performance, especially in activities like cycling or skiing.
While helping reduce risk of injuries such as:
Hip bursitis
Knee arthritis
Hip arthritis
ITB related pain
ACL injuries
Meniscal tears
Hip fractures from falls
Day 2 - Thursday | Shoulder + Elbow Strength & Stability
Shoulder strength will help you to:
Increase your endurance for overhead activities like painting or gardening
Improved posture via strengthening muscles of the upper back and neck
Boost performance in sports that require upper body engagement like swimming, tennis, surfing, or golf.
While helping reduce risk of injuries such as:
Rotator cuff injuries
Shoulder impingement
Frozen shoulder
Shoulder dislocations
Labrum tears
Tendonitis in the shoulder
Day 3 - Friday | Back + Core Strength & Stability
Core/trunk strength will help you:
Improve your posture
Bend and lift with confidence
Twist with ease in sports like golf or during everyday activities like checking your blind spot
Boost your efficiency in performing both everyday tasks and athletic activities.
While helping reduce the risk of injuries such as:
Lower back pain
Herniated discs
Hernias
Pelvic floor dysfunctions
Day 4 - Saturday | Catch-Up Day + Nutrition 101
It is the weekend!
Use these days to make sure you are up to date with your exercises and upload them for feedback.
On this day you will also receive a course module on the most important factors in optimising your recovery & results via quality nutrition as well as a nutrition themed mini challenge for the day!
Day 5 - Sunday | Catch-Up Day + Sleep 101
It is the weekend!
Use these days to make sure you are up to date with your exercises and upload them for feedback.
The importance of quality sleep and the impact it has on exercise results cannot be overstated.
On this day you will receive a course module and mini challenge related to improving your sleep.
Day 6 - Monday | Wrist + Hand Strength & Stability
Elbow, wrist, & hand strength will help you:
Improve your ability to lift and carry grandkids, suitcases, & groceries
Improve endurance for tasks that involve prolonged use of the hands and arms such as gardening or sailing
Increase grip strength, essential for activities like opening jars or using tools while also being a strong indicator of life expectancy
While helping reduce the risk of injuries such as:
Tennis elbow
Golfer's elbow
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Repetitive strain injuries
Day 7 - Tuesday | Put It All Together - Build Your Perfect Program
Understanding how to do a collection of exercises is all well and good.
But putting it together into a program that suits your goals, lifestyle, and time constraints is key to making it actually happen.
On this last day of the program, I will guide you through how to structure your program in a flexible way so that you will have options for when you are feeling great, motivated, and have plenty of time.
But you will also have an option for when you are stressed, tired, and time poor by following my 6 Levels of Engagement framework (referenced in the image).
Post-Challenge | Support - Ongoing Access to Coaching & Resources
I want to make sure everyone who does my program leaves it with clarity and confidence on how to fit strength training into their lives.
So, after the program ends, I will open up a chance to do a 1:1 call with me to go over any last questions from the course and personally review the program you have created for yourself.
The App
One simple to use app enabling a comprehensive coaching experience.
The App
One simple to use app enabling a comprehensive coaching experience.
About Me
I am a physio (physical therapist) based in Sydney, Australia.
In 2023, I closed my clinic to focus entirely on my online business.
My aim for this business and for my life is to help as many people as I possibly can develop a sustainable & enjoyable approach to exercise and health.
I have worked hard to distil all of the lessons from my:
• Formal education (DPT +B App Sci (ExSp) + Dip Rem. Massage)
• Practical education working under some of the best strength & running coaches in the world
• Professional experience working with hundreds of clients over my decade in healthcare
• Professional experience working in professional sport and with elite athletes
• Personal experience of being a high-level athlete for periods of my life
• Personal experience of being completely lacking in motivation and love for exercise, usually as a result of injury
Any questions?
What is the time commitment for this program?
My aim is that you should be able to get through the exercise testing and uploading in less than 30 minutes per day of the course.
This may vary person to person.
This does not mean you will be doing 30-minute workouts a day going forward.
In the session on building your adaptable program I show you how you can have options that are 2 minutes per day right up to 45 minutes + minutes a day if you want to train very hard.
What if I have an injury?
If you have an injury, I recommend you go and work with a physio directly to make sure you are clear on your diagnosis and treatment.
That could be me via an online consultation which you can book at a reduced rate after signing up for the challenge.
Have you got a plan for strengthening the other areas of your body that are not injured?If not, this program can help by making sure you keep up your health momentum by continuing to train around your injury.
One of the biggest mistakes I see over and over again is stopping everything when injured. That leads to rapid deconditioning, particularly when you are 50+
What if I am younger than 50? Can I still participate.
You are more than welcome to purchase and consume the content and do the programs.
I believe it is valuable for people of any age, as the earlier you can get started strength training, the better.
The highest level of the program, the bodyweight strength program I did to prepare for my mountainous ultramarathon, is as challenging as you want to make it.
If there are many people younger than 50 signing up, I will make a separate community and create some specific content.
What if I am older than 75? Can I still participate?
That is up to you.
The starting exercises are what I was doing with 90-year-olds in a sub-acute geriatric rehab hospital, so they are certainly applicable for people 75-90.
However, have specified 50-75 because I believe that if I was trying to cater for the average person 75+ it would change how I delivered and presented the information.
If you are 75+, my recommendation would be to work with someone in person to get started and then consume the educational content from this program if it is of interest to you.
Is this a physio rehab program?
While the exercises and progressions are basically identical to what I would do in the rehab context, this is not intended for injury rehab. It is intended for improving function, strength, muscle mass, and injury prevention. If you are currently injured, please work with a physio directly and if appropriate, use the exercises here for the rest of your body and for your injured area once you are cleared to by your physio.
I am not very tech-savvy. Will I be able to follow the course and program?
I have designed this and tested it with my parents and other 60+ clients to make sure it is straightforward and provides options for different levels of tech-savviness.
If you know how to operate Facebook &/or email then you will be able to access all the content. There will be PDF print out options for the workouts if you prefer to go analogue.
I chose the exercise app and course platform specifically because they met my needs for great features while also being easy to use.
Will I have to train in a gym?
While I do believe training in a gym with machine weights would be ideal for people of this age group, I decided to make this program bodyweight and minimal equipment.
I recognise it is too big a leap for people who do not strength train at all and have never set foot in a gym to think about getting into a gym.
I want this program to be as accessible as possible and then have opportunities for people who opt in to wanting to learn to use a gym to do that with me in a program separate to this one.
Will I get bulky if I start strength training?
Almost certainly not. It is not easy to put on extra muscle size.
It takes a lot of hard training, dialled in recovery, and very specific eating. It is also much harder to put on muscle size past your mid 30s.
If that is something you would like help with, I am happy to help.
The aim for this program is to optimise your function and maintain muscle mass.
You may be able to get bulky if you try really, really, really, really hard.
But I do not think that will happen unexpectedly.
What if I have never done any strength training in my whole life?
This program is designed with you in mind.
If you can stand up from a chair, even if you need some assistance, or grip a stress ball, then the early stages of this program will not be beyond you.
What if I am already strength training? What if I am already strong and experienced?
This program is designed with you in mind. You will be able to follow the progression pathway and choose an appropriate place for you.
I will be sharing the body weight strength program that I used to train for my ultramarathon.
It is as tough as you want to make it. If you are already training in the gym, then these bodyweight programs will be perfect for when you travel or are too time-poor to make it into the gym.
It will also give you a back-up plan for when you are unable to do what you are currently doing so that you make sure you keep training for as long as possible.
Can I get more personalised help?
During this program you will have 1:1 access to me but if you would like to move faster with your exercise & health journey then send me a message via the chat box on this page and we can organise a call to discuss options.
If you decide to purchase this program, any payment you make will go towards future coaching so if you like the look of this program, there is no need to delay.