On starting weight: Begin lighter than you think. Week 1, find a weight where rep 12 feels like a 6 out of 10 effort. Add weight only when rep 12 feels like a 4. Your connective tissue has been under significant load for years and is now adjusting to a rapidly changing body — bring it along carefully.
Cliff's Protocol — Every Session
Do these six movements in order, every session. Same sequence each time — builds the habit into muscle memory.
Hold band at chest height, arms straight. Pull apart until arms are wide open — squeeze shoulder blades together hard at the end. Return slowly.
Sit at edge of chair, hinge slightly forward. One hand on dumbbell, drive elbow straight back. Squeeze at the top. Slow return.
Hands on wall, step back until body is at an angle. Lower chest toward wall, push back. Progress: wall → countertop → floor over weeks.
Standing, dumbbells at sides. Hinge at hips — push hips back, back flat, let the weights travel down your legs. Push the floor away to stand tall.
Stand sideways to the anchor, band at chest. Press straight out, hold 2 seconds. Return to chest. Keep hips and shoulders square the whole time.
Stand in doorframe, forearms on the frame at 90°. Lean body gently forward until you feel the stretch across your chest. Breathe into it.
Phase 1 Progress Map — Weeks 1–4
Cheryl's Protocol — Same Days, Same Room
Post knee replacement, zero knee load. Upper body and core. Cheryl runs her list while Cliff runs his — same schedule, same accountability.
Seated upright. Curl dumbbells to shoulders, then press overhead. Lower slowly — one fluid movement.
Lie on back, knees bent, feet flat. Drive hips up by squeezing glutes. Hold 1–2 seconds at top. Lower with control. Knees stay apart.
Lie on back, arms up, knees at 90°. Lower OPPOSITE arm and leg slowly toward floor. Return. Keep low back pressed to floor the entire time.
"I've been putting this off. We both know it. The walks are real and I'm proud of them. But 130 lbs lost and 25–40% of that potentially from muscle is a number I can't ignore anymore. This protocol exists because I built it for myself first — simple enough that I'll actually do it, short enough that it fits in a morning before work, honest about where I'm starting from. Three days. Bryan's going to ask. Let's have a different answer this Monday."