Most active adults don’t break down because of one bad workout or a single unlucky twist — they get trapped in a doom loop, a cycle where tissue capacity slowly drops below daily intensity. Once that flip happens, even “normal life” keeps making things worse.

In this episode, Craig & Alex break down how the doom loop forms, the subtle signs you’re in it, and—most importantly—how to get out before your world shrinks into compensations, bracing, KT tape, and frustration.

You’ll learn:

• Why high performers are more likely to fall into the doom loop

• How tissue, physical, and energy capacity interact

• The hidden triggers you’re missing every day

• Why treatments alone don’t get you out

• The role of the therapeutic gap in escaping the spiral

• The biggest mistakes that keep people stuck for months (or years)

If you’ve felt like you’re doing less and less but hurting more and more, this episode is your roadmap out.

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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 (PT & coach) and Alex Keicher (pro athlete & busy dad) unpack 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

Most active adults think recurring injuries mean they’re “getting old” or “overdoing it.”
But the real problem is almost always the same: your physical capacity has outpaced your tissue capacity—and the mismatch keeps blowing you up.

In this episode, Craig breaks down exactly what that mismatch is, why strong and motivated people are the most vulnerable, and how hidden triggers, delayed feedback loops, and high tolerance can mask the problem until it becomes a flare-up cycle.

We cover:

• Why you feel strong but keep getting hurt

• How physical capacity (skills, strength, coordination, mentality, habits) develops faster than your tissues can adapt

• How delayed symptoms trick you into thinking workouts were “easy”

• Why injections, rest, and symptom-masking treatments don’t fix the root issue

• Mechanical capacity vs the body’s threat-detector system (threshold & tolerance)

• The classic pattern of people who fall into this mismatch

• The real signs you’re in the mismatch—even if you think you’re “training smarter”

• The four-step process for actually fixing it

• How this mismatch leads directly into the Injury Doom Loop

If you’ve ever felt like you’re one workout away from another setback, this episode will finally explain why—and what to do next.

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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 (PT & coach) and Alex Keicher (pro athlete & busy dad) unpack 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

Knee pain during squats and lunges isn’t just “getting older” — it’s usually a specific structure or control problem that can be identified and fixed.

In this episode, Craig Smith, PT, and pro volleyball player Alex Keicher break down the most common causes of knee pain and what to do for each one. They cover how to tell the difference between a joint issue, a tendon problem, or patellofemoral pain — plus why co-contraction and glute inhibition can make your knees feel tight even when nothing’s torn.

You’ll learn:

• The key differences between knee joint, tendon, patellofemoral joint, and meniscus pain.

• Simple self-tests to narrow down which structure is irritated.

• The best interventions for each:

  • Traction for the joint

  • Cross-friction and load for the tendon

  • Isometrics or pain-free zones for patellofemoral pain

  • Heel lift and temporary extension limits for anterior horn meniscus irritation

• How to fix “tight” squats caused by co-contraction and gamma-loop dysfunction.

• How to reset glute activation and rebuild smooth movement patterns with sit-to-stand drills.

• Craig’s four-step framework to eliminate knee pain and reload your system safely.

If your knees ache every time you squat, this episode gives you the roadmap to understand what’s really going on — and how to move pain-free again.

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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 (PT & coach) and Alex Keicher (pro athlete & busy dad) unpack 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