Still jumping, landing, and lifting—but your knees don’t feel the same?

In this episode, Craig and Alex break down the 5-Level Framework for keeping your knees healthy, strong, and pain-free—especially if you’re an active adult dealing with old injuries, stubborn swelling, or a history of patellar pain.

Whether you’re playing pickup sports, chasing kids, or just want to train without blowing out your knees, this episode walks you through exactly what to fix—and in what order.

You’ll learn how to spot silent breakdowns like quad inhibition, why force absorption matters more than power production, and how smart loading (not fancy exercises) keeps you in the game.

In this episode:– The 4 non-negotiables for knee health– Why quad inhibition quietly ruins your performance– How to test if your muscles are “shut off” (and what to do)– Force absorption vs. power: why it’s the missing link in injury prevention– Movement patterns that wreck your landings– Why “fixing your glutes” isn’t always the answer– How to spot faulty movement (valgus, stiffness, asymmetry)– Real recovery strategies (not just ice and tape)– Why weekly and monthly load planning matters more than random rest– How to stop masking symptoms—and start managing your knee

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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

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Follow us on Instagram:📲 Alex – @spikerkeicher📲 Craig – @craigsmithPT

When everything hurts, most people just try to push through—or give up altogether. But there’s a better way.

In this episode, Craig and Alex introduce the Body Inventory: a 5-question system to map out your current and past injuries, identify hidden compensations, and finally train with clarity instead of fear.

Whether you're dealing with persistent pain, old injuries that keep flaring up, or movement patterns you didn’t even realize you were avoiding, this episode gives you a structured way to stop guessing and start managing your body.

You’ll learn why most active adults confuse pain tolerance with pain threshold, how sensitization develops over time, and what it really means to feel fragile—but not broken.

Craig and Alex walk through real examples (including Alex’s wrist injury) to show you how to turn scattered symptoms into a focused plan—and why your warm-up, key signs, and self-awareness matter more than any quick fix.

In this episode:

– Why pushing through pain leads to fragility, not resilience– The difference between pain tolerance and pain threshold (and why it matters)– How sensitization makes your body react more to less– The 5-question Body Inventory framework– Why forgotten injuries still matter– How to identify key signs for monitoring progress– What to do when your symptoms don’t respond to treatment– Why most warm-ups are too long and miss the point– How to build a plan around your body's real limits—not your ego– What it means to be untracked (not broken)

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

In 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

Why Do Your Hamstrings Always Feel Tight? (It’s Not What You Think)
Everyone thinks tight hamstrings mean they need to stretch—but what if that’s making the problem worse?

In this episode, Craig and Alex dismantle the myth of hamstring tightness and reveal 15 different causes behind that chronic, nagging sensation. From nerve tension and faulty motor patterns to movement compensation and fatigue, this episode digs into the complexity behind a deceptively simple symptom.

You’ll learn why stretching usually backfires, how altered neuromuscular states develop, and what to actually do if your hamstrings always feel lit up—even if you’re strong and well-trained.

Craig and Alex walk through a 5-part clinical framework that flips the typical approach on its head, so you can stop chasing symptoms and start solving the real problem.

In this episode:– Why “tight hamstrings” is almost never a hamstring problem– The 15 causes behind hamstring tightness (and how they overlap)– Why static stretching often makes symptoms worse– The role of neural tension, cramping thresholds, and lumbar referral– How movement patterning overloads the hamstrings– Why DOMS in one muscle is a warning signal– The difference between strength and control– What to do instead of stretching (starting with a prone glute squeeze)– How to test whether your glutes are actually working– Why your squats might be training dysfunction, not fixing it

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

Three NBA players tore their Achilles in the Finals. Was it just bad luck?

In this episode, Craig and Alex break down why Achilles tendon ruptures aren’t freak accidents—they’re predictable failures of the kinetic chain. Using high-profile injuries like Tyrese Halliburton’s, they dig into the real risk factors: fatigue, inhibition, missed warning signs, and poor load absorption mechanics.

You’ll learn how a passive structure like the Achilles ends up overloaded by upstream breakdowns, why “calf strain” is often a misleading diagnosis, and what athletes and coaches should be doing to prevent catastrophic injury—before it happens.

We explain the mechanism behind Achilles ruptures, the role of subclinical inhibition, and why even the strongest, most skilled athletes are still at risk without recovery and reactivation strategies.

In this episode:– Why Achilles ruptures happen in one consistent movement pattern– How fatigue and inhibition shift force into the Achilles– What the ACL and UCL teach us about kinetic chain failure– The difference between muscle weakness and muscle inhibition– Why “calf strain” is a vague and misleading diagnosis– What Halliburton's injury tells us about hidden risk– How to use key signs to prevent overload injuries– Why your plantar intrinsics (foot core) matter more than you think– When to check for joint effusion and movement compensation– Why overtraining without an off-season is killing longevity in sport

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

Thinking about trying 75 Hard?

This episode isn’t about masochism, punishment, or proving how tough you are. It’s about building systems that align with your identity, meaning, and direction—then testing those systems under stress.

Craig shares why he’s committing to 75 Hard (with a twist), how he’s using it to refine his habits, reduce decision fatigue, and strengthen boundaries as a business owner and clinician. This isn’t about suffering—it’s about structure, self-awareness, and execution.

Alex plays devil’s advocate, throws in a few champagne jokes, and tries to tempt Craig off the rails… but also digs into the deeper purpose behind the challenge.

If you’ve been curious about 75 Hard—or want to build your own high-performance system without burning out—this episode is for you.

In this episode:
– Why Craig is using 75 Hard to stress-test his personal system– The difference between suffering and strategic challenge– How to create boundaries when work and home life blur– Craig’s unique version of 75 Hard (with added deep work)– Why alcohol became a "work edge" and how he’s replacing it– How block scheduling creates freedom, not rigidity– Building support systems: from Sarah to social accountability– Alex’s favorite role: professional saboteur– Real strategies for executing a structured plan– Using 75 Hard to increase leverage, not just willpower

___________________________________________________

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

In 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

Feeling tight all the time?
You might not need more stretching—you might need better movement, load management, and a new way to understand what “tightness” actually means. In this episode, Craig and Alex challenge the cultural obsession with stretching and unpack why static stretching is often overrated, misused, and even harmful when dealing with pain, injury, or performance goals.

We break down the real reasons people feel tight, why stretching doesn’t make you more flexible, and what to do instead if you want to move better, stay pain-free, and keep training as you age.

In this episode:
– Why tightness is a sensation—not a diagnosis– The 9 reasons you might feel tight (and why stretching won’t fix them)– How stretching masks useful symptoms and delays recovery– When stretching actually makes injuries worse– The problem with hypermobility and “feeling tight”– Why static stretching reduces power and performance– When stretching is appropriate (rare, specific cases only)– Alternatives to stretching that build real mobility and control– Craig’s concept of Sensory Motor Tightness Syndrome– How to rethink your warm-up, cool-down, and mobility work

___________________________________________________

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

In 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

Medial ankle pain?

You might be dealing with a posterior tibialis injury—and not just a “flat foot.” In this episode, Craig and Alex break down why so many people miss the real cause of their foot pain and how the wrong rehab strategy leads to chronic issues. We cover structure vs. function, key signs, overpronation myths, and how to use taping and bracing to offload the post tib tendon without relying on orthotics forever.

In this episode:– What the posterior tibialis does—and why it matters– Key signs and testing for post-tib tendinopathy– How foot structure (flat vs. rigid) influences injury risk– Why taping and bracing work (and how to use them right)– The 5 levels of artificial stabilization– Common rehab mistakes with post-tib pain– When orthotics become a crutch– Progressing to long-term load tolerance

🛠 Tools Mentioned:
▶️ Modified Low Dye Taping – How To Guide▶️ Ankle Compression Wrap – Setup Instructions

___________________________________________________

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

In 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

Why does your injury keep coming back—even after rehab?

In this episode of Past Your Prime, Craig and Alex break down the “Rehab Gap”: the vulnerable zone between feeling better and actually being better. If you’ve ever stopped rehab too early, mistook fitness for readiness, or blown yourself up trying to return to activity, this episode is for you.

They unpack:

• Why symptoms disappearing doesn’t mean the injury is resolved

• The difference between tissue capacity and exercise capacity

• What the rehab standard actually looks like

• How the therapeutic gap explains your plateau

• The full checklist for graduating from Phase 3 and avoiding reinjury

Whether you're managing a bum knee, cranky wrist, or recurring back pain—this episode helps you cross the Rubicon and stay in the game.

✅ Phase 3 Completion Checklist: Are You Ready to Cross the Rehab Gap?

Use this checklist to assess whether you're ready to move from rehab to full performance:

1. Key signs are clear and improving – You can track progress and responses to activity.

2. You tolerate higher volume and intensity – No delayed flares (12–72 hours) or end-of-week crashes.

3. Your home plan includes progressive loading – You’re actively increasing load and complexity.

4. You’ve reintroduced key real-life triggers – And your body handles them without setbacks.

5. Artificial stabilization is minimal – Bracing, taping, or aids are now used only as training/performance tools.

6. Tissue and fatigue responses are stable – You know what your body can handle and can adjust as needed.

7. You can manage flare-ups independently – Without relying on providers, meds, or external tools.

8. You’ve kept your therapeutic gap – You’re still doing what helps, even as you feel better.

If you're missing one or more of these, you're likely still in Phase 3. Stay there, keep building tissue capacity, and monitor your feedback loops.

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Craig’s 4 signs of a healthy knee

• Dwyane Wade and the failure of elite rehab systems

• Tissue response levels and flare-up timing

• The 3 Capacities Model (energy, tissue, exercise)

• Artificial stabilization levels (crutch → performance aid)

• How to stop confusing pain relief with actual readiness

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

In 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