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The stretches you're doing are making you
TIGHTER.
All from one mistake that keeps adult training 70–80% off target ...
Stretching, strengthening and rest can all fix a tight back, cranky knees or stiff shoulders.
BUT : If you're doing them like most adults, you'll spend 5, 10, even 20 years and thousands of dollars getting stiffer.
Stretching the wrong spot builds the imbalances and overcompensations that turn into chronic, even catastrophic, injuries.
The good news : It's an easy fix. Vennie came in with 5 hip surgeries, 4 knee surgeries and a spine fusion. In his first year he hit 21 muscle ups and a 2-minute handstand.
Below I'll break down how to fix this. No weights. No guesswork.
Lee Weiland
Founder, Pacific Rim Athletics
November 13, 2026
7 min read
The big rebuild (or breakdown) comes from 2 changes in how you train.
1. Change #1 : Stop stretching the spot that hurts. Find the weak link it's protecting.
2. Change #2: Start training toward SKILLS instead of workouts: a handstand, a V-stand, a muscle up, every level earned before the next. It's how 90% of our students hit their first goal in 60 days.
Do these and your body will
-Stop flaring up every time you push.
-Get strong where it's actually weak,
- Move better every month.
+The handstands and muscle ups show up as byproducts.
Put both changes together and 90% of our students hit their first goal in 60 days. Same body. Same age.
First: why listen to me?
I'm the founder of Pacific Rim Athletics and creator of Powerbatics. We coach attorneys, physicians, engineers, linemen and retirees in 20+ countries.
So I get to see what actually works across 5,000+ adult bodies, most of them over 40 and already beat up.
(I've also been through it myself. 5 bulging discs, spinal stenosis, arthritis, a torn bicep and spine surgery. Now it's 1-arm handstands, airflares and flips. So yes, I tested this on my own spine first.)
Lee · front lever to flying frog
So trust me when I say this.
Across 5,000+ students, the ONE thing separating adults who rebuild from adults who break down:
WHAT they train, and the ORDER they train it in.
Here's what they do differently.
FIRST : Stop stretching the spot that hurts
This alone ends the stretch-strengthen-rest guessing
Most adults don't even know this. This is why their back, knees and shoulders keep flaring up.
Your body works as one chain. So a weak link anywhere = pain somewhere else.
The problem:
If you're treating the spot that hurts, your training is usually 70–80% off target.
The result is you AND your body working against each other.
When you train around a weak link
-You stretch what you SHOULD strengthen
-You strengthen what you SHOULD release
-Every rep builds the imbalance a little deeper
Because you're treating the alarm instead of the fire.
Finding the weak link gets you the full picture.
| Where it hurts | Students | Where it usually starts |
|---|---|---|
| Shoulders | 130 | Locked shoulder blades, tight chest |
| Knees | 108 | Tight hips |
| Lower back | 107 | Weak core, tight hamstrings |
| Total · 3 injuries | 345 named | 3 weak links |
This is the confusion. Same three injuries, two different maps. The PT, the trainer and YouTube all work on where it hurts. The weak link is usually one joint over: hips for knees, core and hamstrings for the lower back, shoulder blades for shoulders. It also explains why the fix that worked last month quit working.
If you're serious about moving well for the next 30 years, you should be finding your weak links before you stretch anything. (I'll show you how we do it near the end of this post)
Finding them instantly changes what every rep is doing.
Fixing this is the fastest turnaround your body will ever feel.
We did it for Vennie and it took him from 5 hip surgeries and a spine fusion to 21 muscle ups in his first year. We've done the same for Drea (a 42-year-old career mom, now doing handstands and freerunning), Brent, Patrick and 5,000+ others in 20+ countries.
Vennie · 5 hip surgeries, a spine fusion · top of a muscle up
Brent · Ninja Strength level 2 test
Patrick · pullover, dips, skin the cat
It just works.
We find them with our 10 Move Quiz (it's the first thing every student does).
That said, whatever you use, this is non-optional.
THEN once you know your weak links, apply the change below for another near instant jump.
Second : Train toward SKILLS...not workouts
This is how 90% of our students hit their first goal in 60 days
This sounds a tad... backwards. We want you training the moves you think you're too beat up for.
Your body only adapts to what you ask of it.
Workouts don't ask anything specific. Squats, pushups and curls hit the same weak links rep after rep.
Train with them and you're guessing every session.
The problem:
A workout can't tell you if you're ready. So you either push too hard and flare up, or play it safe and stay stuck.
The result is years of effort with nothing to show for it.
When you train toward a skill
-A handstand tells you if your wrists, shoulders and core are READY
-A V-stand exposes hamstrings and core at the SAME time
-A muscle up tests pulling, pushing and timing in ONE move
Because every skill has dozens of moves built in, and each level is earned before the next.
Skills tell you exactly what's safe to push.
This is the clear path. Same body, a different question every session: not "what should I do today?" but "did I earn the next level?" Every rung is a test you either pass or keep training for.
That's how Bryan built his level 4 handstand kata: press handstand, V-stand, planche. And how Robert tests for his next level on the bar.
Bryan · handstand kata level 4
Robert · Ninja Strength level 2 test
You can't outwork incorrect training.
By the way, if you don't want to figure all of this out on your own, you don't have to.
Our coach team (doctorates, former physical therapists and elite athletes) starts you with the 10 Move Quiz, builds your protocol and updates it every 2–6 weeks. We do it with you 1-on-1, so spots are limited.
And we're running our Black Friday pricing right now.
Hint hint.
See if you're a fit →
Pacific Rim Athletics · Powerbatics · 1-on-1 coaching