Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

08/01/2026

Getting my butt kicked on my mini trampoline on a hot and humid night.

Lateral hops to balance are a great exercise and they are low impact on the trampoline.

I can do exercises on here that would be too damaging and painful for me on a hard surface.

Find a way to keep things going or pay the heavy price of inactivity.

07/31/2026

The view of the Iron Garage as I do my weight vest driveway walks at night.

I don’t get the mileage in that I used to but I try to get some weight vest steps in during every workout.

Making workouts realistic and achievable are very important especially as we get older.

But the most important factor will always be to get your ass up and to go do something.

Most of the time when you do that first important step, you will usually end up doing far more than you imagined.

So go workout!

07/22/2026

Scored some old school Cell Tech creatine.
I’ve been using this stuff for over 20 years because it works for me.
I used it in Afghanistan in 2002 and Iraq in 2003 with great results.
Creatine Monohydrate is in my opinion an absolute must have on the supplement list.
I try many different brands of creatine monohydrate every month. The majority of them work fine for me. But I have a lot of proven history with cell tech. So when I got offered some cell tech it was a no brainer or more like a “hell yeah” moment.
A lot of people talk crap about different supplements. They usually talk down about one brand while promoting their own brand.
I only promote and sell supplements that I actually use that deliver results for me.
If you use a supplement that works for you, don’t listen to the negative hype.
Bottom line is “Use what works for you”.
And as always- go hit the weights!

07/15/2026

Scored a new fitness trampoline to do low impact cardio on.

It’s not cool or sexy looking training but it is effective.

You can do a variety of exercises with this trampoline, scaled to your fitness level and abilities.

It also works stabilization and balance and is great for calf and ankle strengthening.

As we age, ego must be sidelined to focus on doing what is required to maintain optimal levels of health and performance.

07/13/2026

Feet suspended push up with my new suspension trainer.

These are way more challenging for me than other pushup variations.

In other words, way harder than it looks.

Once your feet are suspended off the ground they provide little to no weight bearing support.

That means you are pushing up a higher percentage of your bodyweight which cranks the challenge and resistance up substantially.

I have been using suspension training for decades with clients and myself.

So many things you can do with suspension training.

Highly recommended addition to any home / outdoor / travel gym kit.

06/26/2026

Resistance Band arm curls
Another simple variation of arm curls using a kettlebell as an anchor point for the band.
Simple and effective.

06/23/2026

Thankfully the lower back strain has healed and I’m back in action.
So I was able to get a workout in using resistance bands.
The band resisted back extension is a great exercise to strengthen the lower back.
You can easily adjust the level of resistance to accommodate your needs.
I use a limited range of motion due to my back limitations but was still able to effectively work the muscles.
A stronger lower back combined with proper movement will help to mitigate future strains.

06/20/2026

Interesting and positive data on taking breaks from training.

Most lifters who take a break worry their progress is gone. The recent literature says the opposite. The cellular machinery built during training persists through detraining periods longer than most people tolerate before getting anxious.

Halonen and colleagues (2024, Scand J Med Sci Sports) ran the cleanest practical test. Forty-two adults were randomized to either periodic training (10 weeks training, 10 weeks off, 10 weeks retraining) or continuous training (20 weeks straight, after a 10-week control period). Both groups ended at the same strength and the same muscle cross-sectional area. The authors concluded trainees "should not be too concerned about occasional short-term training breaks."

Cu***ng and colleagues (2024, Journal of Physiology) showed why. Twelve adults trained one arm for 10 weeks, detrained for 16 weeks, then retrained both arms (using the previously untrained arm as control). Myonuclei added during training stayed elevated through detraining. Type 2 fibers in the previously trained arm had 33 percent more myonuclei than the control arm at the end of the detraining period. The fibers shrank. The cellular machinery did not.

Pilotto and colleagues (2025, Am J Physiol Cell Physiol) extended the finding to high-intensity interval training. DNA methylation marks at training-responsive genes (ADAM19, INPP5a, CAPN2, MTHFD1L, SLC16A3) persisted through 3 months of complete detraining. Several of these genes regulate calcium signaling and lactate transport. The epigenetic substrate of training adaptation outlasts the visible adaptation.

Mpampoulis and colleagues (2024, Sports) addressed minimum effective dose. After 12 weeks of training, one session every 14 days preserved 90 to 95 percent of strength, muscle size, and aerobic power for 3 months.
The mechanism. Resistance training stimulates satellite cells to fuse with existing fibers, donating new myonuclei. Each myonucleus governs a roughly fixed cytoplasmic volume, so adding myonuclei increases protein synthesis capacity. When training stops, the fiber shrinks but the myonuclei stay (they are post-mitotic and stable). DNA methylation marks at exercise-responsive genes also persist. The substrate that load acts on is preserved.

One honest caveat. Cu***ng 2024 demonstrated myonuclei retention clearly but did NOT find clearly superior hypertrophy in the previously trained arm during retraining. The authors stated the physiological benefit "remains to be determined." So the cellular substrate is established. Whether it translates to measurably faster hypertrophy during human retraining is still being worked out.
What this means in practice. Three to ten weeks off does not erase the foundation. Strength returns within weeks. Size returns over weeks to months depending on the layoff length. The work still has to happen. The body cannot rebuild itself without the load signal. But the substrate that signal acts on is intact.
Take the break when you need to. Come back when you can. The foundation is still there.

Halonen et al., Scand J Med Sci Sports, 2024
Cu***ng et al., Journal of Physiology, 2024
Mpampoulis et al., Sports, 2024
Pilotto et al., Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 2025

06/19/2026

Resistance band side lateral raises during my band shoulder workout.

I’m recovering from a lower back strain so I opted to use bands instead of dumbbells.

Was not disappointed and definitely worked the muscles.

Resistance bands are always a great option especially when injured or sore.

06/06/2026

Scored a new 20lb camo weight vest.
And then it whooped my ass.
I haven’t worn a heavy plate carrier or rucksack in quite awhile.
So this 20lb vest felt extra heavy tonight.