Elite Muscle Mechanics

11/25/2025

If Stretching Isn't Working... Read This

Hi there,

I want to share a short story that completely changed the way I think about mobility.

Back in college, I was a long jumper who stretched religiously. Then I came across a study which stated:

“Static stretching can decrease muscle force for up to an hour.”

Confused — and honestly terrified — I tested it.

At the next meet, I skipped stretching and only warmed up.

The result?
I travelled six feet longer with the same number of steps.
More power.
More mobility.
No stretching.

Over the next three meets, I set personal bests and won the conference championship.

That moment led me to discover the work of Greg Roskopf, founder of Muscle Activation Techniques™ (MAT) — the first system that truly explains what is happening in the body.

Tightness isn’t a flexibility problem.
It’s a communication problem.

Your brain limits motion when it senses instability.

Stretching doesn’t fix that — activation does.

If you’ve ever had these questions… we should talk!

• Why does everything tighten right back up?
• Why does stretching feel good… but nothing changes?
• Why does one side move and the other refuses?
• Why do I feel tight AND weak at the same time?

These aren’t “aging problems.”
They’re communication problems between your brain and your muscles.

If you’re tired of stretching and still not getting results, reply to this email with:
“I’m interested.”

I can help you figure out what your body is trying to protect — and how to get your mobility back safely.

Talk soon,
Josh

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11/20/2025

The Breakthrough

Hi!

Believe it or not, the exercise chapter in my book has become the hardest one to write.

You’d think that after 25 years in this field, this would be the chapter that practically writes itself. However, for the last six months, I’ve been stuck. Completely stalled.

Not because I didn’t know what to say, but because I had too much to say. Exercise is a broad, noisy, confusing topic; I kept struggling to crystallize the exact message people really needed to hear.

Then something happened!

A few weeks ago, I was sitting with a long-time client. She’s 76 years old, sharp as ever, and she asked:

“Josh, what should I do for a home workout?”

Such a simple question.
Yet such a complicated answer—if you allow it.

That moment snapped me back into focus.

I realized that what people truly need isn’t another textbook on exercise, or another list of routines, or even another “fitspo” pep talk.

They need clarity.
They need sequencing.
They need the right starting point so they can stay consistent and safe.

Suddenly, the chapter opened for me so clearly.

It’s like the fog had finally lifted.

Her question gave me the breakthrough I’d been waiting for, and the words have finally started to flow again.

For the first time in six months, I feel as though I’m holding the clear message I’ve been trying to write all along.

If this momentum keeps going, I think I’ll be able to put the final touches on the entire chapter, now that I've had this breakthrough.

Whew.

Just wanted to share that with you—and say thank you.

The questions you all ask, the real-life struggles you face, and the goals you’re chasing, shape every page of this book.

More updates soon!

Talk soon,
Josh

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11/18/2025

Podcast

I had the privilege of joining Rodney Powell on the Halftime podcast.

We talked about longevity, independence, and why your “second half” of life can be your strongest.

Rodney asked powerful questions that opened the door for an honest conversation about health, mindset, and the Elite Muscle Mechanics approach.

The most intriguing question of the interview, “What is your favorite sound?”

Give it a listen to find out my answer.

Click here for an update from Elite Muscle Mechanics, LLC!

11/12/2025

Stairs

I was at my in-laws’ house yesterday. One of the quirks of their home is a steep staircase leading to the upstairs bedrooms.

While visiting with family, my kids were in their own world upstairs—knitting, watching TV, drawing, eating snacks, and drinking hot cocoa.

It’s our chance to have some adult time and lets them just be themselves for a few hours.

Those three little girls do require lots of energy and attention, though.

Even when occupied, there’s an unlimited supply of “Daddy!!” and “Mommy!!” So my wife and I use that staircase—a lot.

After my fourth (or maybe tenth—I can’t remember) trip up and down, I noticed how good my bad knee felt.

Many times, it gets sore—especially going down the stairs—but not yesterday. After twenty trips or so, it still felt great all afternoon.

I’ve been investing in my leg strength and mobility lately, and I couldn’t help but notice the correlation between my focused training and the reduced knee pain while climbing stairs.

I’ve put together a simple program to help with pain you might experience when using stairs. If you’re interested, reply “Painless Stairs” and I’ll get back to you ASAP. The cost is $199 and you can do it completely from home.

—Josh “Stairs Feel Good” Lewbel

11/11/2025

Everything Hurts!

Last night as I left the office, my whole body ached. It had been a punishing day physically — nine straight hours of clients, on my feet, the whole time.

The day started early. My lovable little Naomi decided 4 a.m. was a great time to wake up. Instead of fighting her back to bed, my wife and I laid her between us and tried to get some rest.

It worked… sort of. A few hours of broken sleep, getting kicked, rolled into, and finding little tufts of hair in my face — not exactly refreshing.

Still, no problem. I can deal with a little less sleep. Then I got to work and realized someone, a glutton for punishment, (me) had stacked nine hours of sessions on my schedule.

Okay, you got this! One session at a time.

Muscle by muscle, hour by hour, they added up — until my back tightened, my right ankle throbbed, and both biceps were barking.

By the time I finished at 7:30 p.m., I could barely move.

After cleaning up, taking out the trash, and getting the kids to bed, I gave myself a few minutes to ignite recovery. I checked a few things and realized my glutes were underperforming. Then I activated my glutes, calves and hamstrings.

When I finally fell into bed, everything still felt achy and hot — like I was coming down with something.

But this morning...?

At 6:36 a.m. 8 hours of sleep — I woke up pain-free. The fatigue and stiffness were gone.

That’s the power of muscle activation and intelligent recovery.

When you invest in your muscles — to feel good, meet challenges, and keep moving — you’ll need the right tools to reset your body quickly and restore performance.

A few activations, a good night’s sleep, and boom — I was ready to go again.
Are you?

Learning how to optimize recovery and promote healing is at the core of my 30-Day S.E.L.F. Investment Challenge.

If you’d like to learn how to get your body back in action fast, this program is for you.

This is why I can stack my days confidently, because I trust my system. I live this stuff every day.

The 30-Day S.E.L.F. Investment Program — where your next chapter becomes your strongest. Click the link below to try it!

elitemusclemechanics.com/product/30-day-self-investment-challenge/72?cs=true&cst=custom (https://www.elitemusclemechanics.com/product/30-day-self-investment-challenge/72?cs=true&cst=custom)

Josh “Recovery can be Fast” Lewbel

P.S Watch Out for the Knee Freedom Formula coming in December!

November: “Walks Are Free” Dates
Friday Nov 7 @1:00
Wednesday Nov 12 @1:30
Wednesday Nov 19 @1:30
Happy Thanksgiving- No walks Nov 24-28

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11/06/2025

Writing is Hard!

It’s been a while, so I thought I’d make a quick book update.

Writing is hard.

Life is hard, but writing is challenging in new and different ways. I love getting lost in it and the creativity that comes forth.

It has given me so many insights into my own life and business that I hadn’t realized before.

That awareness has expanded what I can offer to every person I meet. I say so many of these things automatically, and they are so ingrained.

But to think, write and refine those ideas are entirely different.

It opens-up the future. It creates new avenues for improving your body. It creates hope in unnoticed places.

Whether you are looking to invest in your health after retirement or trying to regain control of your body when you’re like me in your 40’s, this book has it all!

I can’t wait to share!

My best,
Josh “Writing Isn’t Easy” Lewbel

Click here for an update from Elite Muscle Mechanics, LLC!

11/04/2025

Does Your Knee Give Way?

Mine did when I first injured my meniscus, 30 years ago.

It is worrisome because you’re concerned about your leg giving out and something worse happening. Especially as we age and we are looking to maintain our balance and prevent falls.

The knee “giving way” is often attributed to the meniscus tear. Tearing the meniscus (cartilage) is often associated with pain and weakness in the knee, hence the “giving way”.

Often the remedy is to fix the cartilage, or repair it, depending on the severity of the tear. Surgery can help the cartilage, but symptoms often remain.

There are a few problems with this line of thinking.
1. Cartilage is a shock absorber, NOT a stabilizer.
2. Muscles stabilize and control movement "giving way” is an obvious indicator of weakness.
3. The weakness likely preceded the tear, which is why it likely tore in the first place.

This is why therapy is a must to rebuild the muscles.

When traditional therapy fails, because the muscles simply are not activated, that’s where WE (Elite Muscle Mechanics, MAT practitioners) step in.

We can identify the weak muscles, get the muscles activated, then build strength and confidence in your knee to last a lifetime.

I’ve helped hundreds of people in my 20 year career, practicing MAT, activating their muscles and protecting their knees from injury and joint replacements.

After 3 knee surgeries, by the time I was 21, I have saved my knees from injury and more surgery for 30 years since my original injury.

You can too, you just need to know how to activate your muscles, protect your knees and exercise intelligently. When you have these core principles in place, you will have the independence and freedom in your life that you desire.

Call us for a free consultation and watch out for The Knee Freedom Formula
coming out in a few weeks!

Josh “my knees give me freedom” Lewbel

PS: If you need help getting exercise in your life, join us weekly for our “Walks Are Free” event.

November Walk Schedule
Friday Nov 7 1:00
Wednesday Nov 12 1:30
Wednesday Nov 19 1:30
Happy Thanksgiving- No walks Nov 24-28

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11/02/2025

November Walk Schedule

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10/28/2025

Who's Got a Knee Problem?!

I’m reminded in Fall of the first time I hurt my right knee. I was in eighth grade, and I was transitioning sports, from cross country to basketball. The first two week period was the most difficult, as we had basketball tryouts after cross country practice.

Talk about overdoing it!

Can you imagine what I would say to my 14 year old self now? "Josh, that’s just stupid. You’re going to wear yourself out and get sick, hurt or worse!"
Well, it was worse; a torn cartilage (meniscus).

It sucked, and my knee has never been quite right since.
However, this injury, and everything I have learned since, has culminated in this version of myself, so I can help you.

It’s been 30 years since that injury, and I’ve experienced it all. Aches, pains, frustrations, depression, learning, growing, acceptance and wisdom. I've experienced all of it so at this very moment I can share what I’ve learned and help YOU.

I truly believe I was put on this earth to help people with these issues, to understand their fears, complaints and give hope that they too can overcome and go on to lead productive lives.

In our most recent Body Steps Seminar I talked for the first time, at great length, of the pitfalls of the torn meniscus in my knee.

Most importantly we covered why this injury is a symptom, and fixing the meniscus doesn’t solve the original root cause of the problem. Its repair will still leave you and me far short of feeling a full return to normal, as there will still be much work to do.

I’m going to start working on a new program: The Knee Freedom Formula! Look for my next email as we dive even deeper into this topic!!

Josh

P. S. Here is a useful strategy to start adding new exercise to your life.
Use these 3 recommendations together, and in this order, to learn to integrate NEW exercise(s) into your life!

1. Pick a small dose of exercise to start with (ex. 10 min bike or walk at an easy/comfortable pace).
2. Perform your Personal MAT Activation Exercises directly before and after your chosen activity.
3. Schedule your MAT session within 24-48 hours to fix what broke.

For your small dose exercise, join one of our "Walks Are Free” events.
Join Kate and I for a 20–30-minute walk, as we have more conversations about exercise, or whatever you like!

We will review the most important MAT Activation Exercises critical for your success while walking. 🚶‍♀️ 🚶‍♂️

Just show up to our "Walks Are Free" events weekly all October.

*Dates listed below in flyer*

Click here for an update from Elite Muscle Mechanics, LLC!

10/20/2025

The Body Steps Seminar: What is Muscle Activation?

Just show up and bring a friend!

Check out our event on Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025.

Click here for event details from Elite Muscle Mechanics, LLC!

10/18/2025

Adding Exercise

An MAT client of mine has recently enquired about adding more exercise to her program.

She is a personal business owner, spending hours on her feet, stocking shelves and greeting customers. She loves the work and takes great pride in providing people with what they need.

However, she knows things hurt more than they used to. Her feet and back take the burden, and she feels the pain and fatigue as the days go on.

Is exercise her answer?

What if she is sore and tired for days from the exercise? How will she then manage her business and its duties?

It’s a double edge sword. How do I acclimate to exercises and pay as little of a price as possible so I can still fulfill my life obligations, without aches and pain?

Use these 3 recommendations together, and in this order, to overcome this hurdle, and get the benefits from exercise.

Pick a small dose of exercise to start with (ex. 10 min bike or walk at an easy/comfortable pace).
Perform your Personal MAT Activation Exercises directly before and after your chosen activity.
Schedule your MAT session within 24-48 hours to fix what broke.

For your small dose exercise, join one of our“ Walks Are Free” events.

Join Kate and I for a 20-30 minute walk, as we can have more conversations about exercise, or whatever you like!

We will review the most important MAT Activation Exercises critical for your success while walking. 🚶‍♀️ 🚶‍♂️

Just show up to our Walks Are Free events weekly all October.

Dates listed Below In Flyer *

Josh

P.S: If you’re struggling with barriers to your health, exercise or physical freedom, then I urge you to attend my next seminar.

The next Body Steps Coaching Seminar will be on Wednesday, October 22 at 5:00 pm.

Reply Body Steps to register.
I hope to see you there!

Click here for an update from Elite Muscle Mechanics, LLC!

10/11/2025

Conversations About Exercise

Recently, a client of mine was expressing her frustrations with exercising. She is a tough, competitive, type A personality, who played 8 years of rugby.

It’s been 15 years however since her competitive youth. Life, work and age crept in and she hadn’t realize how much had changed when she hit 40.

“I just feel like it’s not worth going to the gym, and I should just do pilates. I’m tired of everything hurting. It’s like my body doesn’t want to do it anymore. Then I took 3 weeks off and I actually feel better now. The tension is gone in my neck, my wrist doesn’t hurt and I’m not stressed.”

Feeling defeated when things aren’t going your way is common. Especially in a culture where “no pain, no gain”is the mentality, and the only way to exercise is to push yourself to the brink.

I had to have a serious conversation because she was heading towards “giving-upville, USA”.

Remember, when you played rugby, it was everyday. You exercised, at a high intensity all the time. Your body was young, but also use to it. For the past 15 years that conditioning has crept away little by little; including loss of bone density, tendon and ligament toughness.

The truth is your body is different now. You can and should go to the gym, because that’s what will lead you to your goals of getting stronger. You have to slowly and steadily build it up as your body acclimates.

Take a long term perspective, maybe 2 years, just to build up to the quantity of exercise you’d like.

You will feel less stressed about exercise. You’ll have more energy and feel better when you start to:

Listen to your body
Respect your body
Be patient

To begin your journey, we have our “ Walks Are Free” events this Month.

Join Kate and I for a 20-30 minute walk, and we can have more conversations about exercise or whatever you like!

We will review the most important MAT Isometrics critical for your success while walking. 🚶‍♀️ 🚶‍♂️

Just show up to our Walks Are Free events weekly, all October.

Dates listed Below In Flyer *

Josh

P.S: If you’re struggling with barriers to your health, exercise or physical freedom, then I urge you to attend my next seminar.

The next Body Steps Coaching Seminar will be on Wednesday, October 22 at 5:00 pm.

Reply Body Steps to register.
I hope to see you there!

Click here for an update from Elite Muscle Mechanics, LLC!