SLAM Stories
Back & Hip Pain Relief

BUSY YEAR TO BUILD GAINS AND REDUCE PAIN

Just finished the last SLAM workout! Took me a year with an injury, a stressful remodel and interspersing other workouts in between, but I did it! Some NSVs I’ve noticed:
SI (Sacroiliac) joint pain is significantly less. The strength built around those glutes and low back and quads/hammies has helped immensely! No matter how much I despise split squats, I know they’ve helped.
Wrangling one or two screaming kids out of stores is no biggie anymore; both emotionally and physically (we’ve all been there, right?!)
I’ve been able to increase the weights I use gradually through the program. Even towards the end when I was recovering from a shoulder injury, I could up my press weight from 10 lbs to 15 lbs with good form! If I didn’t just pay for a remodel, I’d reward myself with heavier weights for deadlifts.

FOCUSING ON FUELING THE GAINS

My diet has not been stellar especially over these last stressful months for me. I feel like my gains could have been greater had I been able to control my diet a little more. I haven’t *lost* any weight, but I’m no longer as focused on the weight piece of it, and will look forward to the good things I can put into my body.

As a lifelong athlete and primarily a distance runner, the saying ‘no pain…no gain’ certainly resonates with me. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that pain doesn’t always equal gain. This was true for me both as a runner and as a mother who gave birth to two big boys. I never knew what diastasis recti was until well into my second postpartum recovery…thanks, doc.

I pushed my legs to run while my body had very clear imbalances and I did all the crunches, sit ups, and planks. Seeing what Ashley did to close her DR gap and how informative her Instagram and website were, made it an easy decision to join her program and trust the process. I forced myself to slow down, despite my innate desire to go fast and hard (that’s literally the only way I know to work out).

My goal was to close my DR, but all the full body workouts including isometric training and body weight exercises actually helped me with chronic hip pain and general imbalances. It is so true what she says—everything is connected and how we move in everyday life matters also. My DR isn’t closed yet, but I regained my booty, and I run and do plyos without chronic hip pain. No pain…no gain, sure…but also, you can’t get strong if you’re always hurting. So like she also says… Gotta fix that ish!

After rupturing two discs in my spine I thought I would always live with terrible back pain. During my 5th pregnancy, my physical therapist recommended this course. Although I did everything I could to try to bounce back between pregnancies, this is the first time I ever felt like I got “me” back. I feel strong and I get to take care of my children every day pain free which is a miracle to me!

On the way I realized I wasn’t able to engage like I was supposed to. I was extremely fatigued from pushing too hard which was resulting in repeated injury. I reached out to a few pelvic floor physical therapists. That’s when I learned my cesarean scar had adhered to my bladder, which was causing that urgency to pee all the time (plus pain in the bedroom). It was also affecting my ability to lift my pelvic floor and fully engage my lower abs.

MY SLAM GAINS

My diastasis recti is functional! I don’t have excruciating lower back pain anymore. My pubic symphysis dysfunction is so much better, and I rarely have a flare-up!

I haven’t really changed my diet, but I do try to get more protein and water into my system. That makes a huge difference in reducing the bloat, especially in the summer heat. Started in June 2020 at 174lbs and finished today months later at 126lbs, not that weight matters.

Ashley’s SLAM program has been so influential in changing the way I function throughout each day – especially as someone with scoliosis who was just resigned to thinking I would always have low back pain (and I’m only 27!).

MY SLAM GAINS

I’ve done Core Basics and am just 8 weeks into SLAM Bridge and I have so much less pain, so much more strength, and so much more knowledge about how to use and care for my body. Ashley even personally replied back to me on IG and helped me work through correcting my form for squats to stop having knee pain. I now know how to properly do squats and can knock out all that are required in each day’s workouts!

We have two kiddos (3.5 and 1.5) and want more. Again, I’m just so grateful for all I’m learning and the strength I’m building as we anticipate trying to get pregnant in the next year or so. THANK YOU!!!

LONGSTANDING PAIN

I had loads of hip and knee pain even years after delivery. A dislocated coccyx in 2015 still bothered the movement in my hip flexors due to weak muscles all around.

MY SLAM GAINS

Now I am almost pain free and have a SLAM booty! All with a workout regimen even someone like me loves to do (I hate sports)!

If you want to take care of your body the right way please try the SLAM program!

DISCOVERING MY SLAM GAINS

I was telling my husband I’m frustrated none of my shorts fit well anymore. He asked, ‘Is it tight in the waist?’ I told him, ‘No…it is the butt in the thighs.’ Which prompted both of us have the same thought at the same time: These are my gains!

CELEBRATING SLAM GAINS

Even though it is a little frustrating because I don’t want to have to buy new shorts, I’m proud of myself. My back and hip pain are pretty much gone and I am strong! Not to mention my mental and emotional health. I can’t wait to see what the future holds as I stick with this program, because for the first time in my life I look forward to my workouts and it is not a chore!

THANKS TO ASHLEY, MY STABILIZERS AND GLUTE MEDIUS ARE STRONG!

Started this program in October with core basics, 13+ years postpartum. Have long struggled with back pain and muscle imbalances. Still do, but it’s getting better and after about 6 weeks of Core Basics, sailed through SLAM Bridge, now in 3rd week of SLAM, I did an epic 4-day backpacking trip with my 16 year old son and 13 year old daughter and husband and it was MORE fun and easier than 20 plus years ago when my (almost) husband and I did the same hike and he proposed. The hike is on the Washington coast in a wilderness area and some of the most rugged and challenging you can find, timing the tides, slippery rocks, climbing over huge boulders. I wasn’t the fastest in our group, but was definitely the happiest.

I’VE HAD 8 BABIES PASS THROUGH THIS PELVIC FLOOR, AND IT’S SO AMAZING WHAT STRENGTHENING YOUR PELVIC FLOOR DOES FOR THE REST OF YOUR BODY!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for this program. I just made it through my first house-move EVER where I didn’t injure my back! We move houses A LOT. I’m only on Core Basics Level 4, but I feel the foundation you laid with breathing and being aware of my pelvic floor was the key. I’m SO excited to keep going and GET MOM STRONG!

GET STRONGER, NOT SMALLER

I’m on week 18 and I’m loving the results! I’ve not lost or gained weight but I’ve definitely gained MUSCLE! I’m stronger, my pelvic floor is stronger and happy, I used to suffer from sciatica pain especially after deadlifts but that was because I didn’t know how to breath or engage my core properly and one side weaker than the other but thanks to GMS with unilateral workouts, learning how to breathe when working out and core engagement, that is no longer an issue for me.

I no longer think on how to shrink my body, working out is no longer a punishment for enjoying food but a reward and treat to my perfect mom body. Thank you Ashley!

I started SLAM bridge at 8 months postpartum after a very traumatic birth that resulted in an emergency c-section. For 5 years previous to finding Ashley’s program I did videos from a popular fitness program that gave me recurring back pain every 2 weeks. I had seen doctors and chiro for it and no one could tell me what was causing it other than to “stop working out”. Now at 10 months postpartum, I’ve completed SLAM BRIDGE and I haven’t felt this strong (and badass) since working on the farm full time with my dad!

It took me way longer than 12 weeks, but I completed Bridge today! When I was 14, I had a full spinal fusion for scoliosis and have had an incredibly weak core since. Every time I tried some kind of “bootcamp” I couldn’t do any of the core exercises and quit. By the end of last year, I was suffering with horrible hip pain and instability that would land me in bed. I was constantly worrying about how my body was going to last the rest of my life, if I felt this bad at 35. I’m so happy to report that I feel better than I ever have. I no longer have hip pain and my back feels the best it’s ever been. My confidence has skyrocketed and I find myself using workouts to ease my anxiety instead of wallowing in it. When I hit submit on the last workout today, I cried happy tears (and poured sweat ). This has changed my life and I’m incredibly grateful.