When Phyllis was told it would take 8 to 12 months to recover from rotator cuff surgery, and that she would only gain 75–80% of her strength back, she took that as a challenge. She also upped the ante by setting her own goal: Doing a full pull-up, unassisted. Through her “no quitters” attitude and the support she received from others, not only did Phyllis get her strength back in just 5 months, but this 73-year-old can do pull-ups with the best of them.
How It Started
When asked why she’s so committed to fitness, Phyllis said this: “My mother lived to be 102 years old. I plan on surpassing that. I’m going to make it past her.”
Her journey toward a healthier self started years ago, back when Anytime Fitness had only a handful of locations. After trying all the fad diets that were popular at the time and finding little success, she and a few friends from work decided to give the gym a try.
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” says Phyllis. “It was my first time joining a gym.” The group joined Anytime Fitness Lakeville in Minnesota — one of the first locations to ever open. They spent most of their mornings on the elliptical or treadmill.
Phyllis’ first foray into weight training came years later, after she started regularly going to Anytime Fitness in Farmington, Minnesota (just down the road from her original gym in Lakeville). She signed on with a Coach who started Phyllis on a weight-training program.
“It was intimidating,” Phyllis says, noting that it was mostly men occupying the weight-training section at the time. “I felt kinda funny doing it myself over there.” But, true to her stick-to-it nature, she kept pushing herself, and after a while, the weight-training regulars became full-on Phyllis fans. “They began to encourage me and admire what I was doing, so I got very comfortable over there,” she says. “I workout with the best of them now.”
The Accident
One morning like any other at the gym, Phyllis was testing her strength. She wanted to use the bench press station, but doing so would mean moving the heavy bar to a lower position. Since no one was working out nearby, she made the decision to move it herself. Standing on the bench, she realized her mistake when she felt the bar slip. A shooting pain went through her shoulder.
She tried to brush it away at first, hoping it would just be a minor setback and she could strengthen her shoulder herself until she felt better again. But as time went on, the pain persisted and she kept losing strength in the injured shoulder. At the recommendation of her doctor, Phyllis had rotator cuff surgery in June 2022.
The Recovery
Phyllis’ recovery plan was set into motion long before she stepped into the operating room, something her physical therapist, Jon, cites as being key to her recovery. He says it was “a little bit of luck and a whole lot of work ethic on Phyllis’ part,” noting that her case is one of the most remarkable he’s seen in his 13 years as a physical therapist.
The two worked together on strengthening Phyllis’ muscles for seven months leading up to the operation. Jon mentioned that it’s pretty uncommon for patients to react this way to an injury. “They think, ‘Well, I’m going to have surgery, so I’m not going to work hard until after surgery.’ But that’s just not how Phyllis was wired.”
Through small-town luck, Jon and Phyllis’ surgeon were also acquaintances and were able to work together to determine the best way to treat Phyllis’ injury. Jon decided on a slow recovery plan. This is when Phyllis set a goal of her own: Working her strength back up to doing a full, unassisted pull-up.
“From the outset her goal was this pull-up,” Jon shares. “Most 73-year-olds in the gym are not doing pull-ups of any type, and if they are, they’re doing assisted pull-ups. It was frankly unimaginable.” Phyllis wasn’t phased. In fact, she was so dedicated to her recovery that her first question for the doctor after waking up from surgery was: “How soon can I go back to the gym?”
Phyllis never took her eye off the prize, and quickly obliterated every timeline and goal set by her physical therapist. Five months later, she had regained almost all her strength and range of motion.
Strength Through Support
Today, Phyllis is 9 months out of surgery and shows no signs of slowing down. She calls Farmington AF her “home away from home,” and has a family of support there.
In the midst of her recovery, Phyllis’ husband tragically passed away, and once again she turned to her support system to keep her on track. Not only did she power through this great loss, but she actually never took a day off from therapy.
She says, “If it wouldn’t be for me coming to the gym all the time and keeping it strong, I’d probably still be at home in a sling watching The Price Is Right every day.”
Now Phyllis is back to her regular strength routine, going to the gym every day to “let loose.” And she’s still looking for ways to push her limits. “I’m always watching others [in the gym] to see if there’s something new I can try.”
Her grandson, a Marine, told Phyllis that women have to be able to do three pull-ups to join the Marines. With her push-up goal in the rearview, she jokes, “Now I can join the Marines at 73 … but I don’t think they’ll take me.”
We’re so amazed at Phyllis’ success — she’s proof that anything is possible when you put your all into it! Get started on your own journey towards a healthier you — find a local gym today.
