I think we are making a simple situation more complicated with discussions of muscle memory and what we think we were trained to do in the event of stick shaker.

Stick Shaker = Slow Flight

Recovery is increasing the power and maintaining the pitch while the airplane accelerates. As lift overcomes weight/drag, you'll have to push forward on the controls and/or trim nose down to maintain level flight.

Don't pull back and increase the pitch. You'll end up in a pilot induced pitch oscillation that at the upper pitch attitude will engage the stick pusher.

Stick Pusher = Imminent Aerodynamic Stall

The airplane is automatically doing what pilots would do in successful recoveries of imminent or full aerodynamic stalls.

It's not rocket surgery