How did you manage to go to gym after such injury?

Hi John,

I am sorry to hear about your injury and I wish you the best.

Before we get into this topic, I have to say this: I am not a doctor. I am relating my personal experience; however I am not giving advice. Only you can feel what is going on in your body, and only you can determine what you need to do. I am not telling you to do something against doctors’ orders. I am in no way going to accept responsibility for anyone trying to follow my lifting routine and getting hurt.

With that, here is the article on the damage to my spine…

Now, my doctors told me a whole bunch of shit I would never do again. I still have nerve damage, though it really is getting better. And I do a lot of what I am not supposed to.

I started doing pushups before the doctors wanted me too. They didn’t want me to ever lift again… but that just isn’t me. That doesn’t mean I can do every lift though.

My first focal point was on my diet. I follow a strict HGH diet that focuses on releasing HGH, IGF-1 and maximizing testosterone. I do this because it is the fastest way to build muscle and loose fat with one added benefit. HGH is considered the hormone of youth. It is a hormone that promotes rapid healing. Reportedly, many athletes and stars pay 1,000’s per month to get HGH injections to help them heal, perform better and reduce the signs of aging.

My diet is cheaper and just as fast, so I follow it religiously.

On my road to recovery, I had and have many challenges. Anything above the head to put tension on the neck and sent millions of little shocks through my arms. Ever hit your funny bone and had those little painful tingles tear thru your arms? Just hanging from my arms or putting my arms above my head did that (and still does on pullups).

I cannot put any weight on my neck – no squats, no dead lifts.

Right now, I can only do about 3 pullups – and I use to be able to do 6-8 pullups with 90 lbs. strapped on.

I could barely lift the bar above my head on shoulders, however now I am able to do 6-8 reps, 2-3 sets with 135 and I can lift off myself. I still have a serious spot on these though… I don’t have good control as I experience a lot of that “funny bone” tingle sensation still.

To do this, I started with whatever weight I could (10 lbs. I think) and I went to failure. Every single set, and I was doing 12-18 sets per body part. I also used Static contractions to help strengthen the tendons.

My overall concept was to eat a diet that promoted optimal health, eat as many micro-nutrients, Polyphenols and Phytonutrients as possible while increasing the volume of my lifts (reps & weight).

“Among the benefits of phytonutrients are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Phytonutrients may also enhance immunity and intercellular communication, repair DNA damage from exposure to toxins, detoxify carcinogens and alter estrogen metabolism. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) notes that consuming a phytonutrient-rich diet seems to be an “effective strategy” for reducing cancer and heart disease risks. “ – LiveScience.com

I eat no processed foods – just pure whey isolate protein with the occasional steak, fish or chicken breast along with fresh fruit and vegetables. I also eat a teaspoon of pure cocoa powder (the real bitter non sweetened kind), a teaspoon of Maca powder, 2 teaspoons of Texas Superfood, 4 teaspoons of Peppermint leaves (just poured in my hot tea), and many multiple vitamins and mega doses of vitamin C a day. I do this to promote growth and heal my nerves.

CT Fletcher And The Will To Achieve

Ever heard of CT fletcher? I hadn’t either till I started trying to recover. He is a 6 time world champion power lifter that blew his heart out during a 710 lbs. bench press. He died three times on the operating table. Now he has come back and is a motivational speaker, trainer, and is in better shape at 53 than most 18 year olds.

From him I have learned how to force overload on my muscles without forcing overload on my skeletal structure. I listen to this recording hundreds of times, often while actually lifting. Sometimes I will listen to it 4-5 times back to back in the gym.

So I cannot do dead lifts. Nor can I squat. I can leg press 640 for multiple reps now though. I also focus a lot on isolation and high rep movements.

I can only do 3 pullups due to the lack of being able to control the electrical sparks in my system with my arms above my head, but I can do a lot of volume in rows to my chest. I can’t bend over and hold the weight, so I use Nautilus Rowing equipment, and vary the grip (close and wide) with medium weights, slow tempo and high volume to activate the entire back.

My point is I cannot do everything I once did, but I am learning to change my workout based on how my body feels and what will still force growth and healing.

I don’t have a magic bullet for you to miraculously heal all of your damage, but you can adept your methods, optimize your diet, and still build a champions body. My body is still better than most college guys, and the girls still notice.

Everything is your mindset – everything. If you want it bad enough, you will simply find a way to modify your approach to achieve your goals.

I sincerely hope this helps. If you need any more details, let me know.