I DID Change The Way I Move, Part 2

Categories: Blog Oct 28, 2015

In my last post, called, "I DID Change The Way I Move," I described some of the things OS has physically changed for me. And as cool as those things were/are, they were still not enough for me. What I really wanted to know, and others I have talked to wanted to know the same thing - can you really restore movements you’ve lost and return to doing what you really love doing? 

That’s always been the standard of measurement I’ve used in judging movement systems - will using them allow me to do what it is I want to do, rather than being forced to give it up and find something else to focus my attention on?

Sure, Original Strength to me has been great because it has given me the ability to be a Dad. It’s also given me the ability to do things I couldn’t do before - like muscle ups and one-arm-one-leg push ups, without training for them. And it’s made me resilient. 

But, I've always wondered if it would let me return to my first [athletic] love - Olympic weightlifting. All my friends cautioned me against it. In fact, I quit lifting back in 2010. However, over the past year or two, I had the unanswered question in my head - Was OS “good enough” to let me do what I really wanted to do - put heavy weight over my head? And more importantly, would it enable me to do so and survive?

Last Saturday I put OS to the test. I finally did one of the things I’ve been longing to do for the last 8 years. I returned to the Olympic weightlifting platform.

How’d I do?

First, a little background. The two weeks before the meet my stress levels were at an all-time high - not just emotional stress, but real, physical stress, leading right up until meet day. My wife was sick, I had to cancel teaching at ProRESET, and stay home to take care of my kids. The day before the meet, my wife had to go to the Emergency Room. Neither of us were sleeping. The night before the meet, I got about 5.5 hours of sleep. The night before that, about 4. In fact, my stress levels were so high, I lost almost 15 pounds in the course of the previous 4 weeks - and almost 10 the week of the meet. So… yeah… a little stressed. 

I share that with you to say that the conditions were ripe for an injury. 

So of course I went to the meet anyway. 

Why?

Because that’s what I had trained to do.

Here’s a video of my second Clean + Jerk.



How were my results?

Well I wanted to hit the same numbers I did the last time I competed back in 2007. I didn’t. I fell short. Not by much, but still short. (That was somewhat disappointing because all my training numbers said those numbers would've been easy. But my training didn't prepare me for the life-stresses - lack of sleep and weight loss - I experienced the 2 weeks prior to the competition.) 

The best part - well honestly, there were lots of “best” parts - shoot - just being there could be counted as the “best” part… The best part was not getting injured. Nothing the day of. Nothing the next day.

In fact, I felt great the next day. 

So why share this with you?

Simple.

I am living proof that Original Strength is a TRUE Restoration System. It has restored to me movements that used to destroy my body. It has allowed me to do the things I love to physically do.

And I am not by any means unique.

If OS can help me, with my injury background, return to the sport I love, I’m pretty sure it can help you too. However, don’t take my word for it - try it for yourself. It’s the only way you’ll know for sure, like I do.

If for some reason you don’t know where to start, or how to start using OS, check out our new book, Pressing RESET: Original Strength Reloaded. 

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