Throughout my time here, I have seen recent high school grads doing their 21’s for their biceps (we’ve all done them). I have seen guys doing chest days every monday using barbells and dumbbells at every angle imaginable. And, of course, I have a front row seat to the plague of CrossFit spreading throughout the military ranks (as if these guys aren’t under enough physical, mental, and emotional stress already).
This past Tuesday, I witnessed something in the gym on base that made my jaw drop. No, it wasn’t a 500lb ass to calves squat. No, it wasn’t a terrible exercise program written on a white board (that’s just everyday). But it was a good looking 175 lb hang clean. Now I know some of you are sitting there thinking “So what? I can clean 175 with good form too”. Well this Marine just happened to be doing this with a prosthetic
leg! I immediately stopped what I was doing and walked over to talk to him and thanked him for his service. I didn’t ask what happened to his leg, but rather how he came to be where he is today. He said after losing his leg he was distraught at first, unable to imagine life without a leg. But then he realized he still had a life to live and got over it. He now has the ability to do everything he did pre-amputation, including hang cleans, squats, dead lifts… basically you name it, and he can do it. Needless to say, I finished my workout with a little extra intensity, and left feeling a little more driven.
This Marine is an inspiration to everyone. Stop to think what would happen if you were told you were going to lose a leg. Not in a war, but just lose it. How would you react? What emotions would you feel? We probably couldn’t even fathom the feelings he felt that day. But that’s the beauty of life. We’re all faced with setbacks. Some of you can go 0-4 at the plate, don’t hit a PR on the squat, miss a game winning shot, give up 8 runs in an inning, get fired from a job, or drop the baton with 10 meters to go in a race. When it comes down to it, we have 2 options: We can curl up and feel sorry ourselves; or we can get out, move on, and put in the time to get better. For those of us that don’t take no for an answer, you chose the 2nd option. This Marine made the best out of his situation and is living and lifting again.
So what can we take out of this post?
- We have all been through a set of 21’s.
- Doing every chest exercise imaginable on chest days is completely unnecessary
- Cross fit needs help with exercise programming
What we should REALLY take out of this is..
- No matter what situations you’re facing, think there could be someone out there dealing with something worse.
- Adversity is a good thing. Embrace it and allow it to make you a better person
- Always thank the men and women who serve your country, regardless of your opinion on certain wars at hand.
