Friday, October 3, 2008

Patience is a Virtue!


Stay off your legs." "Find a new career field to get into." "You will have to have a knee replacements while you are still in you 20's if you maintain the physical lifestyle you live now."

These are the types of things I heard only 3 years ago after my Third knee surgery. I was looking into ways to repair my knee through scientific research that involved implanting new cartilage that would be grown from cartilage I still had in a laboratory in another state. These types of things were being presented to me as my only option for possibly helping me save a joint that was supposedly done for. I couldn't bear the thought of choosing an option that would take close to 2 years to see benefit from so I did what was logical and said forget it!

2005- My first time to do a Crossfit WOD. I just had my knee scoped and hadn't work out almost at all for over a year. Air squats were about the only thing I could do with my lower body in the beginning. I Olympic lifted with the lightest of weights. I was going to be so stubborn that I would do lower body movements until my leg detached from my body. I didn't care, I could not be stationary any more. I couldn't work at a desk so I kept training. I didn't know what was going to happen but I loved what I was doing and I loved that I found Crossfit to teach me how to squat without weights(At the time I was only doing half squats).

All this was a challenge for me. I didn't always feel like my knee was going to handle the forcing of range of motion. I didn't let myself stop doing it though. After a few months I started noticing some signs of progress. It became easy to get lower and I starting gain muscle back in my quads and hamstrings. I eventually was able to start using weight with light bars. Even a year ago doing 95 was challenge. 135 lb max squatting at our old gym would make my knee scream. My legs kept getting stronger and I kept going back to weights that felt comfortable.

I found Trigger Point therapy about that time. This equipment saved my life. Now all of a sudden I realized I could have avoid every surgery I had if I had known about this sooner. I could free up pressure on my knee in 10 minutes of rolling out. My legs got stronger and my knee got better.

Today I Can Back Squat Over 350 lbs and that is going up every week. I haven't done this since I was a Jr in High school right before my 2nd knee Surgery. I never dreamed this would happen. Hell I never thought that I could ever come close to being in better shape than I was in at that age. Now I am.

I am in Love with what I do. Maybe it's because at one point I began to believe that I would never be able to do this. Now I know it is what I am here for.

Never stop Believing in why you do what you love to do.

3 comments:

Russell Butler said...

Mike. I'll never forget the day your knee made the worst sound I've ever heard! Then seeing you on the ground, not able to get up was terrifying. I never imagined you would be that stong amazing athelete ever again. Like I told you a while back, you are such an inspiration to me and so many others. Keep it up my brother. Much love Vanilla Gorilla.

Michael Gregory said...

Thanks Homie! I'll never forget laying on your sofa for a whole summer with my leg above my head not wondering if I was going to make it through another day!

You were always a great friend!

Russell Butler said...

Always here bro! By the way, how did you do on the weighted pull-ups WOD? That shit was intense!!!