The Recovery Journey Continues: What the Images Revealed

At some point during my recovery journey, I was encouraged to get imaging done on my lower back.

At first, I resisted the idea.

After all, I was already feeling somewhat better. Why spend time and money looking for a problem if my symptoms were improving?

But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like the right thing to do.

Looking back now, after years of helping people with movement, fitness, and injury recovery, I have noticed something interesting. Many people are hesitant to look deeper into their injuries. When I worked in the university and continued as a strength coach, I often encouraged individuals to seek professional assessments and imaging when appropriate.

Most never did.

I suspect the reason is fear.

Fear of what we might find.

Fear of hearing bad news.

Fear of confirming what we already suspect.

Yet so often, the solution lies on the other side of that fear.

Eventually, I went ahead with the radiography.

The results were not exactly what I had hoped for.

The images revealed compression in my lower back, and to make matters more interesting, my hips appeared uneven. One side sat slightly higher than the other.

The recommendation was straightforward: use a heel lift to help level the pelvis.

At first, I was optimistic.

I assumed the heel lift would be the missing piece that would help me recover.

But over time, I realized something wasn’t quite right.

I never truly felt a significant difference.

As I continued researching, training, and experimenting, I became increasingly curious about whether the heel lift was solving the problem or simply accommodating it.

The more I learned about movement and anatomy, the more questions I had.

I discovered discussions around how long-term reliance on heel lifts could potentially affect mobility and contribute to adaptations in the foot, ankle, and Achilles tendon.

At the same time, I had returned to practicing Taekwondo.

Since Taekwondo is practiced barefoot, I found it difficult to reconcile the idea of depending on a heel lift while spending hours training without one.

I became determined to find another path.

Instead of removing the lift abruptly, I applied a principle I already understood well from strength training: progressive overload.

Only this time, I used it in reverse.

Every few months, when it was time to replace the lift, I would reduce its height slightly.

Not enough to shock the body.

Just enough to encourage adaptation.

Month after month, year after year, I gradually reduced the support.

At the same time, I focused heavily on strengthening my body.

I learned that the muscles surrounding the hips, pelvis, and core play a tremendous role in supporting posture, stability, and movement. I became fascinated by how many of the muscles we associate with the abdomen are directly connected to the spine and contribute to its support and protection.

As the heel lift became smaller, the strength work became more important.

If I wanted my body to maintain its new position, I needed to give it the strength and stability to do so.

That experience taught me one of the most important lessons of my recovery journey:

The body is adaptable.

The body is alive.

The body is constantly responding to the demands we place upon it.

Given the right stimulus, enough patience, and consistent effort, the body can often adapt in remarkable ways.

But adaptation works both ways.

The body adapts to what we repeatedly do.

It adapts to our movements.

It adapts to our habits.

And, in many ways, it adapts to our thoughts.

One of the phrases I often shared when teaching yoga and meditation was:

“Watch your thoughts, because the body is always listening.”

At first, that may sound philosophical.

But over the years, I have come to believe there is profound truth in it.

The way we think influences the way we move.

The way we move influences the way we feel.

And the way we feel influences the way we live.

Recovery is not only physical.

It is mental.

It is emotional.

It is behavioral.

And perhaps most importantly, it begins with the belief that change is possible.

Swing Into Summer Challenge Update

The Swing Into Summer Challenge continues to gain momentum, and it has been incredibly rewarding to watch everyone rise to the occasion week after week.

As planned, we have been steadily raising the bar, one step at a time. The challenge was never about making giant leaps overnight. It was about building consistency, developing discipline, and allowing progress to accumulate through small daily victories.

What excites me most is seeing how many people have fully embraced the challenge and are putting in the work on their own. The commitment and determination being shown by our members is inspiring.

The results are beginning to show.

I am seeing better movement quality.

I am seeing stronger and more confident swings.

I am seeing improved conditioning and work capacity.

I am seeing more efficient breathing and greater endurance.

Most importantly, I am seeing people believe in themselves and discover that they are capable of more than they initially thought.

This is exactly what the challenge was designed to accomplish.

Every swing is an opportunity to build strength.

Every session is an opportunity to build confidence.

Every week is an opportunity to become a little stronger, a little healthier, and a little more resilient.

I am genuinely excited to see what the coming weeks will bring and how far everyone can progress as we swing into summer.

Keep showing up.

Keep building momentum.

Keep swinging.

The best is yet to come.

Training Update
Wolfpack 

Over the last two weeks, The Wolfpack has focused on full-body conditioning. We have worked through mobility-based warm-ups to improve movement quality before tackling intervals designed to build strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness.

Bootcamp

Bootcamp has been all about grit and work capacity. The last two weeks challenged these tough cookies with higher-volume kettlebell work and demanding conditioning circuits.

Thursday Reliable Crew

Training has continued to emphasize quality strength training while building a solid foundation of mobility and stability.

Jack’s programming balanced strength development with athletic movement and power production.

Fiona’s Crew training focused on building a strong, resilient body through a combination of strength, posture, core work, and conditioning.

Great work, everyone. The consistency and effort are showing, and we’re continuing to build momentum heading into the summer. 

The Challenge Continues