In March 2021, University of Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee took home the national championship in the 125 pound weight class. On its surface, the story isn't that unique. The Iowa wrestling program has a rich tradition of great wrestlers.
But, when you dig a little deeper (perhaps down to the level of his knee), the story gets much more interesting (and inspiring for the hundreds of you reading this article).
During Lee's senior year of high school, he tore his right ACL, but continued to wrestle on it.
Then, he re-injured the right ACL in the 2019 NCAA National Championship match.
Last, but not least, 8 days before the 2021 National Championship tournament, Lee tore his left ACL.
His response? "Excuses are for wusses."
After an uncertain period, Lee participated in the tournament and dominated. He took home the national championship without an ACL in either knee.
The lesson?
It's not that we all have to be Spencer Lee and win national championships.
It's not even that we'll all achieve exactly the result we seek.
It's that we can all try a little harder to adopt his mindset during ACL recovery.
Ultimately, YOU are the number one person responsible for the success of your recovery. It's not your surgeon… it's not your physical therapist… it's not your Embodi³ trainer. Sure, they all play a role, but you need to take control of the process.
Doing so doesn't promise you any kind of result, but it DOES give you the certainty that you've left nothing on the table. Deep down, you'll know that you've put every last drop of your blood, sweat, and tears into getting back to 100% after your ACL injury.
Look at every part of your recovery, from your workouts to your sleep to what you eat. Are you honed in on every single area? Could you be doing better?
If so… get to it. Apply these principles with focus, consistency, and discipline, and you can reach your goals. And I don't want to hear, "but I don't have time," or "I'll do it every now and then," or "but I'm not a division 1 athlete." I don't want to hear any of it.
Because, after all… excuses are for wusses.
Get to work.
Where Embodi³ Fits
Some athletes do all of this and the quad still won't fire the way it should. That isn't a lack of effort. After an ACL injury, the nervous system guards the quad, and sometimes exercise alone can't get a strong enough signal through. That's where we add direct current e-stim to your workouts, within your surgeon's guidelines. You can try it in a free 2-day trial with the button below.
