No pain, no gain
Pain is just weakness leaving the body
What does not kill me, makes me stronger
When I was medically discharged from the US Marine Corps Reserves back in October 31, 1996, I really did not know what I was going to do with my life. My knees were really messed up at the time. The VA Hospital decided that they could not continue treatment for me, they gave up. Within 16 years, my health took a huge toll. I went from a skinny 135 pounder to weighing nearly 200 lbs. Look at my April, 2012, photo, I was very fat then with my belly falling over my belt. My blood pressure was high, I was out of shape. I remember just living day by day. The day of this photo was my last business trip with a security company I was working with. After a death of a good friend who was just 49 years old, I decided to change my lifestyle and hit the gym in July, 2012.
Kevin Miller, Jr., in Saigon (April, 2012)
It was a painful journey since I had not really done any formal weight training since 1997. I had stopped going to the gym at that time due to the recommendations of my physical therapist at the VA. That was the chain of events that led to my horrible lifestyle since. I was a weightlifter prior and at the time, it turns out, it was the best thing for me and my knees. I had strong squads and hamstrings that pretty much relieved any knee pains I had. Hence, by November, 2012, I decided to return to weightlifting (I was weight training since). After two years of training, I finally broke the 400 lb mark in the Back Squats (see below). My knees, yes they still have pain especially during stormy weather, but overall I feel much better. I am getting stronger. My goal is to continue to weightlift until I hit the 550 lb mark in the Back Squats and then I will just switch to weight training and focus on Kendo (with meditation).
In retrospect, the VA should have recommended that I continue to weight train, my life may have turned out differently. In the end, though, everything happens for a reason.
Kevin – 400 lb Squat
To keep up with my weightlifting routine, visit my other blog, IronDevilDog.com.
