Gift of Injury

I just wanna let you know that your book , Gift Of Injury , saved my life.. I’m 42 now, had lower back issues in my late 20s from heavy lifting and wrestling.. over came that and always made warm up , movement prep , stretching, etc a big priority.. then right around when I hit 40 I had the standard L5 S1 back pain that really took its toll on my training and daily life .. I’m a police officer in our emergency service unit (SWAT/HEAVY RESCUE) and a dad of two young very active athletic boys so the pain, lack of movement , and explosiveness became a total mind f@&k ! ... epidurals, movement research , decompression, didn’t work ..I got a hold of your book and thoroughly read it and practice it all. it was literally life changing .. I have zero pain now and can actually move, explode, squat /deadlift and wrestle how I should be .. in short thanks so much for sharing your story and putting all that extremely useful info out there ..This book isn’t just for the hardcore powerlifter. Anyone currently with lower back pain or who doesn’t even want to go down that road of debilitating back issues should read and study this book. Any athlete, person on a regular fitness/strength training routine will absolutely benefit from this material. This book is real deal, legit, easy to follow, and couldn’t be anymore genuine coming from someone of your immense accomplishments. How many of those in LE, who strength train, who haveTo function in life, have lower back issues?? I’ve read many strength training, physical education books on how to get stronger and moreAthletic, but this by far was the most informative and beneficial in corrective health.I recommend this book to any and all I meet who deal with back pain because there is a fix. I again thank you Brian, and Dr. McGill for putting this out there.- Ron C.

This is an incredible book written by two experts in their respective fields coming together and sharing their collaboration and story.Brian Carroll's story is quite interesting. He was suffering from disc bulges, a crushed L5 vertebra, bone edema, and a massive sacrum fracture from his years of Powerlifting at an elite level.After searching for relief, failing to find it, and considering the possibility of surgery, Mr. Carroll found himself physically and mentally broken down in a parking lot. Thankfully, a client of his recommended he go see a spine expert located in Canada. In steps Dr. Stuart McGill. Through patience and dedication to getting better, the two were able to lead Mr. Carroll back to a pain free state. After becoming pain free, the two negotiated a strategy to rebuild Mr. Carroll's athleticism, eventually leading to a 1306 lbs squat!Mr. Carroll's story is a fascinating and engrossing read. The book is very insightful and laid out in a very well organized manner, from the athlete's story and injury, to the recovery process, to the programming. Coupled with colorful photos and tons of information backed by both Mr. Carroll's personal experience being an elite Powerlifter and Dr. McGill's extensive research and background in low back health and disorders, this book is a fantastic read that I highly recommend. Whether you're a person dealing with back pain, an athlete looking to ground their training and programming in effective approaches, or a lay person struggling with something in their life and needing an indication that things can get better, I think this book should be at the top of your list. Rather than pain being the end of something good, it can be the beginning of implementing healthy habits and movements that lead to something far better!

This book is a must purchase if you are a strength athlete and also the population at large. If you train for long periods of time - eventually you''ll get tweaked. Brian and Stu McGill give you a plan to progress and train for a life time. Also importantly they give you the correct mindset you need to have to remain healthy or if you are injured to come back.This is a wonderful book I have two copies - 1 for me and 1 that I gave to a friend that is suffering from back pain. What Brian and Stu write about works and you have the synergy of a science and lifting in one book.The book is really a few different stories in 1. It covers the history of Brian's power lifting career, it gives a walkthrough of his recovery and it also shows you how to prescribe your own recovery and training using Brian and Stu's insights.After reading the book and applying the training methodology I have been able to workout pain free - despite having a torn meniscus. The book teaches you how to apply the principles for your specific goal. Another thing I took away from the book is the mindset you need to have as an athlete - Brian lays out the foundation on how you need to think if you want to be successful and remain pain free. Stu supports the science behind the recommendations, its nice to have a balance of the practical and scientific in pme place. Especially with so much conflicting "science" out there, "fake news", its nice to pick up a book that lays out exactly what you need to do, how to do it for your specific situation and supports its with practical, functional and scientific examples through out. It 's very well thought out and everything is rooted in science and experience. A really great book, buy it for yourself or to help someone out of pain.