“I don’t want to squat because it fucking hurts.”
That’s about the first thing Julie said to me when we first spoke. She’d had a few knee reconstructions and now ambled away with about zero cartilage in both knees.
She was adamant that she would never squat again. And because she found the pain so demotivating, I agreed that we wouldn’t be squatting.
Six months later, she was doing goblet squats, lunges, and single-leg squats on a box. Pain-free.
Not because I provided some magic tricks to take away her pain. But because she gradually built up her strength and confidence with her lower body. Until one day, she felt confident enough to try how a squat might feel. And it felt good.
Your body is incredibly robust and adaptable.
-J
ps. She might’ve said “hurts” instead of “fucking hurts.” But let’s not allow little details to get in the way of an inspirational story.