I found this book to be very informative. Brian puts a lot of information in one place in an easy to use format. I am currently in my first go round in his off season program and my squat has never been stronger. Looking forward in a few weeks to seeing what the test week will reveal and then go into a pre-contest phase.
Reading through “The Gift of Injury” from Brian Carroll and Stuart McGill was eye opening for me during my back injury. No matter what type of athlete you are, or at what level you’re at, an injury can drastically effect the rest of your career so it is extremely important to develop the proper mindset and rehabilitation plan to face the injury. This book was able to show me that mindset and plenty of tools I could use to recover and prevent future injury! 10/10.
In 2019, after already having one disc bulge, I bulged another during a warmup deadlift and collapsed to the floor in horrible pain. For a few days I couldn’t hardly walk and during that time, ordered The Gift of Injury. I read the book over a week or so and began my rehab. To this day, the McGill big 3 is part of my routine almost every day. With the knowledge gained from the book, chatting with Brian and the rehab, I competed in my first full power meet last weekend. There, I set broke 5 state records and plan on going for more. My journey is far from finished and a lot of it is because of Brian and his story. Thank you Brian and Dr. McGill.
I had been dealing with back issues for years. I would push through activities and deal with pain for days/weeks after. I had a lower herniated disk from sports activities and routinely reinjured that disk from pour movements and posture. After consulting with Brian I was made aware of the things I was doing wrong. Through reading his book "The Gift of Injury" as well as Dr.McGill's book I learned a great deal of how the spine truly works. I would highly recommend reading these books as they will clearly show you the proper path to recovery and regaining the use of your back once again. After reading the books you should make an appointment with Brian for an evaluation where he will give direct instruction and a plan to build your core to a point that you will no longer deal with the pain you once did. All it will take is some hard work and discipline to undo all the undisciplined posture/movements that once allowed you to constantly injure your spine.
For over 8 years I have leaned on Brian Carroll and the 10/20/Life philosophy. During that time even, I have added over 400 pounds to my raw total, while staying in the same weight class and quite injury free. Brian Carroll and his 10/20/Life proved itself flexible when I transitioned to multi-ply in late 2016 and continued to base my training on the same fundamental philosophies and structure. Regardless of competitive style, age or experience, I recommend 10/20/Life to any athlete looking to add strength and stay healthy. I currently boast a 2000lb raw total and a 2400 equipped total at 242. I highly suggest those who have doubts to seek Brian’s coaching wisdom to take you to the next level.
This was a game changer for me. Too many "specialists" are operating on old paradigms, and following their advice has kept me in pain, or slowed my recoveries. Pick up this book, follow its tenets, and follow Brian's videos; you'll thank me later.
I can’t say enough great things about Brian, his book and the methods he used. My back pain was terrible. I t was so bad I had to brace myself standing at times, the radiating pain was terrible. I resigned to live with it until I heard about Brian’s back issues. It made me think that “hey this might be possible without surgery” and it was! I am pain free and followed exactly what Brian told me. I cannot thank him enough nor recommend his methods and him enough. If you are in pain. Seek Brian out and read his books!
My wife and I both use the PRS CBD products for a wide range of applications. The roll on is great for using on sore or stiff muscles prior to exercise. After exercise or prior to sleeping, we like using the balm along with light massage on the muscles to help improve recovery. I've seen first hand over several years that Brian is very knowledgeable and effective with training clients for injury rehabilitation, competitive strength goals, and general fitness. For anyone suffering from back pain, I would recommend that you contact him for a consultation as well as pickup a copy of Gift of Injury.
Brian is extremely professional. Very intelligent and knows so much about physical wellness. I recommend you read Gift of Injury. It makes you appreciate and respect putting in the work to rehab your body and get back to a pain-free functional life. I have worked with Brian for several years on diet, rehab, and powerlifting.
“It’s a brilliant, fantastic book, one that should be the standard of the fitness industry! It’s a rare book that honestly confronts, analyzes and fixes the athlete. Oh, sure, you can find books with little band stretches, mobility work and some time in the tub, but Stu McGill and Brian Carroll take us inside both the athlete’s and the therapist’s minds. Section Two alone is a book in itself; it is more of a weekend workshop showing what the best and brightest do in their approach to training. There are so many insights throughout the book, but this little hint really made me think: Brian walked 15 minutes a day with free swinging arms before every meal as part of his back injury fix. It just struck me that this simple point was the culmination of so many tests, discussions and hands on work…and it is so simple, logical, and practical.”
“In a world that pushes pain medication and costly surgery to “fix” back pain, this is a breath of fresh air! Brian Carroll and Dr. Stuart McGill combine for one of the most valuable books ever written on how to correctly address this injury. The Gift of Injury is a brilliant must have book for every strength athlete, coach and medical practitioner.”
“A fighter has to be strong enough to control the opponent, deliver powerful punches and kicks and deal with severe impacts. After training for more than 10 years at the top of the pro-fighting and BJJ circuit, Brian Carroll’s 10/20/Life method has not only addressed all of the above, but it has actually helped make my training fun again. Today I feel like I am training increasingly smarter as well as being much more mindful of technique—a winning combination for getting stronger and staying injury free.”
“There is no easy way. There is no magic pill. And there are no instant results. What there is, however: hard work, long hours, smart planning, ideal timing, optimal programming, and attention to detail. In short, this is 10/20/Life. Through Brian’s life experience and professional work, you get a definitive blueprint for the day-in and day-out fundamentals of incremental improvement. Brian’s accomplishments on the platform are unrivaled. He has brought what has helped him succeed in a sport that is ever changing. All facets of a customized personal program with 10/20/Life are covered and delivered to you in an easy-to-read, intuitive format. If you want to make certain that you’re on the path for lifelong improvement (not just your next training block), make the effort to read 10/20/Life. You’ll thank yourself years down the road.”
“Changing from a coach who chose to jump from reputable program to reputable program to a coach who trains 10/20/Life and trains her clients with 10/20Life has made lifting enjoyable again. I used to hurt all the time, whine that I was old, and live on the verge of injury. Now, following 10/20Life, I look forward to deload weeks, my numbers are up, and my body is recovering. I no longer see my chiropractor twice a week and my massage therapist more than once a month. My body feels better, and I don’t complain about being old. Because I feel so much better with 10/20/Life, I have even found a new passion for geared lifting, and I love seeing the Now, following 10/20Life, I look forward to deload weeks, my numbers are up, and my body is recovering. I no longer see my chiropractor twice a week and my massage therapist more than once a month. My body feels better, and I don’t complain about being old. Because I feel so much better with 10/20/Life, I have even found a new passion for geared lifting, and I love seeing the bigger numbers! Thank you, Brian, for creating programming that will allow me to continue to powerlift for years to come.”
Brian offered what the literature and papers could not: feedback. Brian improved and tailored the program I had started on my own (after reading the two books) by modifying the rep schemes, exercise frequencies and selection, workout timings, etc. Additionally, although we only met virtually, he was able to coach me on the big 3 and some other movements to ensure proper execution. Having someone listen to your story, provide feedback on current progress, and share personal experiences with similar troubles/successes proved vital to my recovery. Not many people can relate to the kind of debilitating back injury that I, and others, have had to face and overcome, but Brian is one of the few who can. Although I am not (yet) at 100%, my progress trend over time has been positively linear and I am confident that I will come back stronger than before.
"The words Thank You do not say enough for an excellent training experience! Your professionalism and passion are extraordinary. As a former powerlifter and having my son, a collegiate powerlifter, training with you was an enriching experience. We were genuinely impressed with your ability to translate all your years of technical expertise on the lifts into an understandable and immediately usable application. Your coaching enabled my son to easily set two new PRs, each of 50+ pounds, during our incredible time together! Thank you for your valuable insights and advice on nutrition, recovery, and back rehabilitation. Your “10/20/Life” principles and “Gift of Injury” have enabled me to resume Powerlifting after thinking all was lost after nearly 25 years. Your techniques and coaching have allowed me to deadlift again and squat while maintaining a healthy and resilient back. Lastly, thank you for giving back to the Powerlifting community. My son and I feel blessed to have met such a knowledgeable, passionate, and approachable person. We look forward to continuing our training together. You are one of a kind, my man!"
"I’m a 50-year-old former powerlifter and strongman competitor. I first hurt my lower back when I was a senior in high school playing baseball. I was trying to beat a throw to first base and felt something pop in my lower back when I stepped on the base. A couple of years ago, I bought Gift of Injury and Back Mechanic and “loosely followed the instructions” and found a little relief, but not enough to matter. In April 2021, I reached out to Brian because I saw a video of him squatting 1306 and thought, how in the world is that possible with the damage I had read about that his back had? After our phone consultation, he had me doing big 3 two times a day and religiously walking three times a day, along with telling me I had to change my movement patterns, stop squatting and deadlifting, and let the pain settle, which was probably the hardest thing I had done in a long time. A few weeks later, I went to Jacksonville, and Brian did a full hands-on assessment and gave me a game plan, which I followed to the letter the best I could. It’s been almost a year, and after continuing to move well and doing the big 3 along with walking, suitcase carries, etc. I honestly have a core of iron. I am back to squatting and deadlifting heavy again with no pain, which is a miracle. Brian’s guidance has changed my life because I just figured that low back pain was what I had to look forward to for the rest of my life. After all, the chiropractor said I had degenerative disk disease, which I’ve learned is not true at all. Thank you so much. Also, I'm already back to walking with the 700-lb yolk, Pulling 600 with no pain whatsoever, and squatting 550lb raw. I can tell you this—I never expected to squat over 500 again or ever be pain-free, for that matter! "
