Built from Broken: A Science-Based Guide to Healing Painful Joints, Preventing Injuries

Book Preface

By using Built from Broken (referred to hereafter as “this book”), you (referred to hereafter as “user”) agree to the following terms and conditions. If you do not agree to these terms and conditions, please do not use this book:

This book is for educational purposes only. The author, publisher, and affiliated third party agents of the book assume no responsibility for any adverse effects arising directly or indirectly as a result of information provided in this book or any associated third-party websites. While the author has made every effort to provide accurate information and references at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publishing. If not practiced safely and under the guidance of a qualified medical professional, physical therapist, or qualified fitness instructor, exercise can be dangerous. Please consult a qualified medical professional before implementing any recommendations in this book or starting any new exercise, nutrition, nutritional supplement, or other health behavior related program. Consult with a certified fitness instructor or licensed physical therapist to ensure all recommendations in this book are implemented safely. Information contained in this book is not intended to diagnose, treat, mitigate, or cure any disease. No information in this book is a substitute for advice from a qualified medical professional. User agrees that usage of any content or recommendations in this book is at the user’s own risk. This includes suggested exercises, corrective routines, nutritional information, and all other information.

BROKEN DOWN, BEAT UP, OR BOTTLENECKED

Broken down, beat up, or bottlenecked. Virtually everyone falls into one of these three categories. They’re not separate categories, really, just different points on the same spectrum.
The broken down are those unlucky souls who are so riddled with pain and injuries that improving fitness and building a strong, healthy body has become all but impossible.
The beat up aren’t quite so damaged. Yet they suffer the debilitating effects of muscle imbalances, chronic inflammation, and nagging aches and pains, all of which put a damper on exercise goals and active hobbies.

The bottlenecked are the healthiest of the bunch. Though joint dysfunction and pain don’t sideline them completely, they continually get stuck when attempting to stretch their bodies’ capabilities. Each time they progress in terms of strength, performance, or body composition, something breaks down and their bodies retrogress. Even elite athletes and professional fitness competitors suffer from this. Their limiting factor is rarely discipline or intensity or muscle-building capability or even time management. It’s almost always joint problems, injuries, and connective tissue degeneration.
No matter where you fall on this spectrum, the major impediment to realizing your physical potential and moving pain-free through life is the same: joint dysfunction. That’s the real obstacle. The central question this book seeks to answer is this:
How can we manage our exercise, lifestyle, and nutrition habits to overcome the obstacle of joint dysfunction?

HOW THIS BOOK WILL BENEFIT YOU

To walk a thorny road, we may cover its every
inch with leather—or we can make sandals.

There’s a lot in a name.

“Built from broken” doesn’t just mean going from a state of being broken to being built. It signifies that the final product is made from broken pieces. All the injuries, pain, limitations, and setbacks you’ve experienced aren’t merely obstacles preventing you from achieving your ideal body. They are the actual pieces you build with. In this book, I’ll show you how to identify, understand, and assemble them into a unified system.

You’ll learn to target the underlying issues that cause joint pain and dysfunction. If you’re injury-prone, like me, you can use the principles in this book to build a strong, pain-free, injury-proof body. If you’re an overtrained and beat-up athlete, you can implement the training program I recommend as a reset before conquering your next training cycle or competition. If you’ve been around the block a few times and your body is screaming for help, you’ll learn to build muscle and strength without sacrificing joint integrity. If you’re broken, in pain, and searching for relief, you can do more than just mask symptoms. You can rebuild your body’s scaffolding, improve functional strength, and enjoy a body that works now and that stands the test of time.

Part 1 of this book covers the principles and strategies of rebuilding your body (and the way you think about it). It breaks down the primary causes of joint pain and dysfunction, how to resolve pain naturally, prevent injury, and build healthy connective tissue structures. In addition to laying the foundation for the training section in Part 2, it also teaches you to develop your own exercise program that fits your specific needs.

Part 2 takes the principles a step further, organizing a complete training program that folds all the concepts from Part 1 into a tactical plan with comprehensive templates and instructions.

This book doesn’t claim to reveal any secrets. Instead, it focuses on illuminating a handful of principles that (when applied to resolving pain and dysfunction) allow you to achieve your ideal, functional body. It offers a paradigm shift in how to think about your fitness goals. Built from Broken is the culmination of my personal experiences, research in therapeutic sports nutrition, and face-to-face work with health clients I’ve helped overcome injuries, obstacles, and setbacks. Most of all, it’s a product of the realization that many people don’t fit into the available fitness boxes.
If you’re suffering from old or new injuries—if you feel beat up, stuck, stiff, sore and falling apart at the seams, and not even close to where you want to be physically—I want you to know that all the broken pieces can be reassembled to form a stronger version of you. In this book, I’ll show you exactly how.
In the coming chapters, you’re going to learn the five primary causes of joint pain, how your body’s pain signaling system works, and what to focus on instead of pain relief. You’ll also learn about the misunderstood concept of collagen synthesis, what science really has to say about stretching, and why your connective tissue deserves as much attention as your muscles. These concepts form the backbone of the Built from Broken principles. Even if you’re eager to dive into the training section, I encourage you to take your time with Part 1 of this book and internalize the concepts as best you can. You probably already know about some of the ideas we’ll cover. That’s OK. It doesn’t matter if you’ve heard something already or learned about it in the past. What matters is how well you know each principle and if you understand when to apply each for maximum effect. I want you to understand these ideas on a deep, fundamental level.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Part 1: Principles and Strategy
Chapter 1: A Case for Load Training
Chapter 2: the Anatomy of Pain
Chapter 3: What to Focus On Instead of Pain Relief
Chapter 4: How to Train Your Collagen
Chapter 5: Movement: The Original Mobility
Chapter 6: Science-backed Mobility Training
Chapter 7: Corrective Routines
Chapter 8: Preventing the Big Three
Chapter 9: Injury Recovery: Strategy and Tactics
Part 2: the Training Program
Chapter 10: Exercise Programming and Periodization: Why It’s Smart to
Be Disciplined
Chapter 11: Mastering the Movements
Chapter 12: The BFB Training Program
Appendix: Workout Routines
References