#56 - Strength Training Will Save Your Life with Bruce Trout | He lost his leg & gained a daughter in the same week but never gave up barbell training

Despite undergoing a below knee amputation, Bruce Trout never gave up barbell training. In fact, he made a career out of it. After a major accident that cost him his leg, Bruce Trout realized strength training saved his life and continues to inspire people to barbell strength train despite the odds, as if their life depends on it.

It's easy to give up and fall into a depression when a major injury threatens to take away your abilities. It's even easier to do so when it's not just an injury but a major trauma that takes away your leg and threatens your life.

In this episode strength coach, Bruce Trout, shares how his experience getting hit by a car and losing his leg was influenced by strength training and how his accident influenced him as a trainee and coach.

The purpose of this podcast interview is to help athletes feel less alone when experiencing serious injuries affecting one or more limbs. As well, we hope to provide coaches and clinicians with tools to help barbell athletes process their injuries and continue to train even when training is not ideal. Hopefully this interview will provide you with some tools for managing training and rehab around lower limb/non-weight bearing injuries.

Bruce was in a car accident in 2019 which resulted in the loss of his lower left leg. He attributes the fact that he only lost a leg and not his life to his commitment to the Starting Strength Method. Since his recovery, Bruce has found his calling to help other individuals find their own strength and live a longer and fuller life through coaching at Starting Strength Columbus.

Bruce Trout shares his story about losing his leg and barbell training and coaching with a prosthetic limb. In this episode we cover:

• How he lost his leg

• What was the driving force to push him through the initial injury

• How strength training saved his life and influenced his recovery process

• His experience with phantom pain

• How he progressed training initially after getting out of the hospital and once he received his prosthetic leg

• Why he can't squat and how his right leg picks up the slack plus other challenges he faces training his amputated leg

• The role of physical therapy after an amputation

• The biggest lessons he learned from his accident

Connect with Bruce on Instagram @brucebruce28 Resources mentioned:

1. Article about Bruce Trout's accident

2. Harder to Kill by Bruce Trout

3. Starting Strength Columbus Gym

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