I Couldn’t Stand Up. Now I’m Back!

I Couldn’t Stand Up. Now I’m Back!

I’ve been MIA for the past couple of months, 8 weeks to be exact.

The reason? An injury that took me out harder than expected.

For context, since 2015, I’ve only taken two real one-week holidays.

Even when I’m traveling, I keep my training consistent, even if I do less, I still go at it every day.

I’m a firm believer that momentum matters.

It’s easier to keep going than it is to start over. That mindset has guided me since 2008.

But in summer 2024, I made a mistake.

I spent three months obsessively training for a one-arm pull-up.

My right side was cruising, but I overworked my weaker left arm.

By November, I had developed tendonitis in my left forearm. So I pivoted my training.

I shifted focus to lower body work, 3 sessions per week, blending volume days and biomechanics sessions.

I paid special attention to hip internal rotation and adduction, aiming to improve my mechanics for running and overall performance.

I also increased my running: from once to twice per week, adding sprints and building up from 2 to 3 miles.

I’m not a naturally gifted long-distance runner, so holding an 8:30–9:00 min/mile pace felt like real progress. I always sprinted the final stretch and felt strong.

The routine was solid. My hips and thighs felt tight, and there was a bit of discomfort in my right heel, but nothing alarming.

Then I woke up the next morning, and everything changed.

My lower back felt jammed. My right hip was locked. I couldn’t stand straight or put weight on my right leg.

It felt like my entire right leg, from quads to adductors and hip flexors to psoas, had seized up.

A full-blown contracture, paired with what I self-diagnosed as a severe tendinopathy in my hip and quad complex. Over 10 muscles were affected.

It was like having a “charley horse” in multiple spots all over your leg,constant, tight, and painful. Sitting, standing, bending, everything hurt.

Even sneezing triggered sharp pain, thanks to the inflamed psoas.

This wasn’t a dramatic injury. No break. No fall.

Just me pushing too far. I’m not sharing this to complain, I take full responsibility.

But this was, by far, the worst leg/hip injury I’ve had in 17 years of training.

So I got to work.

My 8-Week Rehab Protocol:

• Wore a hip and leg brace

• Took nighttime anti-inflammatories

• Daily EMS (electro-stimulation)

• Mobility work focused on hip IR/ER (Internal Rotation, External Rotation), glute activation, and compensation patterns

• Deep tissue massage daily (shout-out to my wife!), plus self-massage using a claw tool

• 3-5 minutes of daily psoas massage with a Psorite, alternating ER/IR

• Hip extension drills

• Zero training for 6 weeks-only healing

• Reduced calorie intake with a focus on proteins and light carbs (meat, beans, eggs, yogurt, veggies, honey).

• I also did two 22 hour fasts during the 8 weeks (once every 3 week).

I was working every day while healing, sitting at my desk for 3-4 hours, then coaching on my feet for another 4-5 hours daily was brutal at first.

But over 5-6 weeks, the plan started to work.

Then, I finally took a real vacation, my second in a decade.

Letting go of business responsibilities and the pressure to heal while coaching helped more than expected.

During that week in Hawaii, the pain almost completely disappeared.

So I started training again, slowly. Just 100 push-ups every other day.

Back in LA, I kept building back up.

Training Log (Last Week):

• Monday - Push + Pull: 150 dips (15 x 10), 50 wide grip chin-ups
• Wednesday - Pull: 205 wide grip chin-ups (20, 15 x 10, 10 x 3), 10 min core
• Friday - Legs: 100 squats, 100 lunges, 100 hip raises
• Saturday - Push: 25 pike push-ups, 50 chest-to-floor push-ups, 50 incline push-ups, 100 box dips
• This week: heavier training resumes

Reading this now, these numbers felt impossible just a few weeks ago.

The human body is incredible. Given the right care, structure, and understanding, it will heal.

This injury exposed a lot of weaknesses, and gave me the opportunity to correct them.

I always aim to train smart and avoid injuries, but sometimes they still happen. And when they do, they’re a chance to learn, to level up, and to come back better.

If it sucks, it’s probably good, because it’s revealing something you need to fix.

Keep showing up. Keep looking for the light, even when things feel dark.

Easier said than done, but like everything else, practice makes perfect.

Ready to train smarter and unlock your true potential?

Join my online Calisthenics Academy and train with me here!

Nicolas