Having any kind of surgery is a total drag, but it doesn’t have to scare you away from the gym or an active lifestyle. I should know; in the last eight years I had two invasive surgeries that required extensive recovery and I went through months of exhaustion and despair looking at the husk of a man in the mirror. Today, five years into barbell training, and over a year into training at SF Iron, I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.