We’ve all dealt with training injuries. For a physically active person, these are just an accepted fact of life, kind of like death and taxes. No one likes them, but we all accept their inevitability. In a rough, full-contact game like football, this factor is magnified all the more. So what can you do when struck by a debilitating injury? If the example of Carson Wentz is any indication, you have to suck it up and keep going. In this article, we will take his case as an example of how an injury comeback is supposed to look.
How Was Carson Wentz Injured?
Carson Wentz was considered to be one of the top up-and-coming quarterbacks in the NFL. This was 2017, and Wentz signed with the Philadelphia Eagles amid great anticipation. Indeed, he did turn out to be a stellar player. Before long, the team was sitting pretty on an 11-2 record which nearly guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. Wentz himself was considered to be the most valuable player and was crucial in their success up to that point.
Unfortunately, a badly-timed dogpile tactic by the Rams put him out of commission, forcing him to miss the last three games of the season. Just take a look at this sickening hit. That horrendous pile-up that you just saw resulted in a torn ACL muscle, putting Wentz out of commission for the next three games. However, Wentz did not limp back to the locker room after that hit. He continued to play for four more downs, even scoring another touchdown for the team before finally being sidelined for his safety. Was that smart? Not really, but it sure showed a lot of heart.
So What Happened Next?
Chances are, you already know what happened next. The Eagles won the game. Although Wentz was forced to sit out the next three games, his team did go on to win the Super Bowl by defeating the Rams 41-33. However, that championship ring came at a high price for Carson Wentz.
Rather than mope and complain, Wentz decided to put all his effort into training for a comeback. He returned in 2018 as a starting quarterback, and things were going quite well at first. However, Wentz soon found himself sidelined with another injury, this time to his back. Even still, he refused to quit entirely. He was bumped down to position number three, but the Eagles didn’t do quite so well without his help. This is indeed a sad case, in which an excellent player was cursed with terrible luck on two separate occasions.
The Recovery
In spite of all this bad luck, Wentz shows no signs of quitting. He has already started training for 2019, and the signs look pretty good. In spite of his woes, the Eagles chose to renew his contract for another four years, and the contract is not a small one. Apparently, they haven’t lost faith in this guy at all.
Reports from the training camp are all quite positive. By all accounts, Wentz is training harder than ever before. He has not missed a single training session, and most seem to agree that he is training much harder than he did before the 2018 season. Of course, that torn ACL probably had something to do with that.
Training Tips From Carson Wentz
Even a cursory look at his short history in the NFL is enough to tell you that Wentz is one determined athlete. Anyone who can play four downs on a torn ACL and still win the game is a person with some strong motivations indeed. With that in mind, we have examined a few of the interviews he gave while on the comeback trail. Let’s review some of his best pieces of advice.
Types Of Training
Wentz says that he favors full-body workouts because of their time-efficiency. Also, doing your workout at high speed allows you to get some cardio in there with your strength training. He recommends a lot of big lifts but cautions that you should stay away from exercises with a limited range of motion.
Use The Motivating Power Of Music
After such a run of bad luck, it would be easy for a guy like Wentz to get discouraged. However, one of the things that helped him to pull through was his love of music. There can be no doubt that music can create a powerful emotional change, and that this emotion can be harnessed for intense motivation.
Concentrate On Core Flexibility
Wentz also recommends focusing on the muscles of the core, which include the muscles of the waist, groin, lower torso, and upper legs. He says that everything comes from the core, and he is correct. Thus, the flexibility of these muscles is key to the avoidance of injury. We can see that he has learned from his injuries and has made flexibility a very high priority.
Always Keep Things Fresh
Stagnation is another word for death. Wentz didn’t say that, but he seems to believe in the concept. Wentz attributes his early successes (in part) to his background as a multi-discipline athlete. He says that he played a lot of different sports as a kid, all the better to gain a perspective on the universal principles of athletics.
Don’t Forget The Vegetables
Most people who are concentrating on pure strength gains will eat a lot of meat and other high-protein foods. While there is no doubt that high protein intake is good for growth, Wentz cautions other athletes to make sure and eat their vegetables. After all, vegetables may not have a lot of protein, but they are loaded with all sorts of other helpful nutrients. Further, they provide these nutrients without any of the fat that usually accompanies high-protein foods.
Conclusion
It is always inspiring to see an exceptional athlete who doesn’t quit. After two season-ending injuries in a row, it would certainly have been easy for Carson Wentz to lay down and give up. Instead, he chose to push through like a boss, and we can only hope that his efforts will be rewarded in the coming season. If you have found this article to be interesting and inspiring, feel free to follow us on Facebook for more of the same!
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