Episode 34: Hard-won Life and Lifting Lessons from KC Mitchell

Strength icon KC Mitchell, aka "That 1-Leg Monster," shares his incredible story of struggle and redemption in this wide-ranging discussion. He lost a leg and nearly lost his life to an IED in Afghanistan, then battled back to become a competitive powerlifter with help from legends like Ed Coan, Mark Bell, Rich Piana and many others. Now he may be eyeballing… bodybuilding? Highlights: - Why he still revisits photos of the incident that almost took his life, and how it feels now - His pre-injury training: Lots of fighting, plus "curls for the girls" - What powerlifting has to offer CrossFitters and other lifters - What the old KC thought of powerlifting (and powerlifters) - His a-ha moment, in the darkest days of post-injury narcotics abuse - Why he threw away his Doritos along with the pain pills and booze - His unique relationship with pain - What his first few weeks back in the gym looked like - His first free squats—and the video of them that went viral - Lifting with the big boys at Metroflex Long Beach - His relationship (and pancake eating contests) with the late Rich Piana - Why he shies away from "adaptive" lifting competition - His epic first powerlifting meet story - His "crazy" squat theory: "If I sit 402 pounds on my back, it's going to push me down to a point to where it's going to push me past that pain part." - Backstage with Ed Coan before his final deadlift: "I'm not going to tell you the weight, but you need to pull it." - How Hany Rambod talked him into (probably) doing a bodybuilding show - Why he admires athletes like Kris Gethin - The simple beauty of the deadlift Be sure to follow us on social media for daily fitness updates! Twitter | https://twitter.com/bodybuildingcom Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/Bodybuildingcom Snapchat | https://www.snapchat.com/add/bodybuildingcom Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/bodybuildingcom/ Pinterest | https://www.pinterest.com/Bodybuildingcom/ YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/user/bodybuildingcomvideo Google+ | https://plus.google.com/+bodybuildingcom Spotify | http://spoti.fi/1NRebm0 Mobile Apps | http://bbcom.me/2d7tixc Bodybuilding.com | http://www.bodybuilding.com/podcast