I Thought I Was Invincible—Until My Back Said No

Last week, I hurt my back.

I was feeling fantastic—strong, mobile, like I could do anything. And maybe that was the problem. I started believing I was invincible.

That day, I went through my usual routine: Radio Taiso, isometrics, animal movements. Then I decided to add burpees to failure—because why not? I felt great. But by rep 13, something felt off. At rep 15, I knew I should stop. Two more, and I had no choice.

And just like that, I couldn’t sit, couldn’t lie down, couldn’t even stand straight. Walking wasn’t an option—I had to crawl (so maybe animal movements are useful after all).

That evening, I saw my acupuncture doctor. He told me if I felt better the next day, I should come back for another session. If not, I’d need an X-ray.

Thankfully, I felt much better. But here’s the thing—I shouldn’t have needed that wake-up call.

Feeling Strong Doesn’t Mean You’re Bulletproof

When you feel weak or stiff, you’re careful. You listen to your body. You work around its limits. But when you feel good? That’s when mistakes happen. You start ignoring signals. You push past discomfort because you assume your body can handle it.

I wasn’t feeling burpees that day. I did them anyway. I ignored that first twinge at rep 13. If I had stopped at 10, I’d have been fine. Instead, I pushed through—because I thought I could—and paid for it.

The irony? That same day, I actually felt like slow jogging but told myself I didn’t have time. Well, I sure made time for acupuncture.😢

The Real Takeaway: Listen to Your Body, No Matter What

Even the guy behind DSY can ignore his own advice. And that’s exactly why I’m sharing this—not because messing up somehow makes me more credible, but because I don’t want you to make the same mistake.

The better you feel, the more tempting it is to push further. That’s exactly when you need to check yourself. Strength and flexibility don’t make you invincible. They give you more room to move safely—but only if you stay within that room.

Don’t make my mistake. Don’t get cocky. Train smart. DSY.