My Story

Time for a story you probably won’t read.  

It’s too long. Too personal. Too graphic. Too sad.

But there’s a silver lining.

It’s a story of how my brokenness—quite literally—shaped my career and, honestly, my life.  

I don’t expect many people to read this. I wrote it more for myself than anything else.  

But it feels important to share. Because the lessons I learned changed my life. Maybe they’ll do the same for you.  

So here it goes…  

Growing up, I was always active—but constantly injured. Not just the usual bumps and bruises. We’re talking sprains, fractures, and breaks. My mom and I wondered if my bones were weak. Doctors said I was fine—just an active kid. Except, I wasn’t fine.  

It took me nearly 20 years to figure it out: my posture was a mess. My body was fighting against itself every time I moved. Add in constant activity, and it was a recipe for disaster.  

Basketball was my life. But I played and did everything—baseball, football, soccer, golf, skiing, biking, hiking, rollerblading (yes, I just dated myself), the list goes on.  

In fourth grade, I broke my left arm playing soccer. I’m left-handed. A clean break, but still a pain to deal with. A few months later, I broke the same arm again—only this time, it was different.  

I was running up the brick stairs to our house when I tripped. I braced myself with my left arm, landing on the corner of a step and the impact snapped the bone straight through the skin.  

I still remember looking down and seeing my arm bending in a way it definitely shouldn’t have—bone sticking out, my arm waving like a sail in the wind.  

My brother was there and nearly passed out from the site.

That’s when the pain hit.  

At the hospital, they told me they had to reset it manually. No fancy tricks. Just a giant needle that felt like a foot long, jammed straight into my arm. Then, while I was still conscious, they pulled and twisted my arm back into place.  

That was my introduction to real pain.  

Fifth grade came, and I broke my collarbone playing football.  

This one looked insane—like my collarbone wasn’t horizontal anymore but had turned into a step ladder. My shoulder was literally stacked in a way that shoulders definitely should not be.  

Fast forward to high school basketball tryouts—broke my foot. Played on it for a week (because, of course, I did). That injury cost me my entire season. Which eventually ended my high school career.  

I’m not telling you this for a pity party. In fact, I’m grateful for it. Sometimes, our darkest moments lead us to our brightest days.

Fast-forward to college. I was already fascinated with anatomy and working out. Then I discovered something that changed everything—poor posture can lead to muscle imbalances, joint stress and even weakened bones over time, making injuries more likely.

I started learning how to fix my own body. And it worked. I got injured less. I recovered faster.  

I didn’t know it at the time, but I still had a ways to go.

A few years later, I became a trainer, and everything clicked.  

I learned how to identify postural imbalances—the exact weaknesses, tightnesses, and deficiencies holding people back.  

And guess what? I had them all.  

- Upper cross syndrome  

- Lower cross syndrome  

- Knee valgus  

- Flat feet  

- You name it  

The moment I started correcting these issues, everything changed. I built muscle faster. I ran quicker. I felt better. My body finally worked with me instead of against me.  

And then I started helping others.  

When I worked with clients to fix their imbalances, their progress skyrocketed. They got stronger, faster, and more flexible. Their aches and pains disappeared.  

Here’s the thing: most people train without fixing the root problem. They push through pain, follow generic programs, and wonder why they plateau.

Here’s what I learned the hard way:  

1. Your foundation is everything. If your body is out of alignment, you’re fighting an uphill battle. Fix your structure, and progress becomes effortless. Ignore it, and you’re one step away from your next injury.  

2. Pain is not a badge of honor. It’s your body waving a red flag. Ignore it, and it’ll only get worse. Train smart, or spend your time recovering instead of progressing.  

3. Your body is either working for you or against you. If you take care of it, it’ll reward you with strength, speed, and resilience. Neglect it, and it’ll break down when you need it most.  

4. Strength without balance is a ticking time bomb. If one part of your body is overworking while another is slacking off, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Train with purpose, not just intensity.  

5. Shortcuts lead to setbacks. You can push through dysfunction for a while, but eventually, it’ll catch up to you. Fix the root issue now, or pay for it later.  

My final thought - if you’re feeling stuck, stiff, or constantly battling injuries, take a step back. Look at the root cause. Fix that—and everything else will fall into place.  

Thanks for reading,

Brandon “the mended” Peters