Former NRL player Rogan Dean may have lost part of his leg, but he’s committed as ever to working out and keeping his body strong.
Keeping fit isn’t always easy. For that reason, we sympathise with those who do give it a red hot crack but often fail to see results. It can be all too easy to throw in the gym towel and call it quits – although when you see the amount of muscle you could lose due to inactivity that might convince you to keep at it – but ultimately, the harsh truth is there are usually very few genuine excuses to not give the gym a second chance.
That latter point is hammered home by former Australian NRL player Rogan Dean and a video he recently posted to his Instagram. The video shows Rogan lifting and shifting serious amounts of weight and putting his body through a gruelling workout, despite having one prosthetic limb.
The 29-year-old former winger for the Ipswich Jets, based in Queensland, lost his left foot after being involved in a motorbike accident towards the end of 2020. According to NRL.com, Dean then elected to “undergo a mid-shin amputation to give him access to a wider range of prosthetics and a better quality of life.”
And, judging by the video in question, we’d say he’s certainly got the quality of life he pursued, which even includes running the New York City Marathon. “I still want to be able to fulfil my competitive side whether it be sprinting or having a look at the Paralympics.”
“I want to do everything I did before the accident and more, so I have got a few mates [including former teammate Ben Shea] I’ve teed up to run the New York City Marathon again,” he told NRL.com
In Rogan’s recent Instagram video, he can be seen performing a snatch – an Olympic weightlifting move – with ease, showing that his prosthetic limb doesn’t hinder him one bit. He follows this up with burpees, alternating his position by jumping over the bar. Burpees are widely regarded as an incredible bodyweight exercise, but one that virtually the entire gym community hates with a passion.
He also performs some ab crunches using a hyperextension machine and extends his back all the way down until his head is virtually touching the floor. What this exercise and the weightlifting exercises prove, is that not only does Rogan’s prosthetic limb not hold him back from exercising, but also just how much force they’re able to withstand.
We’ve previously discussed how your very own mind can be a huge obstacle in your quest for gains, but German man Andre Patris silenced those thoughts by overcoming being overweight and having heart surgery, to become ripped as hell.
Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor, also, has shown how he didn’t let a broken ankle affect his commitment to fitness. Put simply, if you find an exercise ‘too hard’, quit your whining and persevere. If you have to drop the weight in order to make the reps, that’s perfectly fine. Besides, we’ve also discussed how lifting lighter weights can actually be more beneficial for you.
See, no excuses.
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