#268 – The Heaviest Lift: Prof. Paul’s Battle, and Victory, Over Cancer

Every man dies, but not every man really lives. Count Professor Paul from Student of the Gun among the living. After a long, difficult battle with cancer in his neck, Paul Markel has emerged victorious and we are happy to welcome him back to the podcast.

We often talk about strength training as a sort of physical 401(k),  an investment in our body that we may need to draw on in the future. This was especially true for Paul, who lost over 40lbs during treatment. Fortunately, he was a strong, conditioned lifter before his cancer diagnosis, squatting and deadlifting in the 300’s. His physical strength carried him through the painful, draining radiation therapy, and gave him (literally) legs to stand on during the recovery process. On his first day back to the gym after completing treatment, he squatted the empty bar. Where would he have been withoutthe strength training?

Paul credits barbell training for his resilience, but even moreso for his mental fortitude during treatment. Not satisfied with overly conservative conventional medical advice regarding nutrition and physical activity during treatment, Paul sought out expert opinions on eating a ketogenic diet while continuing as much training as he could manage.

Professor Paul has penned a book about his life-changing experience that you can find on Amazon — Fight Solves Everything: Destroying Cancer with Faith, Nutrition, and Science.

You can also follow Paul and his journey on Instagram @paulmarkel.