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It happens literally thousands of times a day. Look at Picture 10. This athlete has her head down and hips up, with no bend in the knees. Put down the bar the same way it was picked up--spread the chest and squat down (see picture 6). <br><br>HOW TO STRENGTHEN <br>THE LOWER BACK<br><br>Strengthening the lower back and abdominal areas is the second factor in preventing lower back injuries. Straight Leg Dead Lifts can have a remarkable positive effect in strengthening the lower back. Performing Squats, Hex Bar Dead Lifts and Cleans correctly can add great strength to the lower back as well. These exercises can also make the abdominals extremely strong. Specific  Ab work can be done in addition. <br> Remember to never twist out of position at any time during any lift. This can cause lower back injuries. Do not twist to get an extra rep. Don t even twist to get out of a Bench Press. Read your body and make a great decision when selecting a poundage. If you put on a weight that you are not ready for, the risk is higher for injury. Never sacrifice technique for a few extra pounds.<br> Picture 11 illustrates the Straight Leg Dead Lift. This is a top priority auxiliary exercise in the BFS Program. By purposely rounding the back, the lower back muscles can be isolated, stretched and strengthened. By strengthening these muscles, the chance of a serious lower back injury is significantly reduced and, if an injury does occur, recovery time is hastened. <br> Because the back is rounded, only light weight should be used. Advanced lifters should use no more than 40% of their Parallel Squat Max. Beginners use only 45 to 95 pounds. Keep the knees locked and go straight down in a very slow and controlled manner. <br>t the public only remembered the no-heighter. To truly redeem himself, and earn the title he so fervently desired, Dan knew he needed the Olympic gold.<br><br>Dan went on to win two more word championships before the 1996 Olympic trials came around. Once again, all eyes were on Dan, and the event they watched most closely was the pole vault.br><br> I knew it was a big deal, says Dan.  But I wasn t worried in the least. It<br>was no longer an issue for me. I <br>wasn t even worried about the trials.<br> I had one goal; that was the gold. Not the bronze, not thesilver. I knew exactly what I wanted and was countin the days to Atlanta. <br><br>He sailed through the trials. In Atlanta, he siled through the decathlon, holdingon to a steady point margin throughout each of the ten events. Dan became the first American to win the decathlon ince Bruce Jnner in 1976. His only disappointment was that he did not break hs own world record. That is a goal he is still working on.<br><br>Historic Parallels<br><br>For those who follow the sport of decathlon, the parallels between Dan s life and that of the first gold medal decathlete, Jim Thorpe, cannot be ignored. Both were born of mixed races. Both have Irish surnames. Both came from small schools and towns. They have each enjoyed immense popularity and adulation, and also humiliation. For Thorpe, stripped of his medals after a controversial decision by the governing Olympic board, redemption and restoration of those medals would occur only after his death. Dan O Brien was able to set the record straight and place his own name for all time on the list of the World s Greatest Athletes. But his story is far from finished.<br><br>Dan feels strongly that his story is one that can help inspire and fuel<br>other young athletes.  I don t try to hide from the fact that I ve made<br>mistakes; we re all only human, says Dan.  There were a lot f things in my life that could have pulled me down. I had excuses to fail but I <br>didn t let them take hold of my psyche. I knew I was a winn