Toughen Up

[paul]

Does anyone else think that more people on this forum need to get a little tougher? I see all these posts about a little tiny pain on a part of their body. Knee, shoulder, back, etc. Usually they say that it started the day before. So what?! It's good that you're looking out for yourself, but these little pains are just going to be part of lifting. You should know what you can work through and what you shouldn't and most of the things I see asked about here are things you can work through. Tough it out, because odds are the pain is nothing and it'll be gone in a few days. I'm not trying to be an asshole here, but come on just toughen up!

Here are some things all you guys can do to avoid pain or make pain feel better:
mobility work
fix form
fix supporting muscles (muscles around scapula, etc)
glute activation (for low back pain)
pump some blood through the area (band pressdowns for elbow pain, etc)
foam roll the muscles around the area very well (it actually works very well)

Now I'm no expert at fixing your pain and I certainly don't know everything, but I do know that we need to toughen up for these little pains. Until next time, good lifting.

[Rugger]

I'm going to have to agree with you Paul. I've found that injuries just come with the territory, and this is especially true once you start getting into heavier weights. If you are squatting and deadlifting heavy and frequently, you are going to have sore knees and a sore back from time to time, it's just a reality of strength training.

Most of the time I find that just continuing to train through the minor stuff causes it to go away in week or so. If anything is too severe to train at 100% on, then I consider it an opportunity to deload and work on form. Everything heals eventually.

[bluestreak]

I agree with you guys but we need to keep in mind that of the people on the forum are new to lifting and/or haven't done any physical activity in ages so it's not surprising. As time goes by they will either learn how to avoid/resolve injuries and toughen up or just go away. In the meantime, it's best to continue offering our support. We need more lifters in society!

[mjh]

It's one of the learning curves that comes with taking up weight lifting. When is pain just soreness? Do I have an honest to goodness injury or did I just tweak something? I know from experience that you do need to push through pain (my example is my knees: never had any improvement until I decided to stop "protecting them" and stopping at every twinge).

However, I'd be as careful with prescribing "just work through it" as much as I would with "stop lifting until it's better". As OP suggested... get proactive with soreness, injuries etc. Mobility work especially will improve your quality of life, whether you're lifting or otherwise.

[eLvarouza]

Great advice for some, detrimental for others. I'd guess that a large number of people who complain about injuries or whatever have issues due to poor form. While you do recommend to fix form, someone coming here with knee pain during squats for example can be told to shove their knees out, which is a common error.

So yes, I agree, but with new lifters some degree of caution should be used, or at least skepticism when hearing about injuries, but nowhere near enough so that everything is pussified.

[Rugger]

It's one of the learning curves that comes with taking up weight lifting. When is pain just soreness? Do I have an honest to goodness injury or did I just tweak something? I know from experience that you do need to push through pain (my example is my knees: never had any improvement until I decided to stop "protecting them" and stopping at every twinge).

Very true, one of the most important things in weight training is learning the difference between good pain and bad pain.

[KIB]

And don't forget about the mixed demographics on this forum.
I've "worked through" and "sucked up" a lot of pain in my time, but I didn't start lifting weights till I turned 40. As much as I hate to admit it, my body is different now from what it was when I rode my mountain bike on the summit of Mt. Fuji at 25 years old. I want to be walking properly with my own knees and back when I'm 80, so I'm tuned right the hell in to what kind of pain can be tolerated and what kind is sending me a message to back off.

[javanek]

Depends on the pain. Joint pain, figure out what's wrong, whether it's form or whatever. Fix it before you go on. Even if that means dropping weight. Obvious injury, same as joint pain, but see your doctor. Miscellaneous my [whatever] started hurting, suck it up. Of course your triceps hurt after dips or push ups until you get used to them. Quads hurt after squats means you actually did some work. I agree most of the complaints are 'I haven't ever worked out before and now I'm sore' or something along those lines. For those things, it's normal, get used to it, get back to the weights tomorrow. I just hate to think of someone with a blown rotator grinding out OHPs and their shoulder joint trying to 'suck it up.' Especially us older guys who haven't been out of the desk chair since the turn of the millennium. Can't afford to break myself now.

[KIB]

Depends on the pain. Joint pain, figure out what's wrong, whether it's form or whatever. Fix it before you go on. Even if that means dropping weight. Obvious injury, same as joint pain, but see your doctor. Miscellaneous my [whatever] started hurting, suck it up. Of course your triceps hurt after dips or push ups until you get used to them. Quads hurt after squats means you actually did some work. I agree most of the complaints are 'I haven't ever worked out before and now I'm sore' or something along those lines. For those things, it's normal, get used to it, get back to the weights tomorrow. I just hate to think of someone with a blown rotator grinding out OHPs and their shoulder joint trying to 'suck it up.' Especially us older guys who haven't been out of the desk chair since the turn of the millennium. Can't afford to break myself now.

That's the trueness.

[S235JR]

So right!

To know when to stop can be hard though..

[tenkev]

I don't know if I agree with the advice. I would have before my most recent injury; but, I just toughed it out and kept working out and all that did was turn a small little pain in my back that would have gone away in a few days into something much, much worse that is taking forever to heal.

[Tresbien]

I don't agree with the advice either. I am going to say that most people here recognize soreness as soreness and not an injury. If your body is experiencing real pain, it's because something's wrong. I've worked out with sore muscles, bruises, etc., but if it's something like a nagging pain that doesn't go away after a few days you should probably get checked up.

[javanek]

Tresbian and Tenkev, I see both of your points, but I have to disagree about one issue. The vast majority of posts regarding injuries are not really injuries per se. They are aches and pains due to either muscle fatigue or bad form. In my previous post I did point out that if it is a real injury (pulled muscle, ligament, joint injury) stop and fix it. No matter where or how it started. But in a great number of posts it tends to follow the template of my [whatever] started hurting after doing [exercise] yesterday. That is probably not an injury. No one would or is suggesting that if you have strained your back to do more deadlifts and shut up about it. But I'm sorry if your forehead hurts after doing pushups or if you have an ingrown hair and cleans irritate it, toughen up. Almost as irritating as reading 'I don't like X exercise, what else can I do to replace it?' Suck it up and do them. Or quit. Your choice.

I know both of you know the difference. Unfortunate fact is that in lifting you will have some injuries and with some you just have to avoid making it worse and keep moving forward. Those that require you to stop doing something, well, stop doing it until it heals.

[amaeland]

it can be very hard to know when working out will ease a pain or make it worse. The best you can do, in my opinion, is to be in tune with your body and push boundaries carefully (but regularly).

[Jim Slade]

It's easy to tell if you're injured or not one type of pain feels good, like you've accomplished something, the other type just hurts. Either way you have to go on, what choice do you have you wouldn't want to be weak like a normal person.