“If it hurts don’t do it” is terrible advice.
Have you ever done anything that “hurt” and instead of avoiding it, you justified it by calling it “the good kind of pain”?
We all have. So that begs the question, how do you decide the “good pain” from the “bad pain”?
Sometimes, the “good pain” is exactly what you need in order to get yourself feeling better.
Here are some things to consider.
1. On a scale 1-10 with 10 being Braveheart style torture, is it higher or lower than 5.0? If it is lower than a 5.0, it might be smart to work through it.
2. Does it get better or worse as the set goes on? If it gets better, rest is likely the worse thing for you.
3. Does the pain go away as soon as you stop? If it does, then it’s unlikely that you are doing any damage. You need to work through it.
4. Do you have increased pain 24-48 hours after your workout? If you don’t then you have nothing to worry about! Keep going!
Yes, this is hard to do yourself without guidance from a coach, it can be a bit scary.
You will want to be calculated and intentional with:
– How many reps you do.
– How much weight you use.
– What tempos you employ.
– How many sets you do.
– The frequency of exposure.
If this is speaking to you and you can attack those things, have at it! If you could use a little help with those things, reach out and ask for some help!
Remember, you can get out of pain, you are not broken and you are more powerful than you think!
Written by: Cory Buerck