How to Exercise with an Injury
Injuries in the weight room can be very frustrating! One moment, you’re progressing well and feeling stronger and then all of a sudden you tweak your back, shoulder, knee, etc. And you think to yourself, “I’m gonna lose all my gains now!” I’ve been there, and it isn’t fun; however, I can assure you that you will not lose all your gains. Remember, progress is non-linear.
That being said, I want to give you some exercise guidelines and practical exercises that you can do right after you get injured in the gym.
There are 4 main things you should do AND not do when getting injured in the gym.
You should try to…Modify
Modify Exercise Routine: This is a good time to reflect on your current exercise program. Were you constantly moving up in weight? Did you progress the volume of a certain exercise too quickly? Answer these questions honestly. In the meantime, take several days to rest from the exercise that you got injured from. And try to find other exercises that target the same muscle group that doesn’t cause you pain.
Examples:
Barbell Bench → Dumbbell Bench or Machine Chest Fly
Shoulder Press → Front Dumbbell Raise or Landmine Press
Barbell Squat → Front Squat, Reverse Barbell Lunge, Split Squat Variation
Deadlift → Trap Bar Deadlift, Sumo Deadlift, Dumbbell RDL, Farmer Carry
Modify Resistance: Sometimes just lowering the weight can be all it takes to reduce pain and continue training. And to answer your questions, “No, you will not get smaller by lifting lighter weights”. You can still build muscle size by lifting lighter weights if you are still getting close to failure during each set. Try to aim for 2 “Reps in Reserve” (RIR) for each set. Meaning, if your max reps for a certain lift is 20, do 3x18 and you will get a great pump and training effect to build muscle.
Modify Range of Motion: Deeper ranges of motion may be a trigger for your pain. To work around this and allow your body to heal, you can try to modify the ROM in bench pressing by doing block pressing or isometric training at pain-free ranges. If squatting, try box squats. If Deadlifting, try block pulls.
Modify Technique: Many times, just fixing your lifting technique can make all the difference. I worked with lots of people where correcting bench, squat or deadlift technique has decreased their pain in the gym significantly. Try recording yourself and evaluating yourself to see if there are areas of improvement for technique. If you need help with this, please reach out to someone at SCOR to help!
You should not…Be Passive
Stretch the injured area: The first thing most people think to do when getting injured is to stretch! We have grown up being told that stretching is the number one thing to prevent injury and to rehab from injury. However, I advise not to stretch when you first tweak something. Most likely, the injury you have just experienced is some form of strain/sprain of a tissue. This means that stretching it even further for long durations is only going to make it more irritable. What you should do instead are gentle active mobility and isometric exercises to gently begin to load that tissue while adhering to the modifications above.
Avoid the gym: Please do not avoid exercising or going to the gym entirely. Completely resting will only harm you in the long run! Many times you are still able to work around the injury by performing different exercises that don’t cause you pain. Regular physical activity can help reduce pain and improve overall fitness and mobility which can be a great treatment for your injury. Find a physical therapist that promotes exercise during your rehab process so that you can continue to improve your overall health in the process!
Focusing on what you “can’t” do: Your attitude and beliefs can either positively or negatively impact how quickly you rehab from your injury. Having a positive attitude and being grateful for what you are able to do is a great perspective to have throughout your rehabilitation process. You will be able to bench, squat, deadlift, (insert your activity here) again but until then, trust the process and be patient.
Only use passive modalities: Unfortunately, the current state of our healthcare system is passive and reactive. I wish it were the opposite, active and preventative! There are a lot of healthcare providers out there (including PT’s) where they only provide passive treatments such as dry needling, cupping, adjustments, massages, stretches and fail to provide or educate on the importance of resistance training. Resistance training is actually going to help you make a permanent change in the tissues that are injured! And I’m not talking about clam shells and external rotation exercises. These exercises are not going to get you back under the barbell. There is a time and place for them, but if your rehab program consists of only banded exercises and some stretches for the whole 6-12 weeks, find a new provider!
So there you have it! Try your best to modify your exercise routine so that you can stay active and continue to improve your overall fitness. Avoid only choosing passive methods to recover from your injury.
If you are trying these methods on your own with no success or just need more guidance, please reach out and we would be glad to help!
At SCOR we can help you get back to what you love to do with custom rehab plans! We take your needs and goals into consideration and create a plan that is focused on the long term goal of getting you back to your sport/activity that you love! We pride ourselves in our holistic approach which consists of BOTH active and passive treatments to help build tissue capacity and reduce pain. If you are looking for one-on-one care with a PT that promotes an active approach to therapy, SCOR Performance and Recovery may be right for you!
