Train Through Injuries

Train Through Injuries

Nobody’s perfect. No matter how good your form or how small your ego is, there comes a time when every guy hurts himself in the gym. The important thing to know is how to train around the injury while encouraging it to heal properly. Marc Megna, a fitness model and strength coach for Bommarito Performance Systems in Aventura, FL, offers this advice.


1. Identify the Problem


“You need to make a clear diagnosis of the injury,” Megna says. “An overuse injury in the joint usually needs rest, while pain in the muscle may require blood flow to help the tissue heal.” When in doubt, see a doc for an official verdict.


2. Take an Angle


If the pain is in the joint, then rest it. But you may find that doing a variation of the exercise that hurt you— simply from a different angle—will allow you to train pain-free. If the pain is muscular, you can switch up exercises and angles or just reduce the load you’re using. Training through certain situations may be beneficial because exercising will flush blood (filled with nutrients) into the area and speed recovery.


3. Use Partial Ranges


Sometimes only part of the range of motion for an exercise causes discomfort. A squat might aggravate your hip in the bottom position, but the top three quarters of the movement might feel OK. “Limiting the range of motion will still create blood flow and allow you to train the same movement while avoiding further injury,” Megna says.


4. Stay Positive


Be committed to your recovery and look on the bright side. “Whether you have to do rehab, RICE [rest, ice, compression, and elevation], or active recovery, be diligent and approach it with enthusiasm, regardless of your setback,” Megna says. “Your attitude will play a huge role in the recovery process.”