Your Body Is Functional
Are you dysfunctional?
Here's a tactic to get people to buy something.
Tell them there is something wrong, like a "dysfunction". Then make yourself sound smart and sell a "solution".
Your body is not dysfunctional. It is functioning exactly the way it is supposed to. Even when it is not functioning optimally.
Here's an example: Limping.
You can observe someone limping and assume they sprained an ankle, or hurt their knee. Or that they have a blister. Or are recovering from a surgery.
Are they dysfunctional? Not at all. Limping is a normal response to address the current situation. Should you limp forever? Nope.
There are plenty of things fitness and health gurus will promote as dysfunctions.
Posture
Alignment
Limp length
Shoulder height
Walking gait
What you eat
How you sleep
...
The list is endless.
Want to improve the way your body functions? Amazing. Love that for you.
But don't let someone else feed you a bullshit narrative that you are dysfunctional and that you need some product or program to be fixed.
Disclaimer: This post is about categorizing normal things as dysfunctional. There are certain things that need to be addressed by medical professionals.
I Have Insurance. Why Would I Work With A Coach?
The case for coaches on your rehab team.
I like sports so here's a sports analogy.
Rehab is best accomplished with a team approach.
Your doctor, physiotherapist, chiropractor or (insert registered rehabilitation profession); they are like the head coach.
They have a lot of responsibilities. They are extremely knowledgeable and have a unique set of skills that put them in the position of head coach. But their resources, especially time, can be limited. When they have a big team they can not spend multiple hours a week with every single person on the team. They would get burnt out.
A fitness professional who is educated in the rehabilitation realm, is like the assistant coach. They are more involved in the day to day activities. They have the time to make changes in coordination with the guidance of the head coach. They also develop the entire athlete or client, not just the problems (pain, etc) that have already been identified. They communicate with the head coach to inform them on the progress of the athlete, so that adjustments and further care can be provided.
Without the assistant coach, the head coach could have athletes (clients) who are struggling to progress. Maybe they are struggling with accountability. Maybe they are struggling to maintain an active lifestyle in their rehab.
Without the head coach, the assistant coach could hit roadblocks that become out of their scope. Maybe it's its a treatment or diagnosis they are not qualified to provide. Maybe it's knowledge about a particular issue.
When working together, fitness professionals and health care providers can all succeed. And more importantly the client succeeds.
So yes, if you have insurance you don't need to also work with a coach to solve your problem. But with a good team, I believe it to be a results multiplier that gets you a better return on your investment. Especially if you want to live an active lifestyle.
It Runs In The Family
Is pain a problem in your family?
“My back always hurts, it runs in the family”
Just because grandma Sally had back pain, doesn’t mean that you are destined to as well.
Unless you believe that you are.
If you believe that pain is inevitable due to age, genetics, etc, you will increase your likelihood of experiencing pain.
Pain doesn’t need to occur after a particular incident. It would be great if it was that simple.
Your beliefs influence your pain.
You are not grandma Sally.
You have the ability to change your beliefs.
You have the ability to change your pain.
Solutions Without Information
Have you been offered a solution without that person knowing anything about you?
A proposed solution without information is not a solution. It’s a guess.
This story comes from a Facebook group of a very popular CrossFit programming company.
Someone posted that they had developed tendinitis in their elbows during the 13-week strict pulling cycle that they had just completed (as per the group programming). They were looking for advice.
The first comment is from a coach and gym owner.
“Smash scapula with lacrosse ball leaning on the wall, don’t do any movements that are more than a 5/10 for pain. Don’t take anti-inflammatories. Don’t ice. Do get a voodoo band and then message me when you get it”.
So far the only information from the person experiencing pain is that they just did 13 weeks of strict pulling. They say they have tendinitis. We do not know if that is a diagnosis from a professional or a self-diagnosis.
There is very little information.
So I ask this coach why he chose the scapula. I thought it was a more professional question than my alternative of “why are providing solutions without knowing what the problem is”.
The answer: “Anatomically I can’t tell you. I just know that where this is pain it’s often upstream or downstream causing it.
So what is NOT downstream from the elbow? The scapula.
But he’s going to send me some magical video of how to “fix” elbow tendonitis. I’m really looking forward to it.
To offer advice you need information.
Without information, anything is a guess. Guesses have a low likelihood of success. It’s ok to not know.
Information that would be beneficial:
What was their training volume like before the 13-week cycle? Especially with pulling movements.
Is the pain isolated at the elbow? Anything in the shoulder or wrist? Does it get better or worse with activity?
Do they have the mobility to get into the positions they need for the movements they want to do? Especially in the shoulder and wrist.
Any previous injury history?
What is their recovery like? How much do they sleep? What is their stress like?
These are only a few questions. There are plenty of others that could come up with a potential client.
Listen first. Get the information.
We Are Doing It Wrong
Training should not consist of pain.
If you are consistently working out in pain we are doing it wrong.
Maybe it’s the volume.
Maybe it’s the intensity.
Maybe it’s the technique.
Maybe what we are doing isn’t addressing your problems.
Maybe what we are doing isn’t the best path for you at this time.
I say “we” very intentionally.
Because it’s not only the responsibility of the client/athlete/member.
It’s also the responsibility of the coach/gym/program.
It should be a team effort. With all parties held accountable.
You do not need to tolerate pain.
Fitness should augment your life. Not leave you in pain.
Pain Isn’t Funny
Is pain a laughing matter?
If you have been dealing with pain for weeks, months or even years, it’s not funny anymore.
Sure there are videos all over the internet of painful experiences that could be objectively funny. Search for fail videos and I’m sure you will find a good laugh. That’s not the pain I’m referring to.
Consistent pain is not funny.
Maybe it’s the pain you feel when you walk up steps.
Maybe it’s the pain you feel in your wrist when you are at work.
Maybe it’s the pain you feel when you deadlift.
This pain can be addressed. Unfortunately laughing is not the answer.
It takes a coach and/or clinician willing to listen instead of laugh.
Low Back Sore After You Deadlift?
Are deadlifts the problem?
Does deadlifting leave you with low back soreness the next day?
Deadlifts get a bad reputation for low back pain and soreness.
I often hear things like “I deadlifted yesterday and now my low back is sore, I must have done something wrong with my technique”.
Sure it’s possible that your technique could have been improved, maybe recruiting other areas of your body to assist you. Maybe leading to less soreness.
But soreness also doesn’t need to be bad. We don’t always want to be sore, but soreness is a normal response to training, including with deadlifts. I have yet to hear “My biceps are sore from pullups yesterday, I must have done something wrong with my technique”.
Deadlifts are a posterior chain exercise (back half of your body). Your low back is included in that. While we want your glutes and hamstrings driving the majority of the activity, your low back is absolutely involved.
Here are some things you could look at that could influence that soreness:
Recovery: How has your sleep and nutrition been? Are you adequately fueling your body? Were you giving yourself adequate rest between sets?
Training loads: Did you increase your training loads to volumes that your body has not experienced yet?
Movement quality: Was your movement quality better at different weights or reps?
Areas of strength: Is your low back simply not as strong as other areas of your body? Maybe it just needs time to catch up.
Soreness is normal and ok. It doesn’t need to stop us from progressing.
No Pain No Gain
Do you need to go through pain to get results?
No pain, no gain.
This sentence is on the All Star team for dumbest sayings about exercise. It's up for MVP.
It implies that to see progress you need to feel pain. That it’s inevitable.
It started in 1982 with Jane Fonda. She would say things like “no pain, no pain” and “feel the burn”. It’s led to some people thinking that we need to push past muscle fatigue and that delayed onset muscle soreness is the sign of an effective workout.
It’s been frequently mentioned in high level sports and athletics.
And it’s seeped into everyday life and gym culture.
And it’s false.
To see progress in your training in the gym, pain is not needed. Sure you want to challenge yourself. That is important. But there is a big difference between challenging and painful.
What Comes First? Pain Or Posture?
Is posture the source of your pain? Or is your posture the result of pain?
This is a chicken or egg scenario.
Did you get injured because of your posture?
Or is your posture because of an injury?
This concept comes from @greglehman. He originally mentioned the thought process from leg injuries.
Basic idea is that people start to limp due to a lower limb injury. They don’t get a lower leg injury from limping.
So why do you have the posture that you have?
Maybe it’s because you’ve adapted to a specific way of moving.
Or maybe it’s because of a response to an event, and your body has now adopted a new position (or posture) in response to it.
Do You Need To Fix Your Posture?
Is your posture wrong?
This is a question I hear a fair amount. It’s often brought up as a source and cause for pain.
What is good posture for you?
Why do you believe your current posture to be the problem? How have you isolated that to be the main cause?
In 1952, a standard reference for posture was created for what would be considered a normal posture. 2000 people were evaluated for their posture.
The “normal” posture was created using an ideal from the 2000 people, not from the average postures observed. Meaning of the 2000 people, none of them demonstrated what was considered to be a “normal” posture. They were all abnormal by their own definition of normal.
That was 1952.
There are now multiple sources of research showing that postures often viewed as bad (like forward neck posture) are not independent causes of pain. @aaron_kubal has multiple posts on the topic.
So does your posture need to be fixed? (being “fixed” is an issue on it’s own).
Or could you just benefit from more variety and movement?
Overuse is a thing. It can happen in many areas of your body. Maybe you could use some more variety in your positions to let things calm down.
Feeling Good Isn’t Enough
Does rehab stop when you feel good?
Rehab doesn’t end when the pain stops.
I’ve been that coach that heard someone was pain free after an injury and let them load a barbell with pre-injury weights. That’s not who I am now.
You strained your hamstring playing soccer on the weekend.
You are eager to get back to what you normally do in the gym. You want to get back to deadlifting, squatting, running and anything else your workout could bring. And of course you want to get back to playing soccer.
You are in pain so you go to get some rehab work done. Maybe that’s physiotherapy, maybe it’s chiropractic, maybe it’s massage therapy. Through a combination of manual therapy techniques you are able to be pain free, which is fantastic!
You can go through your day pain free now. You are back in the gym doing your normal activities.
So are you done? Are you back to 100%?
The healing time of a muscle strain can range from 1 week-6 months. Maybe you feel great at 4 weeks but your tissue healing still needs more time.
You need more time to heal and a graded return to sport or activity. You need measurables to assess your strength levels relative to your pre-injury state. This likely doesn’t happen by feeling pain free and then jumping in on a fitness class and going 100%. But this can happen with a team approach in your rehab (that includes knowledgeable coaches).
Rehab doesn’t need to be an endless loop. You don’t need to always bounce between injured and pain free.
It may take more time than you want it to. But the results will last longer too.
You Get What You Tolerate
Are you too tolerant?
If you are consistently experiencing pain when working out this post may be for you.
You’ve been working out consistently for years. You love it, it's an important part of your life.
But there has always been a movement that has caused you pain.
Maybe it’s running, maybe it’s squatting, maybe it’s deadlifting.
You have always pushed through the pain. You’ve tried rest, you’ve tried ice, you’ve tried some exercises you found on youtube.
Nothing has been the solution.
So you continue on, tolerating the pain.
Eventually your pain tolerance even increases. But you are still in pain.
You need someone to ask some important questions.
Are you over-stressing your body?
Do you have some restrictions that could affect those painful movement patterns?
Are there factors outside of the gym that influence your pain?
These questions (and more) will lead to a better path towards solving your problem.
Training with a small amount of discomfort or pain can sometimes be appropriate. This is why I give specific pain tolerance directions for my clients that are specific to the issue we are trying to solve. Sometimes it’s below a 4/10 for perceived pain. Other times it could be to move in 100% pain free ranges of motion.
But if we are only ever experiencing pain, with no positive changes, then we need to find a different path.
Moving Poorly
When is it ok to move poorly?
PSA: If you have been going to the gym and are currently experiencing pain with certain movement patterns this post is likely not for you. But I may still be able to help you. Just in a different way.
For anyone who is inexperienced in exercising or maybe even have never exercised before:
I would rather you move poorly than not move at all.
This isn’t to say that you should put 300lbs on a barbell and have at it.
This is about the fear of movement.
The fitness industry can be so polarizing saying that certain movements will cause you pain.
Or that you need to move a certain way. And it can lead to people being afraid of starting what could be an extremely fulfilling process.
But here’s our reality: so many people are not moving. And so many of the claims that people read and hear are not true.
Move. It’s good for you. With proper progression and activities you enjoy, you will feel better.
Maybe your knees move in different ways when you squat.
Maybe your back rounds a bit when you deadlift.
Maybe your arms don’t lock out when you press.
When you are new to movement, I am ok with all of those things.
This isn’t to say that we aren’t going to try to improve how we move.
But not a single person is perfect. It would be absurd for a coach to expect movement to be perfect.
Not sure where to start? Let’s chat.
Workouts Should Improve Your Pain
Train to improve your pain, not cause it.
Your workouts should leave you feeling better.
Yes they should be challenging. Yes they should require effort.
But they should not make you experience more pain.
They should improve it.
If your workouts are leaving you in additional pain, something needs to change.
If your knees start to hurt while running, your back starts to hurt squatting, or your shoulders start to hurt with pushups, then something needs to change.
This isn’t to say that pain is bad. Pain will happen. You can train with pain. But thresholds are important.
If your pain starts at 4/10, we want to keep it there, or even better improve it.
Worse is not better.
If your workouts are leaving you in more pain here are some steps you can take.
1. Find a coach who can assess how you move and evaluate what your training is like. Maybe you have some areas of your body that could use some additional attention in your training. Or maybe you have some things that you have been doing too much of and you need a break.
2. Prioritize your recovery. This includes sleep and nutrition.
3. Listen to your body. Maybe you start a workout using a 20 pound weight, but your pain worsens. Try a lighter weight, see if that feels better.
Weight ≠ Pain
Is weight the source of pain?
You’ve been dealing with back pain. It’s been on and off for years.
You’ve been told you should lose weight.
But is it your weight?
That person that told you to lose weight, do they know that you’ve been trying with little success, and are still dealing with back pain?
That person did they assume you needed to lose weight based on your BMI? The Body Mass Index was created by a mathematician in the 1800s who knew little about weight loss. Can we stop using dated information?
That person who told you to lose weight, did they assess how your body moves and the tasks you want to be able to do pain-free?
There are so many possibilities for why someone could be experiencing pain.
Let's say you start to make some changes. Maybe you do it by eating different foods, maybe in different quantities. Maybe you start sleeping more. Maybe you start to exercise more. You start strengthening your body.
Those can all be great achievements.
So was your weight the sole reason you were experiencing pain? I really doubt it.
Maybe you stopped experiencing pain because you improved your body's strength and tolerance to activities. Maybe it was because you fuelled your body more optimally and improved your recovery.
It wasn’t your weight. No one can be sure of that as a cause and no one should shame you or place blame on your weight. You are more than a number on a scale. People need to acknowledge that.
So how would I address that pain?
We would assess your current abilities.
We would assess your current lifestyle (sleep, stress, work, nutrition)
We would identify the low-hanging fruit that is limiting you. (It’s probably not the weight)
We customize your training to get you the results that you have been looking for.
Pain can be complicated. Training and your path to results doesn’t need to be.
What’s Your Roadblock?
What’s your roadblock? Is it pain or weight?
What is the thing that is holding you back from the results you so badly want?
You’ve set a goal, but something has gotten in the way.
Maybe your goal is weight loss.
That’s great! Totally support it, assuming it is healthy and you are doing it for you, and not to please others.
So is your problem weight loss?
Maybe you love working out.
Maybe you eat quality foods.
Maybe you get good amounts of sleep.
But you are dealing with physical pain that is causing you to take breaks in your training, derailing your progress in the gym.
When you have to take breaks from the gym, it throws off your routine. You start eating differently. Your sleep is disrupted. Your stress levels rise. Your weight increases.
So is the problem weight loss?
Or is your roadblock physical pain?
I’d say it’s pain.
Address that and we get you back on track towards your goals.