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Many people believe in "No pain, No gain!" rule of thumb, especially when it comes to resistance training. However, resistance training was not really designed to be painful.
Resistance Exercise should be:
Resistance Exercise should be:
- Uncomfortable
- You should feel fatigue after your set
- You should feel a stretch on the negative
When it comes to resistance training, the old adage “No pain, no gain!” definitely does not apply. If you feel pain when you do a resistance training exercise, here’s what I suggest you try:
- See if moving through a smaller range of motion eliminates the pain.
- Modify your body position as this will place stress on your joints and muscles differently, hopefully eliminating the pain.
- Decrease the amount of weight or intensity of the exercise, this will place less physical strain on your muscles and joints.
If you feel pain during a resistance training exercise, you must first determine if it is the normal discomfort and fatigue that is experienced with resistance training, or if it is your body letting you know that it does not like whatever movement it is that you are performing. Contrary to popular belief, resistance training should never cause pain, so if you are experiencing pain during a particular exercise, try modifying your position, decreasing the range of motion, or decreasing the intensity or weight being lifted until pain is no longer felt. If modifyng your position and decreasing the range of motion and/or amount of weight of the exercise does not eliminate the pain, then stop doing the exercise! There are endless exercise variations that you can do that will allow you to get a great workout, without putting unncessary strain on your body. If changing the exercise altogether does not eliminate the pain, then it you should seek the proper attention and guidance of a qualified medical professional to rule out any minor or serious injuries.
You should immediately stop any exercise if you feel sharp pain in the muscles or joints. (You should also stop if you feel dizzy or light headed.) If you are feeling somewhat fatigued muscularly, but you are still breathing easily and your technique is good, try to get in a few more repetitions, even if you decrease the workload.
It depends on the type of pain you are experiencing. If it is muscle fatigue then thats one thing, if its sharp pain, limiting your motion or causing dysfunction you should discuss with a qualified health practitioner about your training program. Many times experiencing pain with resistance training is either due to a muscle imbalance of either anterior/posterior or rotational stability, or its due to some type of restriction or instability in the joint that you are working with.
If you feel any pain during exercising, stop and consult your doctor.
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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.