How to modify sessions around painful areas to stay ON TRACK!

Welcome to this week’s newsletter!

Today we are going to discuss how to adapt and modify training sessions around common injury sites like the shoulder, low back and knee…

Whilst keeping you on track and consistent with your training.

Nothing can derail us from making progress in training than injuries and pain issues will.

The good news is we don’t have to stop training just because something is in pain, OR if a particular exercise is bothering us.

With the right modifications, we can keep moving, keep training, which can even help our body heal faster.

The key is to avoid painful exercises and anything that aggravates you.

Today, we’ll show you how to adjust your workouts for three common painful areas: The knees, shoulders, and lower back.

How to work around knee pain:

Knee pain can be common, especially when you have old injuries, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid strength training.

In fact, the right exercises can help strengthen this area and help REDUCE pain moving forwards.

What might be best to avoid (for now):

• Back squats

• Lunges

• Bulgarian squats

• Box jumps and other more “explosive” exercises

   

It may simply be that you lack control through your lower body so single leg and explosive exercises might be aggravating you at this time.

What to try instead:

• Leg extensions – When done with control and good form this exercise really helps strengthen the quads in the shortened position where they insert into the knee.

• Leg curls – The hamstrings help manage and control the knee joint during bending.

• Trap bar deadlifts – Great for building lower body strength but restricts knee flexion (knee bend) and also utilises the hip muscles too to distribute the load.

• Use a SLOW and intentional rep speed - Being slower and intentional with your movement can help manage total joint forces and mitigate pain.

Bonus tips: 

• Strengthen the hips and ankles too as the joints either side of the knee can influence knee health.

• Calf raises are a great exercise for knee health too.

• Often it helps to start your sessions with single joint exercises (leg extensions, leg curls) before multi joint exercises (squats) as helps to warm the knee joint up.

There’s not one size fits all approach so see what works for you.

How to work around shoulder pain:

Shoulder pain can certainly make upper body training tricky, but you don’t always have to skip it altogether.

What might be best to avoid (for now):

• Direct overhead pressing and pulling (shoulder press, chin ups) as many people lack the shoulder mobility to do these properly.

• Barbell bench pressing, especially coming all the way down to the chest.

• Dips or upright rows, which puts unnecessary stress on the shoulder joint.

What to try instead:

• Landmine pressing - Can be a great alternative to bench pressing and overhead pressing, its also a great unilateral exercise…

• Machine pressing variations - Allows a lot more support and guidance as you press.

• Seated cable rows and horizontal rows - Great way to train the lats and upper back without needing “to go above your head”.

• Use a SLOW and intentional rep speed - Being slower and intentional with your movement can help manage total joint forces and mitigate pain.

Bonus tips: 

• Tip the balance of your upper body training more to rowing than pressing exercises, at least a 2:1 ratio.

• Try using rowing exercises BEFORE your pressing exercises to warm the shoulder up, see how this feels.

• Don’t ignore training the supporting muscles of the shoulder such as the external rotators for longterm shoulder health.

How to work around low back pain:

Back pain is one of the most common complaints.

However smart training can actually help reduce it, and help YOU work around it.

What might be best to avoid (for now):

• Heavier barbell deadlifts or back squats ESPECIALLY if they trigger pain or pain is present.

• Abdominal crunches and variations as you might be “flexion intolerant” at this time.

• 45 degree leg presses, especially when you bring knees down too far and round your back.

What to try instead:

• Split squats and step ups with DB’s - Can be a nice alternative to barbell squats, don’t use a step too high with step ups and keep low back in neutral.

• Seated leg press machine (NOT 45 degree leg press) - Allows more support and guidance just be sure to keep low back in neutral and modify depth accordingly.

• Glute bridge and single leg glute bridges variations - Great way to train the hips and glutes with less strain on the low back - AVOID arching your low back in top the position, this is a common flaw I see.

• Bird dog & dead bug exercises – Strengthen your abdominals without needing to flex your spine if it currently aggravates you.

• Use a SLOW and intentional rep speed - Being slower and intentional with your movement can help manage total joint forces and mitigate pain (yes I am saying it again so it sinks in!).

Bonus tips: 

• Strengthen the adductor muscles with the adductor machine (or other exercise) as these muscles helps protect the lower back along with the glutes during movement

• Train the “hip hinge” using a 45 degree back extension bench.

• Keep your hips mobile and strong as they have a direct influence on your lower back.

Final thoughts…

If in ANY doubt ALWAYS go and get assessed by a well qualified trainer, physio, osteopath or similar.

And to reiterate the key is to avoid anything aggravating or painful in the gym.

I wish to add that today’s newsletter is based around empirical evidence from my 21 years as a trainer, and offers more general advice on today’s issue.

More often than not there will be also some specific reasons for why you have some pain issues, which requires an assessment.

If you want to know more about how I can assess you help you set up an exercise program that is suitable for you.

Please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn, or email me on [email protected].

For now thanks for reading today, and stay tuned for the next edition of Train For Life next Saturday!

Daryl