Training Through Injury
Training through injuries requires a few things:
The response of too many people when incurring an injury is that since their training can no longer be exactly what they want and need, they might as well give up.
Forgive my bluntness, but what a stupid, weak attitude.
There are an infinite number of ways to work around any injury short of full body paralysis. There are guys and gals with no arms or legs climbing mountains, and you’re going to quit and go mope around on the couch for 3 months because you sprained your wrist?
Eliminate what aggravates the injury or creates too much risk of re-injury.
Do an inventory of your current weaknesses, and use this as an opportunity to focus on them if possible now that you have more time and resources to invest in them.
Wherever possible, come up with substitutes for the desired exercises that can’t be performed that achieve effects as similar as possible—this may just be modifications to the exercise itself, or completely different exercises. Look at purpose and effect rather than movement and position.
Otherwise, figure out ANYTHING that will keep you active and in the gym. The biggest mistake you can make is staying away from training and that environment—that’s a guaranteed way to kill your enthusiasm.
Reflect and understand your true motivation for training—that doesn’t change when you’re injured. You just lose sight of it through frustration, reduced engagement, less visible progress, and the resulting loss of enthusiasm.
Quit crying about it and being a victim, and actively pursue ways to solve the new problems.
- Creativity
- Adaptability
- Motivation
The response of too many people when incurring an injury is that since their training can no longer be exactly what they want and need, they might as well give up.
Forgive my bluntness, but what a stupid, weak attitude.
There are an infinite number of ways to work around any injury short of full body paralysis. There are guys and gals with no arms or legs climbing mountains, and you’re going to quit and go mope around on the couch for 3 months because you sprained your wrist?
Eliminate what aggravates the injury or creates too much risk of re-injury.
Do an inventory of your current weaknesses, and use this as an opportunity to focus on them if possible now that you have more time and resources to invest in them.
Wherever possible, come up with substitutes for the desired exercises that can’t be performed that achieve effects as similar as possible—this may just be modifications to the exercise itself, or completely different exercises. Look at purpose and effect rather than movement and position.
Otherwise, figure out ANYTHING that will keep you active and in the gym. The biggest mistake you can make is staying away from training and that environment—that’s a guaranteed way to kill your enthusiasm.
Reflect and understand your true motivation for training—that doesn’t change when you’re injured. You just lose sight of it through frustration, reduced engagement, less visible progress, and the resulting loss of enthusiasm.
Quit crying about it and being a victim, and actively pursue ways to solve the new problems.
