Five steps to managing a training injury

Suffering from a training injury is frustrating, but for most, it is an unavoidable part of the game. The important thing is how you handle the situation and get back on track.

In today’s blog post, we’ll go through how to best navigate an injury and ensure that you recover as quickly as possible. Follow these five steps to handle the situation in the best possible way and optimize your recovery:

Don’t Panic
Assess the situation
Decide on the next step
Stay consistent and trust your body
Leave your ego at the door
Let’s get started!

Step 1: Don’t Panic

Injuries are common and happen to everyone. We’ve all been there, and it will most likely happen again at some point in life. But the important thing to remember is that the body is incredibly good at healing itself, and over time, the situation will improve.

However, how you react to the initial pain can impact your entire recovery process. If you panic and become afraid, the pain may actually feel worse. Pain is affected by many factors, and your thought patterns play a significant role in how you experience it.

Everyone experiences pain at some point in life, and in 99% of cases, it disappears within six to eight weeks. Some injuries may last longer, especially with high-intensity training, but that doesn’t mean they are serious.

Looking at the statistics of injuries during training, we see that most are relatively mild. Unless your arm is hanging loose or you have significant bleeding, the chances are high that it’s not a severe injury. However, it’s still important to stop and assess the situation for what it is.

So, the first thing you should do is take a deep breath, collect yourself, and avoid panicking.

Step 2: Assess the Situation

The next step is to objectively assess what has happened. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is any part of my body hanging loose?
• Have I received a heavy blow or blunt trauma?
• Is a joint pointed in a direction it shouldn’t be?
• Have I lost a significant amount of mobility?

These scenarios are rare, but it’s good to rule them out immediately. If any of these are true, seek medical help immediately.

However, if you have more diffuse pain, consider the following:

• What was I doing right before the pain started?
• How does the mobility in the affected area feel?
• In what movements and positions does the pain occur?
• Does anything need to be bandaged or supported?
• Should I refrain from further load right now?

Most injuries that occur in gyms or CrossFit boxes are not serious. Unless we’re talking about falls from several meters, it’s unlikely that you’ve sustained something life-threatening. Injuries from weightlifting exercises are usually a sign that it’s time to reduce the load, lower the weights, or adjust your technique.

If you’ve avoided panic and made a reasonable assessment of the situation, what do you do next?

Step 3: Decide on the Next Step

Now it’s time to make a decision. What’s the next step?

What we don’t want to do is go into a total rest mode. It’s one of the most common recommendations for injuries, but in many cases, it does more harm than good.

Let’s say you have pain in your shoulder when pressing overhead. If you completely avoid using your shoulder for a long period, the movement will feel even harder when you start again — because you never challenge it in an adapted way.

Instead, you should modify the movement by:

• Adjusting the load – Reduce the weight to see if it’s possible to perform the movement without pain.
• Adjusting the intensity – If an explosive movement hurts, try doing it slower and more controlled.
• Changing the movement pattern – If it hurts to press vertically, see if a horizontal press movement (e.g., push-ups) works better.

The most important thing is to keep moving in some way.

Research shows that training other parts of the body can promote recovery in the injured area – an effect known as “interregional dependence.” Increased blood circulation and the release of endorphins from exercise can contribute to faster recovery and better well-being.

If you have a shoulder injury, you can still train legs, core, and the other shoulder. A total break from training is rarely the best solution.

Step 4: Stay Consistent and Trust Your Body

Your body is stronger and more adaptable than you think. Humans are built to handle physical stress and adapt to new conditions.

Once you’ve assessed the situation, avoided panic, and made wise adjustments, it’s important to stay consistent. It may take time to recover, but if you keep moving and adjust your training to meet your needs, you will improve over time.

If you stop training altogether due to an injury, you risk weakening both strength and mobility throughout your body. But if you continue to train smart and adjust the load, you can maintain your progress while the body heals.

Step 5: Leave Your Ego at the Door

Now comes the hardest step – taking a step back when the body needs it.

It’s easy to want to keep pushing at the same pace as before, but ignoring your body’s signals and pushing through high pain can prolong recovery time and, in the worst case, cause long-term problems.

Instead, you should find the lowest effective dose – the load and intensity that stimulates adaptation without overloading the injured tissue.

If 100 kg hurts, try 80 kg.
If it still hurts, try 60 kg.
Keep adjusting until you find a level where you can train without making the pain worse.
Being smart and responsive to your body is what will ultimately make you stronger – not insisting on training at a level your body isn’t ready for.

Finally…

If you are unsure about your injury, always consult a doctor or healthcare professional. These five steps are guidelines for thinking about recovery, but each injury is unique and may require individual treatment.

By taking a step back when needed, adjusting your training, and staying consistent, you can ensure that you not only recover but also come back stronger than before.