I'm Hurt! But I Still Want to Go to the Gym....

This has happened to all of us I'll guarantee it.

Just another day at the gym, doing some dead lifts, squats, just a normal routine. Then..BAM, you feel it, the devil injected you with some sort of needle from hell. Hurts doesn't it? But do you stop lifting? Of course not..

I saw a kid get smacked in the face with a BARBELL, he went and got some ice, then continued lifting as if his face wasn't swelling and turning the color of a grape. I probably would of done the same thing, most men would, or women for that matter (no sexism here!). This type of stuff..I'm not against at all, theres a high risk he's not going to do anything else to his face (we hope) and will be able to finish his workout. There's no gain without pain..even if that's not the type of pain being referenced for that saying.

Now..a few weeks ago I was deadlifting (a little too much) and failed 2 times in a row while attempting the lift and as I put the weight down I felt that needle from hell in my back. It hurt, hurt like a (insert curse word of choice), but I continued my lift and struggled through it. What should I of done? I should of went home and rested, but I didn't, that just who I am. I hate missing gym days and if you're dedicated, you do too. Sometimes though, you HAVE to understand what your body needs. After I tweaked my back, I took a day off and moved my next back day two days later than I usually do to give my back ample time to rest. I also took some ibuprofen to help with the small pain I had left when doing other exercises that weren't back related. If something hurt, I stayed away from it, simple as that. I didn't want to turn pain into an injury that would take weeks/months to recover instead of a few days.

The main point here is this:

• If you get hurt, give yourself REST, take a day or two off, your body needs it.
• Don't push yourself and tell yourself the injury isn't serious, because it is.
• Don't follow Rule #2 and you'll find yourself with more than a tweaked back (slipped disk, etc).

I understand how hard it is to miss a gym day, but we have to think in the LONG TERM here not the short term. Rest your body, let it heal, the gym will still be there when you're healed.

Have a beautiful day :)