"Should I push through this or stop?"
I get asked this almost every day. Most people land on one of two answers. Some grit their teeth and push through everything. Some stop the second anything hurts.
Neither one works very well.
There's a middle, and I use the same simple rule with every client and every body part. Backs, knees, shoulders, all of it. It's a traffic light.
Green: 0 to 3 out of 10
Achy. Low grade. Goes away pretty quick once you stop. Train as planned. That's fine, probably.
A little discomfort while you train isn't a sign you're hurting yourself. Tissue that's been cranky often grumbles a bit as you start loading it again. That's normal.
Yellow: 4 to 5 out of 10
Modify. Don't skip it, change it.
Less range of motion
Less weight
Slower tempo
Fewer sets
Do a little bit of it, not a lot. This is where most of the good rehab work happens. You're giving the area enough to get stronger without poking the bear.
Red: sharp, stabby, or worse set after set
Not worth it. Skip that movement for now. Temporarily. Find a version that's green or yellow and do that instead.
Pain that shoots down your leg or arm, numbness, or tingling also go in the red column. That doesn't mean panic. It means that movement isn't the one today.
The tiebreaker: tomorrow morning
The number during the set only tells you half the story. The next morning tells you the rest.
Back to your normal the next day? The session was fine, even if it was a little spicy in the moment.
Ached the rest of the day, messed with your sleep, and you woke up worse? That was too much, whatever number it was during the set. Back off a bit next time.
That's it. Two checks. During, and the next morning.
Why not just stop when it hurts?
Because pain isn't a damage meter. It's your body's alarm system, and alarms can get sensitive. Especially after an injury, or when you're stressed, sleeping badly, or doing something new.
If you stop every time the alarm makes noise, you train less. You get weaker. And the alarm gets even MORE sensitive. That's how people end up stuck in rehab purgatory for months.
There's also no award for making yourself hurt worse. Pushing through red-light pain to prove you're tough just digs a deeper hole. You can be tough and strong and disciplined AND listen to your body.
What this looks like in real life
Say your back gets cranky on deadlifts.
Conventional deadlift from the floor is a 6 out of 10. Red. Skip it today.
Trap bar from the high handles is a 3. Green. Do that instead.
Romanian deadlift is a 4 but settles between sets. Yellow. Keep it, go lighter, take a couple reps off.
Next morning you feel about the same as usual. Great. Next week, add a little.
That's pretty much how rehab works. Find the green, spend some time in the yellow, stay out of the red, and keep adding a little over time.
To recap
0 to 3 and it settles fast: green, train.
4 to 5: yellow, modify.
Sharp, shooting, or climbing set over set: red, skip it for now.
Tomorrow morning is the tiebreaker.
Pain is information, not a stop sign.
If you've been stuck on the same pain for a while and can't find your green light, that's the stuff I help people with every day. In person here in Bend, or online if you're not local.
That's all for now. Steven
Dr. Steven Dobson, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, is a physical therapist and strength coach in Bend, Oregon. He helps lifters and active people train through injuries and come back stronger.
