In my time I've been pretty lucky with regards to getting injuries.

I've been training 22 years(ish) and I've only ever had two things happen to me that have really put the brakes on my training for significant periods of time.

However, at the moment I'm struggling with a few niggles, namely some general back pain and groin tendinitis.

For me and my clients, complete rest is VERY RARELY an option as physical activity is still incredibly important whether you're injured or not.

PLUS...

rest is more often than not always an effective intervention for getting you out of pain or “curing” your injury.

In order to keep my training momentum up and still moving towards my goals, I’ve been doing the following:

1. Lowering my training volume to make things easier to adapt to, cutting out sets and even removing some exercises altogether.

You can make progress from surprisingly low training volumes, like 1-2 sets per exercise or at the very least prevent any losses in strength and muscle mass, which is what will happen if you just rest for a long enough time.

2. Dropping my intensity by reducing loads or choosing exercises that train same movement pattern but require you to use less load.

For example, swapping out heavy back squats for lighter ones, or putting in front squats instead of back squats seems to have me experiencing less pain in my groin.

3. Doing more warm up sets to create a little more fatigue prior to work sets so I can’t push as hard and desensitise my body to the discomfort.

Sometimes creating a bit of fatigue is very much a good thing - if you can reach a higher point of exertion sooner using less load... if it still results in the outcome you want (bigger, stronger, fitter) this can be very much a good thing.

4. Using alternative ways of training to still increase my physical capacity that I can tolerate.

I've been doing a lot more jumping, Olympic weightlifting variations and some cross training which means I get some training done and move me more towards my goals, even if it's just a bit more general in nature.

In short, do less of the things that hurt, more of the things that don't.

5. Ensuring my lifestyle habits align with wanting to heal and get better. More sleep, more food, less alcohol, living as low stress an existence as possible.

If you're ticking boxes outside of the gym with regards to how you're living your life, you'll often find you experience pain with a lot less severity.

Better mood from more sleep, less booze, not chronically dieting etc. likely means you'll feel better, which can only be a good thing for EVERYTHING, not just how you feel pain.

Not least, if you do have injuries and/or wounds that need to heal, there's scientific evidence to suggest that having lower stress can help heal faster also.

Remember, even if you're injured, this doesn't mean you just have to have bed rest. Get moving, however you can.

Happy training all x