Training Around Injuries: What To Do When Something Hurts
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Training Around Injuries: What To Do When Something Hurts
Injuries happen.
Whether it is a niggle in your shoulder, a bad back flare up, or your knee playing up every time you squat, it is part of training for most people at some point.
The problem is not the injury itself.
The problem is how most people respond to it.
They either stop training completely or push through it like an idiot and make it worse.
Neither is a good option.
If your goal is fat loss, strength, and staying consistent long term, you need to learn how to train around injuries properly.
First Things First: Not All Pain Is Equal
Before we go any further, there is a difference between:
General soreness or stiffness
A minor niggle
An actual injury
If something feels sharp, gets worse as you train, or is affecting your day to day life, you should get it checked by a physio.
That is common sense.
But a lot of people stop training completely for things they could easily work around.
Stopping Completely Is Usually The Worst Option
Unless you are seriously injured, doing nothing is rarely the best move.
Why?
Because when you stop training:
You lose strength
You lose fitness
You lose routine
You lose momentum
And for most people, once they fall out of routine, getting back in is the hardest part.
We see this all the time. A small injury turns into 3 months off, which turns into starting again from scratch.
The Goal: Train Around It, Not Through It
There is a big difference.
Training through an injury means ignoring pain and hoping for the best.
Training around it means adjusting things so you can still make progress without making it worse.
That might mean:
Changing exercises
Reducing load
Adjusting range of motion
Slowing things down
Focusing on different muscle groups
You do not need to be perfect. You just need to keep moving forward.
Real Example: From Injury To 140kg Squat
This is exactly how this looks in real life.
One of our powerlifting clients, Beth, came to us struggling with a knee and quad injury that left her unable to properly bend one of her knees.
At that point, squatting properly was not even an option.
Most people would either stop training completely or try to push through it and make things worse.
Instead, we took a different approach.
We let the area settle down first, rather than constantly aggravating it. But that did not mean stopping training.
We kept her training consistently with:
Upper body work
Glutes
Hamstrings
So she stayed strong, kept momentum, and did not feel like she was starting from zero.
Once the injury had settled, we moved into a gradual reloading phase.
That meant:
Lighter weights
Reduced range of motion
Controlled tempo
Addressing weaker areas that likely contributed to the issue
Over time, we slowly rebuilt things rather than rushing it.
Across a 3 month off season and a 3 month comp prep, we progressively increased both range of motion and load.
No shortcuts, no ego lifting, just consistent progression.
The result?
She went on to squat 140kg in competition, completely pain free.
That is what training around an injury properly looks like.
Practical Examples
Whilst the hurt area is settling down
Bad Knee?
You might avoid:
Deep barbell squats
Lunges if they aggravate it
But you can still do:
Leg press within a comfortable range
Hamstring work
Glute bridges
Upper body training
Shoulder Issue?
You might avoid:
Heavy pressing
Overhead work
But still train:
Lower body
Core
Pain free pulling movements
Lighter, controlled upper work
Lower Back Niggle?
You might avoid:
Heavy deadlifts
High fatigue circuits
But still do:
Machine based work
Core stability
Controlled tempo exercises
Walking, cycling, general activity
Something Is Always Trainable
This is the mindset shift most people need.
Even if one area is limited, there is always something you can train.
You can still:
Burn calories
Maintain muscle
Stay in routine
Keep your head right
That last one matters more than people think.
Adjust Expectations, Not Effort
You might not hit PBs when you are dealing with an injury.
That is fine.
This phase is about maintaining progress, not chasing it aggressively.
Think of it as damage control rather than optimisation.
Stay consistent, stay sensible, and you will come out the other side far quicker than if you stopped completely.
Long Term Thinking Wins
The people who get the best results are not the ones who have perfect, uninterrupted training blocks.
They are the ones who:
Stay consistent through setbacks
Adapt when things go wrong
Do not let small issues turn into long breaks
Injuries are part of the process.
How you handle them is what separates people who make progress from those who keep starting over.
Final Thought
You do not need perfect conditions to make progress.
You just need to keep showing up and adjust when needed.
If you can learn to train around injuries properly, you remove one of the biggest things that stops people getting results.
Want Help Training Safely Around Injuries?
If you are dealing with a niggle or injury and not sure what you should or should not be doing, this is exactly what we help with inside our semi private coaching.
We adapt everything around you so you can keep progressing without making things worse.
👉 https://www.one-fitness.co.uk/semi-private
