So you're in the gym killing it. You've been hammering away at this training program for 6 weeks and haven't deloaded. Your knee has been nagging at you and hurts every time you squat more than 135, but "No Pain, No Gain," right? You feel a pop and you rack the bar fast. Now your knee is really mad and you can barely put weight on it! Oh no! Is your lifting career over? Should you just pack it in and hang up the squat shoes?
Lucky for you, the answer is a resounding "NO!!!" Injuries happen. They are a part of athletics, especially strength sports. If you lift heavy stuff for long enough, eventually your body will give you the middle finger and something will start to hurt. But this is not the end! Nope. In fact, it's just the beginning. This week's Meathead Minute is about exactly that. What do you do now that you've hurt yourself, and how do you train around your newly acquired injury? You're going to have to do some things differently, and maybe even try out some weird stuff (like trap bar presses). In this video and in my upcoming video series about training around injuries, I'll explain why and how the most successful athletes are not the tough guys who train stubbornly through their pain and injury, but those who intelligently train around it. Head over to Facebook or YouTube and give it a watch!