Jul 30, 2024
Tackling Tweaks: Don't Catastrophize
You're lifting, all is going well, then suddenly you feel pain.
What do you do? How do you handle this? Why me, why now!?
It can be easy to catastrophize, to immediately assume the worst.
The reality is, your workout may be over, it may not be, you may be able to do something. You want to do what you can do, and most tweaks may affect one or two workouts but will have a quick return to normal.
Tackling Tweaks: Step-by-Step
Andrew & Niki break down how Niki dealt with a recent adductor tweak and how this can apply to similar situations for you.
- Evaluate for red flags
- Calm down
- Check for range of motion
- Incrementally start loading it
The first two steps may be interchangeable, but first check in with your body. Do you feel tingling? Is there bruising or swelling? Is it unilateral or bilateral? If you feel tingling or see bruising or swelling, it is more than a tweak.
Depending on how you are feeling, you may need to calm down. This may involve sitting or walking around.
Check for range of motion. Move into a position of discomfort and see if it gets better or worse. Stop if it gets worse.
Then, assuming you encounter no red flags, begin to load incrementally. It is probably a good idea to do the movement slow and controlled - maybe a tempo variation with a pause. You may adjust the movement to limit the involvement of the muscle that hurts.
Winning may look like getting some movement done - it will likely not look like getting the programmed workout done.
Tackling tweaks does not have to be terrifying. Learn how.
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