Is your gym workout training the right muscles or causing you pain?
If you're heading to the gym four, five or even six days a week, you're probably putting a lot of effort into your training. But what happens when your hard work starts coming with lower back pain, neck pain or shoulder pain?
Recently, I've seen a few clients who are training regularly but have started experiencing pain during or after their workouts.
When we look at what they're doing in the gym, one of the things we often discuss is exercise technique, load and which muscles are actually doing the work.
Because sometimes, the exercise itself isn't the problem.
It can be how you're performing it.
Are you actually working the muscle you intended to?
Let's take one of the most popular exercises for training the glutes: hip thrusts.
Hip thrusts can be a great exercise for strengthening the gluteus maximus. But getting the most out of the exercise isn't simply about loading up the bar and doing as many repetitions as possible.
Your positioning, technique, range of movement, load and individual body mechanics can all influence how the exercise feels and which muscles are contributing.
You may feel your glutes working strongly during a hip thrust. You may also feel other muscles contributing, including your hamstrings and muscles around your trunk.
That's normal.
However, if you're consistently feeling pain in your lower back during an exercise that shouldn't be painful, that's something worth paying attention to.
So what could be happening?
There are a few possibilities.
1. The weight may be too heavy
If the load is beyond what you can currently control with good technique, you may start compensating by changing your movement pattern.
Your lower back, hamstrings or other muscles may end up doing more work as you try to complete the movement.
Sometimes, simply reducing the load and focusing on controlled technique can make a significant difference.
2. Your technique may need some adjustment
Small changes to your setup, positioning or range of movement can change how an exercise feels.
With a hip thrust, for example, your foot position, pelvic position, movement range and ability to control the movement can all influence which muscles are contributing.
There isn't necessarily one perfect setup for everyone.
3. Your body may be compensating
If you're experiencing pain, stiffness, fatigue or reduced movement, your body may naturally change the way you move.
This doesn't mean your muscles are “switching off” or that one particular muscle is always responsible for your pain.
It simply means that pain and movement can influence each other, and your usual exercise technique may change as a result.
Don't forget about exercise form
Another common issue I see is form breaking down as you get tired.
You might start your workout with great technique, but several sets later you're fatigued and your movement starts to change.
This can happen particularly when you're trying to push through the final repetitions.
Form isn't about making every movement look exactly the same as someone else's.
It's about using a technique that allows you to perform the exercise safely, effectively and with appropriate control for your body and your goals.
If you're consistently losing control of a movement because you're fatigued, it may be time to reduce the weight, adjust the number of repetitions or take a longer rest.
Pain isn't something you always need to push through
There's an important difference between working hard and working through pain.
Feeling your muscles working, becoming fatigued or experiencing a temporary muscle “burn” during exercise can be normal.
Pain is different.
If an exercise consistently causes pain — particularly sharp, worsening or persistent pain — don't assume you simply need to push through it.
Stop and reassess what's happening.
You may need to modify the exercise, reduce the load or seek advice from an appropriately qualified health or exercise professional.
What can you do if you're unsure?
If you're not sure whether you're performing an exercise correctly, don't just keep adding weight and hoping for the best.
Ask for help.
A qualified personal trainer, exercise professional or appropriate health professional can help you look at your technique, training load and movement.
And if you're already experiencing pain, getting it assessed can help you work out what's contributing to it and what changes may be appropriate.
Sometimes the solution isn't stopping exercise altogether.
It might simply mean changing how you're doing it.
Your workout should work for you
Going to the gym four to six days a week takes commitment.
But more isn't always better.
The goal of your training should be to build strength, fitness and confidence while allowing your body enough time to recover.
So next time you're doing your workout, don't just ask: “How much weight am I lifting?”
Also ask:
“Am I controlling this movement?”
“Does this feel appropriate for me?”
“Am I maintaining my technique as I get tired?”
And most importantly:
“Am I getting the result I'm actually training for?”
If you're experiencing ongoing pain during or after your workouts, it's worth getting some professional advice rather than simply pushing through it.
Your gym program should challenge you. It shouldn't leave you wondering why your back, neck or shoulders hurt every time you train.
