Dooley Noted: 3/2/2015
I was on press restriction for many months, recovering from an arm injury.
For the last three weeks, I allowed myself to press lightly, never working through pain.
I knew when I arrived at the StrongFirst Barbell Instructor certification, I would be expected to military press but never push through pain.
I’d been to a half a dozen therapists, with different opinions about the pain source.
I took their suggestions. Some of it helped a bit.
I knew this was a deeper rooted issue, and I would have to do my share of insourcing.
So I worked around the discomfort, strengthening weaker points that showed up as arm pain in pressing.
I made modifications in my training, and I developed strength in places I never had it before.
But most importantly, I griped about my arm as minimally as possible.
I noticed at many seminars that people wear their injuries like a badge of honor.
Sometimes, it’s even the instructors.
People also use them as an excuse for failure before they’ve even made an attempt.
So, I stayed quiet.
I stayed light with the pressing weight during practice, and I worked in pain-free ranges.
I had technique flaws, so I took the great advice from the instructors.
When it was time to test military press technique, I was able to do 2 full reps before pain started.
On the third, I felt the pain. I was offered another attempt that I did not take.
It may not be a magical PR. But through injury, the value of a PR changes.
Yesterday was a huge day for my arm, because it pressed for two reps with a heavy weight with no pain.
What a huge gain from just three weeks ago!
Had I focused on my pain the whole weekend, the outcomes may have been different.
Your brain perceives the pain you experience..
Don’t prime it to experience it.
Don’t work through pain, either. Acknowledge it’s presence.
Get to the root of why you experience it.
But don’t sit around talking about your pain to anyone who will listen.
Perhaps you’re sick of hearing yourself complain. Imagine how others feel!
And your brain is getting primed to feel the pain each time you mention it.
You have the right to do exquisite work around your pain.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley