 There’s no denying that some injuries just need time to heal. Whether it’s lifting less weight or simply backing off altogether for a few days, giving your body the time it needs to recover can be beneficial in more ways than one.
So once you’re ready to take up your favorite workout again, here are 10 modifications that you can use to prevent further injury while maintaining strength in other areas. 1. Limit total workout volume. Unless you’re an exercise science guru, exercise volume may be a new concept. We’ll go over the basics and then show you how to apply it to your workout routine. Exercise calculations, like volume, can be used as a method to measure workout intensity. Generally, volume is calculated using this equation: Workout Volume = (the amount of weight that you're lifting) x (number of sets) x (repetitions) For example, if you lift 20 lbs (9 kg) on the overhead shoulder press for 3 sets of 10 repetitions, then your workout volume would be (20 lbs) x (3 sets) x (10 reps) = 600 lbs (272 kg) for that particular exercise. When you’re injured, your workout volume should always be less than your pre-injury volume. To calculate this, modify one (or all) of the variables in the above equation. Some examples of ways in which you can change your training volume include:
The good news is that you can work out and maintain fitness levels even if you need to temporarily lower your workout volume. By doing so, you’re significantly decreasing your risk for greater injury and reduce the possibility of weakness from inactivity. 2. Modify your positioning or lifting technique. Depending on the type of injury you sustained, you may need to modify your body position or lifting technique. For example, deep squats should be avoided for people with hip, knee, ankle, or low back injuries. Instead, take a wide stance and practice mini-squats or wall slides. People who are recovering from shoulder and neck injuries should avoid overhead motions and prioritize shoulder stabilization exercises or upper back strengthening. 3. Give yourself more time to recover between sets. Consider taking more time to rest between reps, sets, and workout days. Rest periods are an underutilized factor when it comes to modifying an exercise routine, especially while recovering from an injury. Many people use shorter rest periods to increase the intensity of the workout; however, increasing the length of the rest periods can have the opposite effect (i.e., allowing for lower intensity). 4. Focus on unilateral movements to strengthen the weakened areas. Unilateral movements is a common term used to describe motions that involve one side of the body. Incorporating them into a workout is an effective way to address weakness and instability in the body. Oftentimes, unilateral movements target important accessory muscles that work to stabilize your body when doing larger movements. Examples of unilateral movements include:
The key to unilateral movements is to focus on control and stability of your entire body. 5. Consider doing different forms of exercise while you recover. Look on the bright side: sometimes the "best" part of an injury is discovering a new activity that you otherwise would have never attempted. And one of the most effective ways to maintain fitness levels when you’re injured is through something called cross training. Cross training involves participating in similar types of exercise to develop a specific component of fitness. You may have heard this term referenced by marathon runners or triathlon participants, since it’s a widely-used method to improve cardiovascular health and endurance. While these athletes use cross training as a way to rest their bodies from repetitive motions, you can use it as a way to stay physically active during recovery. For example, those who are unable to run or jog may prefer to swim or row, since the latter is less jarring to the joints in the lower body. Similarly, people who suffer from wrist and hand injuries may not be able to tolerate cycling and, instead, should jog or go for a brisk walk. 6. Work through a pain-free range of motion. This goes without saying, but let’s take a second to discuss why this is important. Pain with movement is a sign that something isn’t right. Along with that, any strong, sharp, or persistent pain that develops during exercise should be considered as a red flag and cause for concern. If you notice pain or discomfort with movement, especially as you’re recovering from an injury, either stop what you’re doing or modify your movement. Suggestions on how to modify the movement include changing the activity, decreasing your range of motion, or limiting your reps/sets. 7. Cautiously reintroduce new exercises. Our bodies tend to gravitate towards certain patterns of movement. Over time, the body becomes adept at those particular movement patterns, which increases our vulnerability to injury when doing something new. Therefore, when introducing new exercises after an injury, you should move cautiously and with purpose. The concept of movement patterns is not new, and physical therapists frequently use this principle to help people recover from injury. You can also take advantage of this by strengthening weakened areas of the body using multiple forms of the same exercise. One example of this would be to perform side and reverse lunges in addition to forward lunges. 8. Substituting pain-free exercises for painful ones is okay. Like cross training, substituting pain-free exercises for painful ones is another way to maintain your fitness levels as you recover from an injury. Unable to lie flat for bench press? Strengthen the chest muscles by doing an incline press or weighted push-ups instead. Sore wrists during planks? Drop down to your elbows or make a fist. 9. Don’t be afraid to take some time off. Admittedly, there are times when the modifications on this list aren’t enough. If that’s the case, then it’s best to take some time off from exercising or see a specialist. In the meantime, focus on your body’s strengths and exercises that you can perform without pain or limitation. Yoga, walking, and gentle pool exercises are often great alternatives to strength or HIIT workouts. 10. Ease back into exercise after recovery. Once you are ready to start exercising again, it’s best to ease back into it. Avoid the temptation to load the same amount of weight that you used before the injury, and fight the urge to do your usual reps/sets scheme. Gradually reintroducing movement and strengthening exercises is the best way to prevent reinjury. Use low reps and sets so you can focus on form, control, and stability. As always, prioritize core stabilization exercises to ensure that your foundation remains strong and healthy. Final thoughts. Recovering from an injury can be frustrating, but it doesn’t have to signal the end of your workout days. Find ways to exercise in a pain-free manner that doesn’t place you at further risk for harm.
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 Exercise is fun and (hopefully) brings you joy, but in addition to the fun side of working out, you may be anxious to see results – get fitter, stronger, faster. We all have different fitness goals but what bugs most of us equally – whether we’re CrossFitters, bodybuilders or runners – is not seeing results from working out without being able to pinpoint why.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s impossible for anyone to endlessly keep up that upward curve you may have had when you first started – it’s only normal that your progress will slow down over time. But, if instead of making slow progress, you’re not seeing any results from working out or find yourself regressing, you’re most likely not doing the right things – or not doing them right. Even though we all have our personal goals and measure success differently, there are some common reasons why people find themselves in a rut, not seeing results from working out. 1. YOUR GOAL IS TOO VAGUE If you’ve hit that workout plateau but not sure why, the first step in getting to the bottom of it is to take a closer look at your goals. Apart from not having a goal at all, the most common mistake athletes and exercisers make – despite their sport – is that the goal they set for themselves is either set too far (which usually leads to lack of motivation) or the goal is too vague. An example of a target that isn’t specific enough could be: “My goal is to become stronger.” How would you measure that? How do you define what exactly is stronger? Is being able to do two more push-ups enough or does ‘stronger’ mean doubling the amount you lift? A clearly defined, attainable and measurable goal could be something like: “1.5x or double bodyweight full range of motion back squat (depending on your level of fitness) in 18 weeks.” 2. YOUR GOAL IS UNREALISTIC Many times we don’t believe enough in ourselves, but some of us take it to the other extreme and set the bar way too high for anyone to reach. As a result, they end up getting knocked down by a massive disappointment – all because of unrealistic expectations. So, before you throw in the towel altogether, be aware of what is attainable with your current fitness level. For example, if you don’t have a strong running background (let alone if you have no running experience at all) setting a goal of running your first marathon in sub 3 hours means setting yourself up for failure. A more realistic starting point could be to aim to run a 5K or a 10K first. If you go for the 42K, your first marathon should be about gaining the experience and crossing the finish line, never mind the time. 3. YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO MONITOR PROGRESS Setting attainable goals that you can measure is key, but the next step is to understand how to monitor progress. If you set a big goal for yourself and six months from now see if you got there, there’s a chance you’ll find yourself nowhere near where you wanted to be because you’ve been doing things that haven’t been working for you. The key is to set and measure smaller milestones along the way and adjust your plan as you go. There are various ways to do this but to name a few, here’s what I suggest:
It’s good to have at least 3 months to see proper physical change no matter what your goal may be. Ideally, if your main goal is, say, 3 months away, I would set smaller goals, milestones, for every two weeks and make sure they are realistic enough so you’ll be able to hit them and get a sense of achievement and a nice motivation boost. When tracking my conditioning I use different time domains and HR monitoring plays a big role. If my goals are strength/power or stamina related I monitor weights (kg) and repetitions. 4. YOU’RE NOT VARYING YOUR WORKOUTS Plain routine is the enemy blocking your way to better fitness results. Repeating the same exercise routines will lead to plateau in workout performance and results – not to mention you’ll get bored and lose motivation. You’re body needs new stimuli and progressive training if you want to see results. A more developed cardiovascular system will also increase your ability to recover faster. Both HIIT and steady-state cardio are essential even if your main goal is to build muscle and strength. To optimize muscle growth and there-on strength, you need a solid cardiovascular base to feed your muscles with nutrients etc. The best way to vary your workouts is to do functional fitness due to its complexity. If you do constantly varied functional movements the hormonal responses in your body will be greater because your body won’t be able to adapt as fast and will need to work harder to keep up with the new stimulus. There are numerous ways to spice up your workouts by varying intensity, weights, duration or working on entirely new muscle groups or trying completely new activities. Think outside the box – vary your workouts and the results will speak for themselves. 5. YOU DON’T WARM UP You’re pumped and can’t wait to get to your actual workout? When you’re feeling super psyched, it’s tempting to skip warming up and just get right to the point. But, if you don’t warm up, you’ll get less out of your workout as your body won’t be ready to give it your 110%. The purpose of a warm-up is to gently activate and prepare your muscles for the workout and get your heart pumping more blood into the muscles with every beat. How to best prepare for your body for exercise depends (naturally) on the workout your about to do but there are some common principles that apply to warming up in general. A good warm-up should always include three steps:
6. YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR WORKOUTS It’s awesome to be excited about working out but if you’ve been trying to hit your goals faster by doing more and more of the same, you may be feeling like running a treadmill – putting in a lot of effort without moving forward. The ideal amount of high intensity training per week depends on your level of fitness and on your total training load for that week. I usually do two shorter (5-10 min) HIIT type workouts and one longer HIIT session (20+ min) per week. Mobility should be at the least a part of your every day warm-up routine before your actual workout to make sure your body is ready to go and to get the best results. If you’re not able to perform the movements correctly because you lack in mobility, the results of the workout will also be poor. A really important rule in increasing any kind of fitness is Mechanics -> Consistency -> Intensity. Now, if you lack in mechanics due to not reaching full range of motion in a certain movement, you won’t be able to move on to consistency and your progress will come to a halt. This rule, if followed correctly, will always guarantee you an increased fitness level overall. 7. YOU DON’T RECOVER Like the age-olds saying goes: “No rest, no gain!” That means seeing fitness results requires recovery. When it comes to rest days, I believe in the 3 ON-1 OFF style. This will work for most people, keeping in mind the total load for a week. Of course, your level of fitness will affect the time you need to recover. A rule of thumb would be three days of training per week for beginners and up to five for the more advanced athletes. In addition to post-workout recovery routines, rest days and active recovery, sleep is one of the key factors in recovery. During your sleep the hormonal production is at its peak so the amount and quality of your sleep will clearly affect your results. A good way to measure your recovery status is to perform an orthostatic test in the morning three times a week. Experienced athletes will also find themselves comparing previous results and assessing their current status by how they feel. 8. YOUR DIET IS OFF With all the conflicting nutrition advice out there, figuring out what and when to eat is easier said than done. For many athletes optimal meal timing is individual so the only way to truly know what works for you is to try, monitor and adjust. Because our bodies are unique, it’s challenging to give out generic nutrition advice applicable to everyone, in all situations, but if you aim to eat unprocessed whole foods, high-quality proteins and essential fats (e.g. from avocados and nuts) as often as possible, you’re off to a great start. If I could give only one nutrition tip, it would be: Prepare your own meals, this way you know what you’re putting in your mouth.  Most of us know that strength training (with free weights, weight machines, or resistance bands) can help build and maintain muscle mass and strength. What many of us don't know is that strong muscles lead to strong bones. And strong bones can help minimize the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis.
A combination of age-related changes, inactivity, and inadequate nutrition conspire to gradually steal bone mass, at the rate of 1% per year after age 40. As bones grow more fragile and susceptible to fracture, they are more likely to break after even a minor fall or a far less obvious stress, such as bending over to tie a shoelace. Osteoporosis should be a concern for all of us. An estimated eight million women and two million men in the United States have osteoporosis. It is now responsible for more than two million fractures each year, and experts expect that number will rise. Hip fractures are usually the most serious. Six out of 10 people who break a hip never fully regain their former level of independence. Even walking across a room without help may become impossible. Numerous studies have shown that strength training can play a role in slowing bone loss, and several show it can even build bone. This is tremendously useful to help offset age-related declines in bone mass. Activities that put stress on bones can nudge bone-forming cells into action. That stress comes from the tugging and pushing on bone that occur during strength training (as well as weight-bearing aerobic exercises like walking or running). The result is stronger, denser bones. And strength training, in particular, has bone benefits beyond those offered by aerobic weight-bearing exercise. It targets bones of the hips, spine, and wrists, which are the sites most likely to fracture. What's more, resistance workouts — particularly those that include moves emphasizing power and balance — enhance strength and stability. That can boost confidence, encourage you to stay active, and reduce fractures another way — by cutting down on falls.  Tell me if this looks like your typical day: 6 am-7:30 am: Make breakfast, get kids ready for school, get ready for work. 7:30 am-8 am: Take kids to school, and head into work. 8 am-4:30 pm: Work (maybe more than 8 hours). 4:30 pm-5:30 pm: Pick kids up from school and take them to extracurricular activities. 5:30 pm-6:30 pm: Make dinner and organize the house. 6:30 pm-7:30 pm: Pick kids up from activities and eat dinner. 7:30 pm-8:30 pm. Clean up dinner, help kids with homework, get them ready for bed. 8:30 pm-10 pm: Finish whatever work you have for the day and prepare for tomorrow, then bed. REPEAT The day I just described is utter chaos, and unfortunately, this is the typical day for most of the clients I work with at the gym. When juggling the stresses of a career, a family, and everything else in your life, it is hard to find time to put your own health first. Although it is very hard to consider your own health, when you have everything else to worry about, it is absolutely essential to focus on staying healthy. It is more than ok to put yourself first sometimes. Putting your own health first might seem selfish to you, but it definitely is less selfish than you might believe. When you put your own health first you are setting the rest of your life in order. Being a healthy person will allow all of the following:
Some of you might be saying, “I know it is important to put my own health first, but I literally don’t have the time to be healthy.” To that, I say, “Make time for it!” I am not trying to downplay how busy you all are, and I feel for you 100%. However, think of it this way, we all have the same amount of time in the day, so how do other busy people find time to be healthy? Our priorities in life will guide the actions we take through the day. Making your health a top priority will make a positive change in your life and will allow you to have time you thought you never had. Typically, I believe this is what most people’s priorities are like:
For a person who values their health highly, typically this is what I think their priorities are:
There is no magic pill or hidden secret for health, the key is people that want to be healthy make it a priority in their life, just like their work or their family. The key is to plan time in your day to do what you need to, in order to stay healthy. Staying healthy might consist of the following:
It might seem selfish to have all of these checks in your life every day, but it is essential to have the best quality of life you can. When considering the quality of life, you must maintain balance. So, how can you be more selfish and make more time for yourself? Many of the clients I work with have a very hard time saying NO to people. When you refuse to say no, and volunteer yourself for everything you can think of, you end up stretching yourself, and if you stretch yourself too far you end up breaking. There is power in saying no, it gives you the power to take control of your life, and more importantly your health. Another way to find more time in your day is to follow a strict schedule or find a routine. I recommend that everyone has a schedule that they make weekly and check every day. Everything should be scheduled from the second you wake up, to when you eat, when you work, and when you plan to exercise. When you lay everything out in front of you, you begin to realize how much time you really have, and you begin to see what things you can start cutting to make more time for yourself. Taking control of your health comes down to you. You have the choice to be healthy or to sabotage yourself. Will you put everyone else before yourself, or will you sacrifice some things in your life to put health at the top of the list? Will you use time as an excuse, or find the time in the day, no matter what, to put your health first? Remember: it comes down to you. You push yourself so hard in other areas of your life, such as work and family, so why can’t it be the same for your health? You control your life, your time, your stress, and your health. If you don’t like where you are at currently, change it! Make the time, learn to say no, be more selfish, and put your health first.  Besides offering essentially no vital nutrients, sugar-sweetened drinks, including soda, can lead to health complications like weight gain, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and diabetes.
When consumed in excess, added sugar can adversely affect your health. However, some sources of sugar are worse than others — and sugary drinks are by far the worst. This primarily applies to sugary soda but also to fruit juices, highly sweetened coffees, and other sources of liquid sugar. Here are 13 reasons that sugary soda is bad for your health. 1. Sugary Drinks Do Not Make You Feel Full and Are Strongly Linked to Weight Gain You tend to consume more total calories if you drink soda, as liquid sugar doesn’t make you feel full. Sugar-sweetened beverages are associated with weight gain. 2. Large Amounts of Sugar Are Turned into Fat in Your Liver Sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup are about 50% fructose, which can only be metabolized by your liver. Excessive amounts may contribute to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. 3. Sugar Drastically Increases Belly Fat Accumulation High consumption of fructose makes you accumulate belly fat, a dangerous type of fat linked to metabolic disease. 4. Sugary Soda May Cause Insulin Resistance — a Key Feature of Metabolic Syndrome Excess fructose intake may lead to insulin resistance, the main abnormality in metabolic syndrome. 5. Sugar-Sweetened Beverages May Be the Leading Dietary Cause of Type 2 Diabetes A large body of evidence links added sugar consumption — particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages — to type 2 diabetes. 6. Sugary Soda Contains No Essential Nutrients — Just Sugar Sugary sodas contain little to no essential nutrients, only providing sugar and calories. 7. Sugar May Cause Leptin Resistance Animal trials suggest that a high-fructose diet can drive leptin resistance. Eliminating fructose may reverse the problem. 8. Sugary Soda May Be Addictive Sugary drinks have powerful effects on your brain’s reward system, which may lead to addiction. 9. Sugary Beverages May Increase Heart Disease Risk Multiple studies have determined a strong link between sugary beverages and heart disease risk. 10. Soda Drinkers Have a Higher Risk of Cancer Observational studies suggest that sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to an increased risk of cancer. 11. The Sugar and Acids in Soda Are a Disaster for Dental Health The acids in soda create an acidic environment in your mouth, while the sugar feeds the harmful bacteria that reside there. This can have severe adverse effects on dental health. 12. Soda Drinkers Have a Drastically Increased Risk of Gout People who frequently down sugary drinks appear to have an increased risk of gout. 13. Sugar Consumption Is Linked to an Increased Risk of Dementia Some studies indicate that high blood sugar levels raise your risk of dementia. The Bottom Line Drinking high amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages — such as soda — can have various adverse impacts on your health. These range from increased chances of tooth decay to a higher risk of heart disease and metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes. Regular consumption of sugary soda also appears to be a consistent risk factor for weight gain and obesity. If you want to lose weight, avoid chronic disease, and live longer, consider limiting your intake of sugary drinks. |
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February 2025
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