Wine Country CrossFit

Using Pain as Guide During Your WODs

Over the last few months (especially with the weather being SOOOOO COLD!), I’ve had the same conversation with several of you regarding pain felt during a workout, and what to do about it.

Now, there are different kinds of pain – you all know the classic “I overdid it a little with those pull-ups the other day and now I can’t straighten my arms,” and we do our best to give you advice on how to address that kind of muscle soreness (properly warm-up and cool-down your body, participate in active recovery, stretch, work on your mobility, drink plenty of water, eat the right foods, get plenty of sleep and give your body the time it needs to rebuild those muscles) – but there are other types of pain that are experienced from time to time which should be addressed differently and with more care.

Specifically, this is the kind of pain that centers more in the joint than in the muscle (although not exclusively), and does not seem to respond as quickly to stretching or mobilization. And it’s there for a reason – it’s your body’s way of telling you “Hey, the movement pattern you are making right now is NOT okay with me!! Stop!!”

What many of us do is one of two things 1) we ignore that pain and push through, very potentially injuring ourselves or 2) we freak out and stop moving AT ALL, preventing us from taking our body through a safe range of motion that can actually help us to improve our movement and form.

I think that there is a 3rd option, though, and that option is to LISTEN to what your body is telling you, and change the movement pattern. This may be easy for you to do, especially if your body awareness is at a high level. However, if you don’t know what to change – ask your Coach!! That’s what we’re here for!

Once we have identified what movement creates that pain response, we can work to adjust the movement so that you no longer feel that signal. And then, not only are you not feeling pain (and not injuring yourself), but you are most likely also doing the movement with MUCH better form, and getting more overall benefits from it!! (Shh, don’t tell anyone, but this is also known as scaling the movement).

So, what are you going to do the next time a part of your body starts yelling at you mid-workout?? I hope you decide to take the time and energy to adjust your body yourself, or at least ask your Coach for help!

-Emilie

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Monday’s Workout

Agility Work of Coaches’ Choice

POSE Running Review and Practice (seriously, you need to work on this, it will make you a better CrossFitter)

WOD: 15 Minute EMOM – 40 m SPRINT (you should need the rest!)

Alternate WOD (for those of you who are whiney and complainy when we do ANY running…..)

21-15-9-15-21
Kettlebell Swings (70/44)
Push-ups