6 Common Causes Of Injury… & How To Avoid Them
Being a competitive BJJ practitioner for 9 years, spending years throwing weights around, standing on my hands, swinging from bars, and chasing after a soccer ball for 20 years - i'm guilty of every single one of these mistakes.. My learning have come the hard way, so i hope my experiences can help save YOU some valuable time, money, and pain.
Injuries are a major roadblock in any form of training... Truth is there is no avoiding them, there's only managing them
Here's the problem friend - You're a weapon at training hard, but you're just a lowly white belt when it comes to managing injuries
So, in light of this being a high-quality rant let me tell you the top 6 reasons why you're still broken and what you can do about it... Hopefully this'll light a flame under your ass big enough to make you do something about it
1. You're Blinded By Your Own Dogma
Whether it forms part of your identity... Or you think you've found the holy grail of training... Or you're just deadset on that special piece of equipment being the answer - You're too emotionally connected to what you do... Your ego is prohibiting you from looking outside of the bubble you're in and thats what's keeping you broken
"Your ego is not your amigo" - anon.
FIX! First you need to look outside of the box and remember that the training you're doing right now is just 'A' way, and not 'THE' way. There's many ways to skin a cat friend. Then you need to start a process of your own research by seeking new perspectives and information, implementing one or two of the best measures, and tracking the results
2. You Know Fuck All About Rehab & Recovery
Ever used this awesome rehab protocol from your GP? "Take some Voltaren and avoid the gym for a few weeks... You should be fine." - then you just got the bum steer compadre. If your idea of recovery means putting movement on hold while you dive head-first into a deep pit of sedentary, couch-ridden, medication fuelled, beer and spaghetti eating despair - you're destined for chronic broken-ness. The doc, your mum, and your yoga girlfriend Kathy all do really care about your wellbeing, but it's also highly likely that they know sweet FA about what's causing you pain
FIX! Find 3 people on your Facebook who know what the fuck they're on about when it comes to managing injuries (they're often coaches, or work with coaches, and seem to be making constant gains, or working with people who make constant gains) and ask them their opinion. Continue your research
3. You Won't Pay For Professional Help
Medicare is rad. But your GP probably isn't the most suitable person to ask when you have any kind of mechanical issue. (Didn't you read the first line in number 2 above?) Did you know there are people out there who work with this shit, like every day? Even a quality Strength Coach is going to have accumulated 100's of hours of dealing with issues like this and will be able to direct you to the right person... If you're so set on saving the $120 fee to see a professional who deals with this shit, then consider for a second the amount of money you're going to waste on NOT going to the gym and instead following the 'Spaghetti and Voltaren protocol'
FIX! Ask 3 friends for their recommendation on a good Strength Coach, Physiotherapist, Exercise Physiologist or Osteopath. Find one who is working in the field and making their living by getting lasting results in the healthiest way possible. Be proactive and road test. Don't settle for your first choice or the first opinion
4. You're Still Following A Fitness Program From 1998
I know the sick 'Back and Bicep Blaster' workout you cut out of the Jay Cutler Special Edition of Muscle & Fitness got you some killer gains back in high school... Truth is though that doing the same shit, year in and year out, and expecting it to provide you never-ending gains and optimal health is total bullshit. Plus, chances are the program was a piece of shit to begin with and so you're only been training yourself into some serious injuries all these years anyhow. PS. Same goes for that Sweaty Kayla chick you've been following on Instagram
FIX! Find a coach who knows what they're talking about, pay them some money and have them assess you and build you a program in relation to your goals. Simple
5. You Think Playing More Sport Is The Answer
Somehow, against all the signals your body is throwing at you --- lower back pain... trouble tying your shoelaces... inability to squat... RSI in your wrist... dicky shoulder.. neck stiffness --- you think that playing touch footy with your mates is going to be the thing to get you back in shape... (feel free to insert any of the following: tearing up the mats at BJJ / more deadlifting and squatting / going HAAM in my favourite circuit class / doing another 10k run this weekend'...)
FIX! Understand that sport is about as dynamic as it gets (some more than others) and if your rig isn't in tip top shape when you put it through some paces in a formalised environment like a gym, chances are you're gonna to crash and burn in a most spectacular fashion when you jump into the sports arena
Kelly Starret once said something super relative along the lines of--- "Out there in the world we're all freestyle dancers... But the gym is where we can practice formalised ballet"
6. You're Too Proud To Ask For Help
Whether it's your coach, training partner, or just a friend - you're too epic to admit that just maybe what you're doing is not serving you and is causing your body harm, let alone admit to someone else that perhaps you DON'T know it all
FIX! Drop the ego and take a leaf out of every successful-human's playbook - ask for help
Are you guilty of any of these? If you want some guidance on moving past your injury and making some real pain-free progress, reach out at joey@junglebrothers.com
Stay strong, stay injury-free
Joey
Recent Blog Posts
Other Blog Posts