The only way out, is through
It’s currently 10 days post surgery for me, and 10 days deep into the doom and gloom of not being able to lift barbells over my head. To recap, after struggling with pain and restriction in my right elbow for over a year, I had an arthroscope; a procedure where they essentially cut into my elbow and removed some rather large bits of bone and cartilage from my elbow joint, little boney guys who had been making the lifting part of my life a literal pain for months. There’s way worse injuries, and way worse positions to be in. I can still do a lot, and I’m absolutely doing that. It still kinda sucks though.
The reason I’ve decided to share this pretty irrelevant part of my life with you all is because I feel like a lot of you get it. You’ve been here - in a position where you can’t do something you really want to do, because your body (or mind) has been like naaah. Whilst training for you may not be the be all and end all (that must be nice!) I’m sure you’ve experienced some form of niggle or injury which has made things hard. It’s so easy to fall into a pit of despair and into the ‘well fuck this, I won’t do anything’ mindset, and I totally get it. But here’s (in my opinion) a better way to approach these things.
Get yourself a support network. This may be a practitioner you vibe with who’s essential to providing reassurance and ongoing rehab work. The guidance of ‘just rest’ is not necessarily always the best approach when it comes to recovering from an injury, but it’s really important that we get some specific guidance here in terms of what we can do, and how we should be doing it. Fun fact, you actually need to do the rehab.
Share how you’re feeling. It’s okay to feel frustrated and upset over injuries. Speak to your trainer or coach about how this setback is impacting you mentally, and let them know what you need in order to still feel you’re doing something. My coach, bless him, began programming me mildly exerting upper body work with my good arm, which left me feeling underwhelmed and honestly a bit bored. After a conversation we’ve now added some high intensity workouts, which, despite being completely different to what I normally do, have been a fun change of pace and a new challenge.
Do something different. Maybe this injury has given you more time which you can put into another area of your life. For me, the reduced focus on training gave me the space to invest time in my powerlifting coaching, and I’ve met some fantastic new people who I’m learning a lot from. It’s still lifting, it’s just not me doing it. You may find a project around the house that needs some attention, or simply find more time to spend connecting with loved ones.
Have hope. Having competed in weightlifting since 2018, and always having a new challenge or goal around the corner, six weeks is the longest time I’ve taken away from the sport since I started. Whilst there’s always the possibility that I won’t be able to return to competing, the hope that I will is really doing a lot to keep me focussed and motivated. Regardless of what your post-injury goals are; whether that’s to be able to run again, sleep without pain, or be able to drive without getting a sore back…set your sights on that outcome. Regardless of what happens, you’re never going to be pissed at yourself for trying.
Building resilience is never a waste of time. By adopting the attitude that the only way out is through, you are proving to yourself that you can do hard things, face adversity, and rise to whatever challenge comes your way. We obviously have many difficulties in our lives that are worse than an injury (or at least my injury) so use this as a test to work on your inner strength, which has a lot more relevance to the rest of your life than snatch and clean and jerk, after all.
Have a Plan B. It might all go tits up, let’s be honest here. I’m not one for toxic positivity, and it’s absolutely crossed my mind that weightlifting may not be a thing for me anymore. The prospect of that, whilst devastating, is not game over in terms of movement for me. So, whilst I’m doing my utmost to work towards the outcome I want, accepting that I may need to shift my focus has also been a consideration. Keeping your options open for a possible pivot isn’t silly, and it may well be that you find something you enjoy even more. Of course this doesn’t apply to things like sleeping and driving your car, so let’s just hope there’s definitely a way out of those ones.
What can we do as your trainers and support people?!
Whilst we can modify movements, tweak training plans, and give you referrals for healthcare practitioners, I think the most important thing we can do is listen. We can listen to how you’re feeling, what you need, and how we can help you to remain connected to both movement and to your training family. The only we ask is that you ask us.
