The Role of Pain Distinctions in Training

Hello,

 

I was wondering,  when I stretch the back of my knees, that's a type of pain. When I stretch my quadriceps (in the last elements of the front split series) that kind of pain i think my femur is going to break, haha.  And when I do the middle split elements (my hips are necessarily elevated) that's another type of pain i feel.   

Again,  this isn't bad pain.  I am not injured at all.  

 

Anyone else make the same distinctions?

You know when people say feel it stretch, they probably mean focus in on the pain don't they?

 

Hi Jonathan,

 

I would not call the sensation of having a muscle stretched "pain." Many people on here use the following distinction:

• If it goes away once you are done stretching, then it was just discomfort.
• If it stays (or gets worse) once you are done, then it is pain.

I will defer to Coach or any of the therapists on the forum, but in my view what you are describing is not "pain," but rather "discomfort." Push through, breathe, feel the stretch, and get more flexible, all within reason of course.

 

Best,

Chris

Chris Garay said:

Hi Jonathan,

I would not call the sensation of having a muscle stretched "pain." Many people on here use the following distinction:

• If it goes away once you are done stretching, then it was just discomfort.
• If it stays (or gets worse) once you are done, then it is pain.

I will defer to Coach or any of the therapists on the forum, but in my view what you are describing is not "pain," but rather "discomfort." Push through, breathe, feel the stretch, and get more flexible, all within reason of course.

Best,

Chris

I don't think this is a good rule. Pain can sometimes be fleeting, and discomfort can sometimes linger. It's very hard to describe the difference between pain and discomfort. In general, if you're stretching at a light intensity and you don't have an existing injury, then you should be experiencing discomfort and not pain.

OP: in general on this forum a distinction is made between "discomfort" and "pain" where discomfort is used to describe unpleasant but normal sensations that occur in the course of training. "Pain" describes unpleasant sensations that tend to lead to either acute or chronic injury. It's difficult to verbally distinguish the two. In general, when you're stretching, the muscle being stretched should feel uncomfortable, but it shouldn't feel like you're going to hurt something: it should be at a level where you're able to relax and try to work your way deeper into the stretch.

I get both pain and discomfort when I think about a week 3 F7 workout I have to do. Both of those sensations also happen to be both fleeting and lasting. Should I be concerned? This also all mentally ascribed. Lol.

You should not be concerned unless you've been feeling sharp or pinching or similar pain in the same areas after training. A good example of a "bad pain" is the feeling you get when someone puts you in an arm lock.

The distinction between "good pain" (i.e. "discomfort") and "bad pain" is very difficult to describe, and may have to be learned. Unless you're confident in your ability to discern the two, your best bet is to simply follow good programming, and back off the volume/intensity if fatigue or pain starts to accumulate.

Daniel Taylor-Shaut said:

I get both pain and discomfort when I think about a week 3 F7 workout I have to do. Both of those sensations also happen to be both fleeting and lasting. Should I be concerned? This also all mentally ascribed. Lol.

Nice try