The saying “No Pain No Gain” is one of the most commonly used expressions when it comes to getting results in the gym. If it doesn’t hurt, you aren’t working hard enough. That type of attitude may just end your active lifestyle a little sooner than expected!! Although there should be some discomfort in the muscle during exercise, there is a major difference between good muscle pain and bad muscle pain.

When you are trying to increase the size of a muscle, you must slightly tear your muscle during exercise. As a defense mechanism, your body grows a stronger and thicker layer of muscle to prevent this tear from happening again. Even though this may sound extremely painful, it should really just be a mild to medium burning sensation in the muscle. Throughout the repetitions, the burning sensation should get progressively more noticeable but never unbearable. If you feel a sharp pain or sudden twinge, something is wrong and you need to stop your set immediately. Don’t ever try to work through something that is overly painful. Pain is your body’s way of telling you to stop before further damage occurs. A good pain is one that starts to feel relief a few seconds after the exercise has ended. This is because lactic acid builds up in the muscle during a contraction but leaves your muscle fairly quickly. A bad pain is one that lingers well after your workout is over. If the pain continues for an extended period of time, check for bruising or swelling. If you find bruising, this could mean a tear in the muscle.

Pain doesn’t always equal results. In order to avoid the wrong types of pain, make sure you properly warm up before every workout. A warm muscle has less of a chance of a pull or tear. Also, make sure to stretch your muscles frequently. The more flexible you are, the less chance of injury. Last, make sure to always focus on proper form while exercising. Improper form tends to be the biggest reason for the wrong types of pain. Just remember, working out can be a pain, but it doesn’t have to cause pain.

-Tom