Working Out Shouldn’t Hurt: The 4-Step Fix for Achy Joints
Every year on my birthday, I do a dumb workout for “fun.”
One year: 500 pull-ups. Another: 1,000 rear-foot-elevated split squats. This year: 365-pound deadlifts for 29 reps (my age). On set five, my back tapped out. Before the bar left the floor, I felt that sharp nope your spine sends when it’s not on board.
I wasn’t even mad—I knew the risk. That’s what most people miss: pain isn’t always random. It’s often predictable. And avoidable.
How to stop hurting yourself in the gym:
Step 1: Prime Your Body Before You Train
After 30, your body doesn’t ramp up like it used to.
Walk into the gym cold and jump into heavy barbell squats? That might’ve worked when your joints were still under warranty. Now it’s a coin flip between a good lift and a strained something.
A proper warm-up increases tissue temperature, improves joint mobility, and fires up your nervous system. Translation: your muscles contract better, your joints move smoother, and your brain actually remembers how to lift.
What you need:
5 minutes to raise your core temp (bike, walk, row—whatever you like)
10-20 reps of a bodyweight version of your lift
A few mobility drills (hips/ankles for squats, shoulders/t-spine for pressing)
You’ll feel better—and lift better—within minutes.
Step 2: Clean Up Your Movement Patterns
No one thinks their form is bad. But look around any commercial gym, and you’ll see plenty of evidence to the contrary.
Just because you can lift a weight doesn’t mean you can lift it well! And your joints care more about how than how much. Most issues aren’t dramatic—just small things: knees cave in, spine rounds, shoulders drift forward. One rep feels fine. A thousand? Not so much.
Pain rarely shows up right away. But bad reps → stress → pain.
How to fix it:
Modify the lift → Box squats, trap bar, dumbbells
Shrink the range → Less depth, lighter load, more control
Film yourself → Front and side angles. No ego, no filters.
Need a second eye? Send your video to solokasfocus@gmail.com—I'll give you real feedback. I got your back!
Step 3: Build Back Gradually (Not Like a Maniac)
Most injuries aren’t random. They come from doing too much, too soon, on a body that wasn’t ready.
You take time off, get motivated, and load the bar like it’s 2010. We’ve all been there!
But your body has an “envelope of function”—the stress it can safely handle. Stay inside it? You get stronger. Blow past it? You get pain, tightness, or lingering aches.
This doesn’t mean you’re fragile. It just means you need to build up gradually—and not let your ego call the shots. And it’s important to keep in mind that the envelope isn’t fixed.
Sleep like trash, skip meals, stress all day? It shrinks.
Sleep well, eat enough, move often? It expands.
How to stay within your envelope after time off:
Reduce load/volume by 30–50%
Stick to RPE 6–7 → A few reps in the tank
Progress weekly, not daily → Add weight, reps, or sets slowly
Step 4: A Little Mobility Goes a Long Way
By your 30s—especially if you sit a lot—your joints don’t move quite like they used to. Hips get stiff, ankles lose range, shoulders feel off. It’s normal.
That’s where mobility comes in—not as a bonus, but as basic upkeep. You don’t need an hour of stretching. Just a few focused minutes to keep things moving well.
Think of it like this:
Strength gives you stability
Mobility gives you access
Breathing and bracing give you control
And that balance shifts over time. What used to be 90% training and 10% mobility might need to become 80/20—or even 70/30—depending on your age, how you’re feeling, and what you’re working around.
Start with the basics:
Hips and ankles → for squats, lunges, deadlifts
T-spine and shoulders → for presses and pulls
Core control → through proper breathing and bracing
Final Thoughts
Pain is personal—there’s no one-size-fits-all fix.
But I see the same pattern again and again: most injuries don’t come from freak accidents. They come from doing too much, too soon, before your body’s ready.
If you want to train hard and stay pain-free? Focus on building capacity—and be a little more conservative with how hard you push. That’s how you stay in the game long-term.
As a physical therapist and strength coach, I help people look, feel, and move better—for life. Need a hand with that?
Learn more about coaching below👇
Best,
John
P.S. Working out consistently is hard enough when your body feels good. When you’re hurting, it’s a real grind. If you’ve been suffering with pain, hit me up and we’ll figure it out together 🤝
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