Why "pushing through pain" is outdated fitness advice

For years the fitness industry and gym culture often pushed a "no pain, no gain" mentality to training. But if your goal is long-term strength, performance, and above all consistency, ignoring pain is one of the fastest ways to derail your fitness progress. Let's take a look at why.

Why do injuries happen in the gym?

Most gym injuries aren’t random. They usually come down to one simple principle: load vs capacity.

Every tissue in your body (muscle, tendon, ligament, bone) has a capacity to tolerate stress. When the load placed on that tissue exceeds its current capacity, problems can occur. The capacity of a tissue at the time of exercise can be influenced by your training load, nutrition, sleep and the time since it was last stressed.

Our bodies are fantastic at adapting when stressed appropriately. But a crucial part of this process is providing it the time to recover to rebuild stronger.

If you repeatedly load a structure without adequate rest, its capacity temporarily decreases and eventually the system fails. That "niggle" or abnormal discomfort could be the first warning sign. 

Good discomfort vs pain

Discomfort from exertion is a normal and sought after part of exercise; to know we're working hard enough to create change. This could be working towards the feeling of a muscle burning during weight training or increased breathing and fatigue during cardio. Understanding the difference between these normal responses to exercise and an abnormal discomfort or pain is crucial.

Good discomfort

• Gradual onset located in the muscle you're targeting with the exercise
• Settles quickly after stopping the exercise/activity
• Symmetrical between sides

Abnormal discomfort/pain

• Sudden onset
• Only present on one side or asymmetrical in its intensity
• Does not settle quickly after ceasing exercise
• Occurring away from the area the exercise targets

When should you see a professional?

You don't need to wait until you're already sidelined or experiencing these niggles to seek professional help. At Quay Health, our Physiotherapists, Osteopaths and Massage Therapists can help both reactively AND proactively.

• Consider booking a session if you:
• Experience discomfort that that fits the "abnormal" criteria above
• You're wanting to increase your training load or intensity
• Preparing for an event/competition such as a marathon or hyrox
• Are "injury prone" or have recurring injuries

If you're noticing changes in how you move or exercise, such as favouring one side - that's not adaptation - that's compensation. This can be another early warning sign where an asymmetry is present, and one area of your body is currently operating with a reduced capacity.

How we can help you stay injury free?

At Quay Health, we use VALD technology - an evidence-based and data driven tool that provides us with real-time data for strength, balance and range of movement to accurately identify areas to focus on with treatment.

Identify Asymmetries

Injuries can occur when one side of the body is consistently taking more load than the other and have an increased risk for injury. Using VALD force deck and Dynamo systems, we can pinpoint these subtle differences and deficits that may not be visible to the eye. This allows us to address these issues early and target our treatment and training more precisely.

With VALD we can assess:

• Weight distribution: detects shifts and direction in load between limbs, highlighting compensation patterns during functional movements.
• Strength and power: measures differences in force output, identifying deficits in between limbs and different isolated muscle groups
• Range of movement: identifies restrictions that may contribute to abnormal or compensatory movement patterns.
• Stability and balance: highlights reduced control or confidence on one side, that can affect, perform, and increase injury risk.

Optimise training programs and enhancing recovery

Through hands-on manual therapy, our practitioners can help support your body’s recovery between sessions. We can also work with you to review your training plan, ensuring there is rest built into your routine and that intensity and volume are increased at a safe, sustainable rate.

At Quay Health, located in Virgin Active Bondi Westfield, we’re here not just to treat injuries, but to help prevent them too. If you’re serious about your fitness goals, the smartest move isn’t pushing through pain, it’s knowing when to listen and seeking guidance early so those niggles don’t become long-term setbacks.

About the author

^{Jamie is a New Zealand–trained physiotherapist with over 10 years of experience working in gym-based health clinics across New Zealand and London. He has worked with a wide range of individuals, from professional athletes and sports teams to recreational exercisers, assessing movement, managing injuries, and helping people achieve their fitness goals. You can now find Jamie at Quay Health.}