What to do if an exercise does not feel properly

You are in the middle of training and feel good … and then Something optimized.

A shoulder sip. A strange pinch in her hip. A movement that suddenly feels out of.

Now you are stuck at the moment when we are all afraid:

“Should I push that through … or stop?”

As a trainer (and someone who ignored these signals far too often) I can tell you – how you react here.

Press blindly and risk a setback … or make an intelligent adjustment and drive on.

Let us talk about how to do the second.

🚫 1 .. do not push through pain

Strength training can be uncomfortable – that’s normal. But the pain is different.

If the discomfort deteriorates when warming up or increasing the weight, this is your sign to return immediately and continue to the next step.

🔥 2. Rate your warm -up new

If you feel these little “optimizations” during training, make sure you have these elements in your warm -up!

• Light general activity (3–5 minutes to increase your heart rate)
• 1 to 3 warm-up sets for their main strength exercises with lighter weights that are increasingly becoming a bit more difficult. (You can find more details in our ​Free warm -up manual​!).

If you have skipped this or hurried through you, tight or discomfort could only be your body, who says: “I’m not yet ready.”

📹 3 .. Check your technology

Film film yourself or see someone else’s form.

Sometimes the discomfort comes from a technical collapse that you do not recognize, especially since tiredness or weight increases.

​Take a look at this guide​ How to carry out the most important strength training lifts such as squats, cross lifting and pressing!

🧪 4. Try these fast adjustments

If you have heated up properly and look decent, try this checklist:

✅ Do you reduce the weight – reduces the discomfort?

✅ Take in the angle – change your handle, handle or your cable structure

✅ Change speed or area – slightly shorten the movement or slow down

If none of them work, it is time to make an intelligent exchange.

🔁 5. SWAP movements swap strategically

If it still feels distant, we think here as we think about substitutions:

1. Find a similar (but different) movement pattern → Bava press your shoulder? Try a silent dumbbell press or a push-up.
2. Aim at the same general muscles, but use a different movement → Lat Pulldown doesn’t work? Instead, try a series.
3. Change muscle groups overall → Not cooperating upper body? Concentrate on their legs or core that day.

In other words: Don’t force it. Find a nearby alternative. And if nothing feels good, it can be time to go home and get additional rest and recovery!

🧑‍🔬 6. Revaluation the next day

As soon as things calm down, test the area with:

• Controlled joint circles or movement areas
• Easy correction movements (bandwork, activation exercises)
• Careful reintroduction of movements with low to zero load

They don’t try to “fix” it immediately. You collect feedback and give your body space to adapt.

🔹 A real example: Meet Vaughn

I would like to tell you about one of my long -term customers, Vaughn.

Vaughn is one of the nicest guys I know – and one of the strongest!

But here is what I really stuck to me after I had worked with him for years:

Every now and then a little feeling going on during his training. His shape looked great. Nothing had changed. But He I could say that something was wrong.

So he did exactly what we just talked about:

• He would test his warming up
• Try to pull off the weight
• Rethink how things felt like

What if it still didn’t feel right?

He would say: “You know what, I’ll call it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

And he was.

This ability to listen to his body without ego made him one of the most constant people in the gym. He was rarely injured. He kept showing up. And that’s why he stayed strong.

Vaight taught me that it is to know when I was tricking back just as important As know when to press.

🧠 final thought

One of the best things you can do for long -term training?

Learn to listen to your body (without panic).

Not every optimization is an injury. But every tweak deserves a little more examination and attention.

And if you ever need help to find out what you should optimize or concentrate, I am here to help!

– Trainer Matt