Does this sound familiar?
You start to notice an ache or pain in your shoulder. Pressing hurts… bench, overhead press, even dips.
So you take some time off.
Let it rest.
A few months pass.
The pain fades. “maybe the rest is helping?”
Then, you hit the gym again.
You unrack the weight, lower it slowly, feeling cautious but optimistic.
But halfway down, there it is:
- A sharp twinge or nagging pinch at the bottom of the rep.
- Or a dull deep ache that lingers and radiates after the set.
What the hell?
You took time off to let it “heal”.
So why does it still hurt?
I see this all the time… and I’ve been there too.
If you take one lesson from this email, let it be this:
Rest is often a poor strategy for chronic pain.
When rest works (and where it fails)
Rest has it’s place, for acute injuries.
So if you tweaked your shoulder last week, rest will calm inflammation and give tissues time to heal.
But for 6+ month issues?
Rest will keep you stuck… because by then, your issue isn’t just about tissue damage (in my next article, I’ll break down the 3 root causes of persistent training-related joint issues).
At best, rest is a band aid.
It masks your pain without fixing the problem.
Worst case?
It’ll lock you into a cycle of pain, regression, weakness, and permanent limitation… and here’s what I mean…
Why rest destroys your life
I’d like to introduce you to Adam.
I helped him end a 10 year battle with chronic shoulder pain… but before that, he tried multiple physical therapists.
But despite that…
He didn’t get very far.
He felt out of options and turned to rest.
Here’s what happened…
1) He got weaker
Adam thought rest would help him heal.
Instead? He lost muscle and strength.
This was a downward spiral:
Each time he returned to training, his shoulder less stable and less capable because rest was weakening him.
2) He felt tighter
After on-off rest for 6 months, Adam felt stiffer than a rusty door hinge.
No matter how much he stretched:
The tightness stubbornly remained.
Why?
His body was locking up to protect a fragile joint… it wasn’t a flexibility issue, but a weakness issue.
3) He started doubting his body
Adam started second-guessing every movement for fear of worsening his pain.
He felt hesitant:
- Picking up his kids
- Lifting the groceries
- Training his upper body
And each flare up acted as negative reinforcement… leaving him less confident, more frustrated, and more fearful.
4) He (almost) never recovered
The longer Adam tried to rest… the further his strong, confident, and capable self slipped away.
He felt stuck:
And got weaker, less fit, less unhealthy.
His biggest fear?
Long-term deterioration, potential surgery, and thought he might never feel strong again.
So what happened? …
He knew he couldn’t keep waiting… because that’d mean another 12 months pain, frustration, and limitation.
So he contacted me for help.
His biggest regret?
Not starting sooner.
Here’s why:
A quick summary
Adam thought rest would fix his shoulder.
But instead, rest:
- Make him weaker
- Made him stiffer
- Made him less capable
- Delayed his recovery
And if you’ve been stuck in pain for months (or years), it’s doing the same to you.
So what’s the alternative?
👉 Take action. The right action.
Because if you remember from earlier, Adam did take action years ago — he tried physical therapy but it didn’t work.
Why?
Because he wasn’t injured.
See an injury involves tissue damage, and often lasts 0-3 months. Rest helps here (along with other pain-reducing techniques), because it helps you heal.
But for chronic issues?
You’re often dealing with:
- Sensitisation – the nervous system becomes hyper sensitive to pain, which isn’t an injury – it’s a nervous system adaptation which be influenced by movement and load management.
- Weakness and instability – A lack of strength or control in muscles and joints, leading to discomfort or pain under load. Again, not an injury – it’s a movement/muscle imbalance issue that can be improved through training.
- Poor mechanics – Suboptimal movement patterns that create stress on tissues over time, leading to pain without clear structural damage… which is addressed by improving movement strategy.
