Pain threshold is tricky. On one hand, no one can tell you that  you aren’t “feeling the burn” at the tail end of a godawful set. But on the other, why can you somedays power through it and other days not? That is the part that is mental. But there are physiological aspects of pain threshold that are important to cover first.

Everyone knows about lactic acid, and how whether running or squatting, muscles will get a build up of lactic acid and force you to stop what you’re doing at a certain point. That is a threshold of one kind. The other is a the one after, the pain threshold that we’re discussing now. That point in between is what should most interest you in being able to crack. Sure, you don’t want to push yourself past the point of pain into injury, but that’s the delicate balance.

All in your head:

Sports psychologists will tell you that there is a mental threshold that some can cross and some cannot. To the extent that you can or cannot is how far you may progress in athletics.  Disciplined minds – those that can continue to focus despite surroundings, distractions and pain – will always persevere. Control during concentration is everything, but if you cannot concentrate because of nagging pain, it’s going to hamper your ability to move to the next level.  But what about when pain is legitimate and something you ought to be distracted by?

Knowing when pain is destructive:

A large part of confidence in athletics comes from knowing how to tolerate pain. This is particularly true for bodybuilders whose performance in the gym in 99% of their success. Shutting out pain and fear, when training hard, is a professional bodybuilder’s expertise.

But fear of failure inadequate recovery time, legitimate twinges and the constant harassment of fatigue pushes people to a breaking point. Since you don’t have a coach to step in and stop the madness, you have to learn when. Determining when it’s time to say “die” and quit your workout, because the pain is a certain variety, is important to develop.

Dissociation is one way to tolerate heavy pain. But how much dissociation is good? Will it keep you from actually determining when to stop? And if you can effectively feel pain, will you continue workout out anyway? Experts say yes to both. You need to know how to quit when ahead, or slightly behind.

Prevention:

Injuries are unavoidable for most. At one time or another, you’ll be injured in the gym. But a lot can be prevented. One way is to set parameters for the different kinds of pain you may experience. Typically though, you need to know what injury feels like before you can actually set those parameters. If you’ve been injured and torn tendons or muscles, you know what it feels like. That is your “no go” zone. But for those who have not been injured, have a stopping point using your most intense gym pain. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s okay to quit for the day or moment.

Prevention also encompasses rest and recovery. Most injuries occur because people don’t take enough time off. Supplementing for recovery is important – possibly more than supplementing for performance in the gym.

Stretching is also important before, during and after workouts.

The main thing to remember with pain threshold is that the ability to mentally go beyond what your body is saying is what separates the men from the boys. Some of that is healthy, and a great tool to learn and use in the gym during heavy lifts. But when it hurts, it’s time to quit.

Keys to training through healthy pain threshold:

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