Build Without Breaking Down
Because "No Pain, No Gain" is a line of bullshit we've been sold for far too long
If you’ve ever flared up your back after “getting serious again”…
If you’ve ever said “I was doing great until…”
If you’ve ever felt like every time you push, your body pushes back—
You’re not alone.
Pushing through isn’t a strategy. It’s a setup.
There’s a myth in the fitness world that soreness equals success.
That pain is a badge.
That discomfort = growth.
The problem?
That mindset breaks people who are trying to get back on track.
Because it skips the most important part: capacity.
Your joints, tendons, and muscles need time to adjust to new work.
Your nervous system needs to trust you’re not trying to lift more than you should.
Your body doesn’t just need work—it needs the right work.
Smart work = Variation
There are 3 variables we can adjust to work smart
Load – How much weight?
Tempo – How fast or slow?
Complexity – How much coordination does it require?
When you’re building back strength, endurance, or mobility, you don’t have to do more—you can adjust one of these levers and still drive meaningful results.
Examples:
If push ups on your knees hurt, try them from a counter top.
If squatting to a chair twinges your knee, take them slower, see how it feels.
If single leg balance feels wobbly, grab on to something stable.
Progress isn’t off the table. It just needs a different path.
Yes, you can train with pain—if you follow the rules
We don’t avoid movement just because pain is present.
We use movement as a tool—as long as it meets these 4 rules:
Rule 1: Keep symptoms ≤ 4/10 during training
Mild discomfort is okay. Sharp or escalating pain is not.
Rule 2: Pain should not increase rep to rep
If discomfort ramps up as you continue, stop and reassess.
Rule 3: Symptoms return to baseline within ~24 hours
If you’re still flared up the next day, you pushed too far.
Rule 4: Pain should decrease in duration, intensity, and frequency over time
You’re on the right track if things are gradually getting better—not just tolerable.
These rules give you freedom to move and a clear framework to know when to scale back.
Want to see where your capacity is right now?
📥 [Click here to grab the Find Your Starting Line guide.]
With 9 simple at-home assessments, you’ll learn what your body can handle—and how to build from there without breaking down.
Because lasting strength isn’t about how much you do.
It’s about how long you can keep doing it.