Understanding Pain and its Impact on Fitness

The most dynamic Iron Culture duo is back in action. In this episode, Omar and Dr. Trexler talk all about pain, injury, and factors that impact the relationship between them. Back in the day, most lifters were all-in on the “Cartesian” or “biomedical” model of pain, which posits that pain is a simple, reliable indicator of damaged tissue causing nociceptors to send a “pain signal” to the brain. Nowadays, the “biopsychosocial” and “fear-avoidance” models are all the rage in the evidence-based lifter circles. These models are a major upgrade, but there are still some pervasive misunderstandings and misinterpretations of these models in the lifting world. In this episode, Omar and Dr. Trexler try to provide some clarity on the matter using research, anecdote, and a decade-old textbook on Dr. Trexler’s bookshelf.