Training Through Back Pain: How to Keep Going Without Forcing It

2026-07-17

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Training through back pain does not mean forcing your old numbers or pretending nothing hurts. In this Beast Over Burden episode, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson discuss Niki's long process of training through and around back pain. Niki shares how her mindset shifted from trying to get back to heavy barbell lifting as fast as possible to focusing on training consistently, building muscle, and finding movements that felt productive. That shift changed everything. Instead of measuring progress only by old PRs, Niki learned to use more...

Training through back pain does not mean forcing your old numbers or pretending nothing hurts.

In this Beast Over Burden episode, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson discuss Niki's long process of training through and around back pain. Niki shares how her mindset shifted from trying to get back to heavy barbell lifting as fast as possible to focusing on training consistently, building muscle, and finding movements that felt productive.

That shift changed everything. Instead of measuring progress only by old PRs, Niki learned to use more exercises, modify movements, manage recovery, and train hard without constantly aggravating her back.

Niki and Andrew also talk about the role of machines, belt squats, leg presses, controlled training, recovery, travel, jiu-jitsu, and patience during a long injury process.

This episode is a realistic conversation about pain, progress, training identity, and learning how to keep going when your body does not cooperate the way you want.

PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.

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