Training hub

Train well,
stay in the game.

Practical guides on lifting, running, combat sports and team sport from osteopath Steven Eskaf, who lifts and trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu himself. Learn how training works, how to avoid the common injuries, and how to keep going when something hurts.

How training works

Progress gradually

Muscles, tendons and bones get stronger when you ask slightly more of them over time: a little more weight, distance, speed or volume. Change one thing at a time, in small steps, and give each change a couple of weeks to settle before adding the next.

Avoid sudden spikes

Most training injuries we see follow a jump in load: a new program, a return after a break, a pre-season, or a big week on top of poor sleep. Consistent training at a level your body is used to is protective. It is the sharp increases that cause trouble.

Recover on purpose

Adaptation happens between sessions. Sleep, enough food, easier days and lighter weeks every month or so are part of the program, not time off from it. Soreness that has not settled by the next session is a sign to ease back.

Strength helps every sport

Two or three strength sessions a week build the capacity of muscles, tendons and joints to cope with running, grappling, court and field sport. It is useful at every age, and it is the foundation of most rehabilitation.

Pain is information

Mild discomfort that warms up and has settled by the next day is usually fine to train with. Pain that is sharp, changes how you move, lingers into the next day or builds week to week means adjust the load and get it assessed.

Modify before you stop

Complete rest is rarely the answer. Changing the exercise, range, load or volume usually lets you keep training while an injury settles, and keeps the strength and fitness you have built.

Guides by topic

Training basics

Start here: how to begin, how hard to work, how to plan your week and how to recover.

How to start strength training →How to structure a training week →RPE and reps in reserve: how hard to train →Deload weeks →Returning to the gym after time off →Do you need to stretch? →Sleep, recovery and injury risk →Strength training for runners →Strength and conditioning for BJJ →Strength training for kids and teenagers →

Strength and gym training

Squats, deadlifts, pressing and pulling: technique, common aches and how to keep lifting while they settle.

Back pain after deadlifts: train or rest? →Lower back pain from squats →High-bar vs low-bar squat →Knee pain when squatting →Hip pain when squatting →Shoulder pain from bench press →Shoulder pain from overhead press and pull-ups →Elbow pain from lifting →Wrist pain from push-ups and bench press →Neck strain from lifting weights →HYROX injuries and how to prevent them →

Running and endurance

Building distance safely, the injuries runners get most, and what the research says about running and your joints.

Common running injuries and how to prevent them →Does running damage your knees? →Runner's knee →Shin splints →Achilles tendinopathy →Hamstring tendinopathy (sit bone pain) →Running with plantar fasciitis →Triathlon training load and injuries →Cycling injuries and bike fit →

BJJ and combat sports

Steven trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu. These guides cover how grapplers and strikers get hurt and how to stay on the mats.

Martial arts and BJJ injuries: the overview →How risky is BJJ? Injury rates and prevention →BJJ over 40 →BJJ knee injuries →BJJ shoulder injuries →BJJ elbow injuries →BJJ neck injuries →BJJ lower back pain →Rib pain from BJJ →BJJ finger and hand injuries →Muay Thai and boxing injuries →Judo, wrestling and MMA injuries →

Field and court sports

Footy, soccer, netball, basketball and cricket: the injuries each sport produces and how to get back to playing.

Football and netball injuries in Berwick →Junior football injuries: a parents' guide →Soccer injuries →Netball injuries and prevention →Basketball injuries →Cricket injuries →ACL injury: surgery or rehab? →High ankle sprains →Corked thigh →Concussion: returning to sport →

Training load and recovery

How to build up, warm up, recover and come back after time off.

Training load errors and injury prevention →Warming up and cooling down →Pre-season training injuries →Returning to sport after a long break →Returning to sport after injury →The first 48 hours after an injury →Muscle soreness: DOMS or injury? →Muscle cramps →Foam rollers and massage guns →Taping and bracing →

Nutrition for recovery

Where food meets injury. General information; for a personal plan, see a dietitian.

Protein and injury recovery →Creatine during injury and rehab →Collagen for tendons and joints →Vitamin D, calcium and stress fractures →Under-fuelling in athletes (REDs) →Body weight and knee arthritis →

Training through life

Training well as a junior athlete, through midlife and into older age.

Kids and early sport specialisation →Menopause and joint pain →Strength training over 50 →Osteoporosis and strength training →Mobility, balance and falls in older adults →

Common training questions

How many days a week should I train?

Australia's physical activity guidelines for adults recommend being active most days, building up to 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate activity a week, and doing muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days. If you are starting out, two strength sessions and two or three walks or easy aerobic sessions a week is a realistic place to begin.

How quickly can I increase my training?

Slower than you think. Increase one thing at a time, weight, distance, speed or number of sessions, in small steps, and hold it for a week or two before the next increase. Be most careful after a break, illness or holiday, when it is tempting to pick up where you left off.

Should I train when I am sore?

General muscle soreness a day or two after a hard or new session is normal, and light training usually helps. Sharp pain, pain in a joint or tendon, pain that changes your technique, or soreness that is getting worse each session is different and worth getting checked.

Do I need to stretch before training?

A warm-up that gradually rehearses what you are about to do, such as lighter sets or easy running with some dynamic movement, prepares you better than long static stretches. Stretch afterwards or separately if you enjoy it or need the range for your sport.

When should I see someone about a training injury?

Book an assessment if pain has not improved after a week or two of modified training, keeps coming back, or is changing how you train. Seek urgent medical care for a joint that looks deformed, a limb you cannot bear weight on, numbness or weakness, a head knock with symptoms, or chest pain or unusual breathlessness during exercise.

Injured or in pain?

These guides are general information. If something hurts, our condition pages explain what may be going on and how we assess and treat it.

Sports injuries →Muscular strains and tears →Low back pain →Shoulder pain →Knee and ankle pain →

Looking for fat loss, muscle gain or nutrition coaching? Steven also runs RISE Method, a separate body transformation program.

Training around an injury?

Book an assessment at our Berwick clinic. We will work out what is going on, treat it, and adjust your training so you can keep going while it settles. Initial consultation $149 (60 minutes), no referral needed.

Train well,stay in the game.