When I was a varsity rower in college, I started to have a lot of issues with joint pain my senior year. Most of the pain I felt, happened to occur in my right shoulder. I never knew why because I thought I had always been careful in the way I trained. It only dawned on me why this was happening when I ended up needed physical therapy for ‘over-use’ injuries to my shoulder. As a rower, especially in my senior year, I only concentrated on developing the muscles I needed.

Therefore, I lifted to strengthen my legs, back and arms. I never did any chest workouts. In doing so, I ruined the symmetry of my body and my body started to tried to overcompensate. Thus, my shoulder got out of alignment and then the pain started. If only I knew how important it was to keep my training ‘symmetrical’ I would have never had this problem.

So moral of the story: Balance your workouts. Don’t just focus on one body part in all of your training; because eventually you’ll be asking for trouble. You want big biceps? Then work your triceps. Need quad strength for jumping? Work your hamstrings as well. Need chest strength to push hard (I’m talking to you, linebackers)? Then work your back.