Well, for one one definitely hurts more than the other. Also, one is in capslock and the other is lowercase…poor joke I know.

Seriously though, this is one of the biggest questions when it comes to exercise. Am I injured or is this normal soreness? Or, in my case, is this the AS acting up or am I injured (I rarely end up sore post training anymore).

The only way to differentiate between the two is to spend time learning your body. Its subtle hints, tweaks, training injuries, DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and essentially building up a dictionary of symptoms and feelings which you can cross-reference against as time goes on.

It sounds simple enough, and it is, but it also takes a lot of time to build up such a vocabulary. Also, it takes injuries…which no one really wants, I guess? Unless you love a cheeky sympathy text.

On the other hand, the much better way of differentiating is to never have to in the first place. Proactive care is much better than treatment. This is something that I have become much better at doing over the last half a year. I regularly see a sports masseuse (once a month) and check in with my physio every 3 months for my back (or as and when I feel something is on the brink of being tweaky). It is much better to take a slight deload to let things settle than it is to take complete rest having trained for months through and injury you were too stubborn to go see someone about.

I have to say, it has been the best thing for my training. I do my own foam rolling, trigger point management, stretching, and strengthening. Yet, sometimes, you need that extra pair of hands to hit all the spots you can’t yourself. So, if you are on the fence go get one and try and make a habit of it. The above question will likely not apply to you if you do.