How Hard Should You Push Yourself During A Workout?
Anyone who remembers the mantras “No Pain, No Gain” and “Feel the Burn” may be aware that these came to us courtesy of the film star Jane Fonda, one of the pioneers of video fitness videos back in the early ‘80s (….leotards. Am I right?).
I think it has misled a lot of people into believing that, unless you exercise to the point of extreme physical pain and exhaustion, then it’s not doing you any good. This is far from true and in fact, in many cases, if an exercise is causing you pain, then either you’re are doing it incorrectly or it’s the wrong exercise for you!
“No pain, no gain” really refers to stepping outside your comfort zone when exercising and this is most easily characterised by identifying the moment when an exercise becomes uncomfortable or verging on painful.
There is no doubt that your body may ache in places you never knew existed, but this should be short-lived and not last for several weeks, and not get worse. If it does, then reduce the intensity of your workouts until the soreness subsides, and seek guidance from a Physiotherapist or Osteopath.
It is true that many people exercise to “feel the burn” and this is usually brought on in high-intensity (or anaerobic) exercise such as cycling; HIIT work; rowing; sprinting etc. where the object is to train in short bursts to the extreme where the muscles are starved of oxygen. The resulting chemical reactions lead to a “burning” sensation due to the increase of hydrogen ions stimulated by lactate flooding the bloodstream.
Do You Need to Feel “The Burn” as evidence that you are working hard enough?
I certainly have some clients who prefer the high-intensity work, perhaps they have their own strength training under control and need the push to train their CV system more. But a substantial number of my clients find ‘the burn’ from lower intensity strength training, compound exercises and working within 8-12 reps with resistance to achieve muscle soreness without ‘maxing out’ or ‘reaching failure’.
The key to how hard you need to work at exercise is having a clear idea of your reasons for exercising and the objectives you want to achieve. ALWAYS push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Mentally you will ‘give up’ long before your body is truly ready, because we do fear discomfort. However – you are capable of so much more than you believe (and I aim to bring this out!!).
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends adults get at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week. But still people overestimate the amount of exercise they do. Apparently around 36% of people are prone to this.
And this is where a Personal Trainer can keep you on the straight and narrow. They can help you find programme which will help you accomplish your goal, keep you motivated and keep you working safely to minimise risk of injury, whilst maximising the results.
But, as to whether you are working hard enough to make the plan work – well largely that’s up to you.
A PT can use all their skills to plan, drive and motivate you…but it’s all down to the individual’s determination, perseverance and sheer ambition as to the success of the programme.
That’s why a key determinant of whether you are pushing yourself enough is how you feel during and after exercise – do you leave the gym thinking ‘well, that was nice. I could have done more…but meh’??
If you can be honest with yourself week on week then this is one way to know if you are working hard enough in each successive session – Do you turn up late? Do your muscles feel tired at the 10th rep or are you just having a lovely relaxing time? Be honest with yourself and you’re well on the way to achieving your goals. .
Common Issues Affecting How Hard You Can Exercise
Other elements in your daily life also conflict with your desire to get the best out of your exercising. For example, if you’ve had a stressful day/week then it’s likely that the effort you put into exercising that day will be less compared to times when your stress levels are low. By recognising your mood and being more intune with yourself, you can adjust your expectations accordingly and modify your workout (or let me know and we can work it out!).
Try as hard as you can to get sufficient sleep. I cannot emphasise how important a good night’s sleep is to allow you to invest real energy into your exercising in the day. Be a ‘grown-up’ about your sleep regime – bed after midnight is for the teenagers!
Of course – the best way to know that you are working your hardest and getting the most out of your time is to train with a PT. (But I would say that, wouldn’t I!)
Acknowledgements
befitnessandpt.co.uk 