How often do you go to the gym just to do the same exact workout, with the same exact weights, at the same exact speed, with the same energy level? Is this comfortable? Do you feel accomplished? Do you feel like you had a great workout? Feels great right? WRONG! You’ve fallen into the same trap that many people do when they get into an exercise routine: becoming overly comfortable.
The one facet to improving your fitness, that many people often neglect, is being uncomfortable. I don’t mean uncomfortable like watching a movie with your parents and a sex scene comes on…that’s just a little bit too uncomfortable. What I mean is you have to be willing to push your limit and leave the training zone where everything is easy. Too often people complain that they aren’t seeing results or aren’t getting any stronger. Well, how’d your last set go? Did you finish it easily? Was the last set so difficult that you almost didn’t think you were going to get it? If it wasn’t the last scenario, then your workout was TOO EASY. I’ve mentioned this before in a previous blog, and not to beat the dead horse, but our body responds to exercise based on the principle of overload. You have to overstimulate your muscles in order for them to break down and rebuild even stronger. You should be exhausted after a workout. You should be sore the day after your workout. You should leave feeling like you just got better, because you just did.
After having said all that, I hope no one rushes to the gym and immediately tries to squat 800 lbs – that falls under movie night with your parents uncomfortable. You’re going to need to find the level of uncomfortable that you are comfortable being at. Here’s a few steps to help with that:
1) Recognition
The first step to beginning to push your limits is recognizing that your workout was probably too easy. Stay attentive during your repetitions and really try to push it on those last few sets. If it was too easy, add some weight and do another set. If you’re afraid of not being able to finish, then ask someone to spot you. There’s nothing wrong with asking someone for help.
2) Be Confident
It can definitely be intimidating to lift heavier weights than you’re used to. But if you’ve been doing sets of 10 easily on the same weight, then adding 5-10 pounds for the next set, while it may look like a lot, is going to be easier than you thought. You’re going to surprise yourself, I promise!
3) Be Uncomfortable
Now that you’ve recognized that you’re workout isn’t strenuous enough and you feel confident enough in your ability to up the intensity, there’s only one thing to do: be uncomfortable. Don’t worry about how tired it’s going to make you, just do it! Once you’ve completed that tough set, let out a mighty roar so that everyone knows you’ve just taken it to the next level (don’t actually do this out loud; you don’t want to be that person)!
4) Become Comfortably Uncomfortable
Once you’ve begun to test your boundaries, there’s only one thing to do: keep doing it. There’s only one way to get in better shape, and that’s to continue forcing yourself to work harder and harder! Get to it!
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