Balancing the Push and Pull

There are two main types of people when it comes to working out. On one side of the spectrum are people who don’t know how to push themselves and back off at the first sign of challenge. On the other side of the spectrum are people that push themselves to the point of pain and injury and don’t know how to read their body’s signals to slow down.

So when is it good to push to your limits? And when is it necessary to pull back?

It’s important to understand the difference between good “pain” and bad pain. Good “pain” is the typical feeling of discomfort during a workout. In fact, calling it “pain” is misleading. It’s the feeling of your muscles burning, your heart racing, and your breath quickening. While it’s often uncomfortable and feels like it “hurts,” it’s really just discomfort.

It’s good to push yourself to this point, barring any medical conditions or doctor’s orders to the contrary. There should be moments where you feel your muscles shaking, and even question if you’ll be able to finish the workout. It’s good to work to muscular failure, where you may not be able to finish the last rep. Not every workout needs to be exceedingly challenging, but it is necessary to push yourself to that point regularly in order to keep your body challenged and stimulated. Otherwise, the body will often stop seeing progress, or even regress. You can challenge yourself by picking up heavier weights, adding more repetitions, doing new movements, or moving quicker.

At the same, the body doesn’t need to be brutalized in order to see results. When we go too hard too often, bad pain starts to set in. Bad pain is very different from the good “pain” discussed above. Bad pain can feel like a muscular strain or pull, joint pain, tendon or ligament irritation, or a radiating burning sensation. When pain goes past the usual feeling of challenge and muscle burn, it’s important to stop immediately and not push any further.

People who are more competitive tend to never back down. They take pride in their ability to perform. However pushing past bad pain can result in long term injuries and harm to the body. Even working past extreme fatigue can be harmful. If experiencing bad pain or extreme fatigue, it’s necessary to slow down, but that doesn’t mean you need to stop moving. Pick up lighter weights, modify exercises, do rehabilitative movements, or just walk. Your body sends you signals for a reason, and it’s important to listen to them.

While you can often fool others, it’s much harder to fool yourself. Most times, you know when you’re being lazy versus when your body truly needs a break. When you don’t feel like pushing yourself, or are just feeling lazy, it’s good to push yourself anyways in those moments (barring any bad pain). When you feel truly exhausted and drained, the best thing you do is pull back— but keep moving. Get comfortable listening to your body.

Train hard, but be smart about your movement routine. Schedule your workouts so that a more draining workout is followed by an easier, recovery-based workout. Cross-train so that the same muscles aren’t getting overworked. Follow a cardio day with a more strength-based day. Give yourself at least one rest day a week. And don’t forget to stretch, drink lots of water, and get enough sleep.

Push yourself often, and recover just as hard. Doing so will keep your body healthy and active for the long-haul.

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Fire + Voice coaches people on-the-go on how to overcome busy days, yo-yo diets, and unsustainable fitness fads in order to stay fit from anywhere in the world-- and live a life of freedom rather than restrictions-- through online personal training, yoga, life coaching, and global retreats. We show our clients how to be fit and free. Most importantly, we give each client the tools they need to reclaim their body and life.