Whether your background has been in athletics, being overall active, or if you’re a beginner in your health journey, I guarantee you often deal with a common yet unspoken question: am I pushing myself too hard or not enough?
Having been an athlete for 15 years, I still struggle with this dilemma. It was my responsibility to continuously shoulder past what I thought possible and to define new lines of capability to reach my goals. I had to eventually face a reality that there is such a thing as too much and it can hinder my progress, but I never wanted to leave a practice thinking I could’ve given more. Even in sport retirement, I find that it’s a constant conundrum.
I’m sure you’re thinking: “Well, I’m NOT an athlete and I won’t ever have to face that situation.”
Newsflash: You ARE an athlete, you do have goals, and you will most likely face this question almost every time you gear up.
Deciding if you’re pushing yourself too much or not enough comes in different forms. One pertains to your overall fitness routine and the other could be a split decision made in the middle of an intense session.
Let’s identify what a split decision looks like, the pros and cons to saying yes or no, and how that decision can affect your fitness routine.
The Split Decision: Should I Go Further?
When we have the courage to step up to the plate of facing a difficult training session, our bodies often hit a wall 3/4ths in. We’re confronted whether or not we should push past our comfort zone or to listen to the warning sirens our body exudes. Where and how is that line defined? Am I not pushing myself hard enough when I say no? Am I weak-willed? How much of it is pressing past mental boundaries versus physical?
The majority will assume that the most difficult obstacle they will face is the need to push themselves more. However, I would argue that it’s even harder to say no.
Some athletes may state that they would never regret making the decision to drive past their mental and physical boundaries for every training session. While this mentality in itself is commendable, they often forget their long term goals and how, after time, this could greatly affect their performance because they become burnt out.
Gradually, people are turned off by the idea of training because they developed an unhealthy predisposition of what working out is (the need to push past), thus hindering their overall fitness routine mentally and physically.
So, let’s break it down to 3 ways that will help identify if you’re pushing yourself too hard or not enough:
1. By having a workout plan.
Every fitness journey begins with a plan. If you don’t have a plan, it’s easy to convince yourself you need to do more.
Example: people who don’t run suddenly going on a 5 mile jog.
Inconsistent routine results in the “go big or go home” approach. This tendency is motivated by guilt. As a result, we feel the need to almost punish ourselves to make up for the time we didn’t work out. I’m sure all of us are guilty of this at one point or another. It knocks ourselves off of our feet for days, causing us to mutter “I’m never going to do that again,” and we start to associate fitness with punishment and a really sore body.
If you have this disposition, you are pushing yourself too hard and also not enough. Get into a workout routine to avoid the spontaneous urge to purge the lack of physical activity in your lifestyle.
2. By exploring and defining your limits.
The more active you are, the easier it is to understand how your body functions, what it needs, and what’s harmful to it. You know your body more than anyone else, and it’s important to define your own limits.
For some people, it’s difficult for their bodies to keep up with their minds, and for others, it’s difficult to talk their minds into believing they can do more with their bodies.
When your body tells you no, it’s imperative to listen to avoid burnout or injury. Saying no doesn’t equate to weakness. It means having a plan and being strategic to what will benefit versus harm your future performance. It's a form of self-discipline and it can mean honoring your body.
If you find yourself stopping in the middle of a session because you’re frustrated or don’t feel like continuing, you can count on the fact that you’re not pushing yourself hard enough. Recollect your thoughts, remind yourself why you are here, and try again.
There's a distinct difference between channeling an inner strength to continue your workout and pulling from an inner strength to push past your boundaries. It’s healthy and important to distinguish between the two and to practice saying both yes and no to yourself.
3. By asking if your body can afford it the next day.
In the moment of decision making, ask yourself if pushing will cause muscle fatigue and ultimately hinder your performance for your fitness routine the next day. You must set your body up for success to maintain endurance to achieve your regimen. Sometimes it’s okay leaving the gym feeling like you could've given just a little bit more. It means you are thinking long term to set yourself up for another great workout.
If the answer is no, I cannot afford the extra push, then you know you would've gone too far.
Remember, you want to avoid burnout (overtraining and under recovery)! If you’re feeling fatigued all the time and it’s preventing you from even doing lighter workouts, you know you’re actively pushing too hard.
However, if you can afford it and have a rest period ahead of you, why not push yourself a little more? If you feel like your body is capable of doing a High Intensity Interval Training workout, challenge yourself. Did you know it’s beneficial to floor a car once in a while to clean the carbon out of the engine? Pushing past your boundaries of comfort leads to liberation, confidence, and the addicting feeling of accomplishment.