It’s true. The magic of muscle growth, fat burning, and other physical adaptations don’t happen in the gym.

They happen when we’re NOT in the gym … especially when we’re sleeping.

That’s when our body rallies the recovery troops and builds us back up so we can hit the weights – or basketball court or golf course – the next day.

Not Getting The Results You Expected?

So, if you’re not getting the results you’d like from your workouts, look at your sleep and hydration first. Those are the two most overlooked areas regarding recovery and being able to bounce back from training.

But the aspect that I want to emphasize today is, “Are you doing too much?”

Instagram gurus and irresponsible trainers are out there promoting their “soul-crushing workouts,” “beatdowns,” and “sweat fests.”

Stay away.

Maybe somewhere in your fitness, you fell victim to this “no pain, no gain” mentality.

Trust me … it only leads to pain, injury, a compromised immune system, and damaged adrenal glands.

So the trick is to understand how hard to push and how often.

 You want to emerge from each training session, bruised but not broken.

You shouldn’t feel obliterated by your workout. Instead, it would be best if you walked away feeling like there’s gas in the tank for the next one.

How much pain you’re in and how sweaty you are possibly the two worst indicators of the quality of a workout.

Training to Failure

In the world of bodybuilding, there is a method in which people work out to exhaustion, which is commonly called training to failure. This method breaks down the muscle fibers to the maximum, intending to produce maximum muscle gain. However, unless you are a skilled aspiring bodybuilder or fitness competitor, we recommend keeping a comfortable pace. 

There are a few reasons why training to failure will do more harm than good. 

You are more likely to injure yourself, burn out, be unable to keep up with your workout routine and quit working out altogether.

Training to failure is counterproductive to a sustainable training system that will keep you healthy and pain-free long term. Instead, match your weight to your repetition scale and use the rest-pause principle if needed.

How often should you train

When you adhere to a balanced strength training program, an average of three times a week is sufficient to get great results. On the days from the weights, you can take walks, do some aerobics and stretches.

Here is a simple trick you can start using today. Before heading to the gym, ask yourself, “On a scale of 1-5, how excited am I to train today?” If the answer is 4 or 5, go for it. If the answer is a 3 or less, you’re probably better off taking a day off or doing light recovery work like walking or stretching. 

And if you keep coming up with 1’s and 2’s consistently, it might be time to reevaluate your workouts.

Your workouts are supposed to help you, not hurt you,

excite you, not bore you.

The proof is in the results … and the results only come if we treat our body with the care and respect it deserves and when we keep our training balanced.