A trainer I used to know loved to call his workouts “beatdowns” and “sweat-fests.” Everyone seemed to think it was funny, and took the nicknames to heart.
But the idea of a workout “beating you down” or “crushing you” runs contrary to everything we know about the human body and how it responds to exercise.
You’re supposed to feel better after your workout … not like you got hit by a bus.
The idea behind taking precious time out of your day for your training is to have enough gas left in the tank to come back tomorrow … and the next day … and next week … next month … and next year.
The goal is to stay active as long as you want.
And that’s not going to happen if you fall for the trap of “beatdown workouts” or “sweat-fests.”
Stay away.
Sure, you should push yourself and train hard. Get out of your comfort zone. Try to do better than last time.
Just don’t fall for the extreme workouts that leave you writhing on the floor in pain.
This approach to exercise is not sustainable.
The quality of a workout should not be measured by the pain you feel or the amount of sweat on the floor.
Results come from consistently leaving something in the tank for next time.
So you make sure there IS a next time.