The Case For Not Trying As Hard
Now let’s be clear, all throughout middle school, my nickname was “Tryhard.” I was the kid on the playground who ran into the fence trying to catch a pass, or dove on the ground to dodge the ball, until I inevitably sat down in math class after recess drenched in sweat and smelling like a dugout. That was young Hart. Now that I have matured (I promise), I’ve learned that there is a time and place for intensity, so long as it doesn’t impact our consistency.
We all know that gymgoer who will smash an Rx workout on Monday morning, and then disappear until Friday because they’re too sore to move for three days. While it may seem like they’re maximizing every second they’re in the gym, the truth is they’re actually minimizing the number of seconds they’re even spending in the gym.
What drives actual, lasting change is building a consistent habit that we keep a part of our lives, no matter what. This means that working out four to five times per week at 70% effort will serve us better in the long run than going one to two times per week at 110% effort. A study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that “participants who engaged in consistent, moderate-intensity resistance training for six months achieved better results in muscle size and strength than those who trained sporadically at a higher intensity.” In other words, it really is mostly about just showing up.
In the running world, this is a commonly accepted practice. When training for races, most runners follow the 80/20 principle. 80% of their weekly mileage is run at a casual pace, just time spent moving. Only 20% is spent at high intensity, doing longer workouts or intervals on a track. We can take a similar approach to our training at the gym.
One way to do this is to look at the schedule for the week, find the days you’ll be in class, and pick two workouts that you’re excited for. When those days roll around, be ready to push hard and kick some butt. For the rest of the week, whether it be two, three, or even four other sessions, lay off the gas a bit and move smoothly through the workout. You’ll still gain a lot of the benefits of a good gym session, while also giving your body a better chance to recover between those hard days.
This balance of consistency and intensity is an important one, especially when we think about stacking weeks, months, and years together to build and maintain a high level of fitness. We want to make sure that our gym routine is sustainable in the long run, and won’t leave us feeling drained or burnt out. So, next time you’re thinking about smoking a metcon for the third day in a row, maybe don’t - your body will thank you!
Hart
