I confessed to you in High Intensive Training that I have a problem when I train – I simply don’t know how to hold back. When I lift, I tend to go all out, usually on every set. While it sounds tough it’s not always a good thing. In fact, I have actually been getting weaker as a result.
Too often I have been training too hard. Don’t get me wrong – I am all for training hard and pushing myself in the gym. But stopping every set of every exercise when another rep in great form is not possible is a great way to burn out and get weaker.
Trust me. I have experienced this myself as of late and seen dozens of frustrated lifters do the same thing every week.
I hate to admit this problem because I know better. But by sharing my mistakes I hope to keep you from making the same one.
I know it’s not smart to train so close to failure on a regular basis. I know that by doing so I’m setting myself up to over train, get injured, and get weaker. In Fat Loss Detour I give the instructions to stop every set when you know you can perform about 2 more reps.
But until recently I just couldn’t stop myself. Holding myself back in the gym and not training so close to failure is not something I am good at doing.
I should note that I never train to complete failure – stopping a set when I can’t complete a full rep. I always stopped my sets when I knew another rep in good form wasn’t possible. However, my last rep usually came up pretty dang slow.
Example: my best conventional deadlift for reps is 225 for 8. However, last week I did 215 for a set of 7. Instead of using as much weight as possible and pulling until I couldn’t pull another rep in good form, I am focused on keeping my reps fast and crisp, and leaving a rep or two “in the tank”. After this set I felt great, not like I was going to collapse into a big heaping mess on the floor.
I have to admit I love to lift heavy weights for reps, and dropping down the weight is a kick to my ego, but I know it will pay off. By doing so I can progress each week, recover from my training, and keep moving forward instead of backwards. And that is the key to long term success.
While training all out is fun at the time, being smart so I can train for decades down the road is even more important.
Another example: before my first powerlifting meet I pulled 260 for several singles for my final deadlift workout. And then I went on to pull 300 pounds for the first time at the meet. That was a 40 pound PR!
Looking back on that experience I believe it’s contributed to the fact that my singles were not grinders in the least. I pulled 260 quickly and smoothly.
Here is an important tip:
Choose your battles – feel free to go all out on a set from time to time, but don’t make it a weekly event. I know I’ll perform an all out set of deadlifts in the future, but I’ll be smart about it and do it on occasion, not weekly. It’s fun to challenge yourself and see what you’re capable of achieving, but you must choose your battles wisely. Don’t go all out every time you train.
If you feel amazing one day and really want to push yourself, then go for it. Just be smart about it.