How hard should you be pushing yourself at the gym? Do you struggle with pacing yourself in a workout? Do you get half-way through a WOD and feel tired and zone out? “No pain, no gain” isn’t always necessarily the answer.
CrossFit is challenging and we are going to talk about how hard you should be pushing yourself.
Pacing
Pacing yourself in a workout is super important. It takes strategy and some forethought. For example, if you were going to run a marathon, you’re not going to charge out of the gates at the pace that you would do a 100m sprint. You’d start at a pace you knew you could maintain, knowing what you have ahead of you. CrossFit is similar, and the same principles apply. If you’re new to CrossFit and you go hard out the gate in a 40 min workout, you might feel like you’ve been hit by a bus and not come back. Having a strategy can keep you going for the long run, for example, having timed breaks can keep you moving faster over a longer period. They’re also good on your body and reduce risk of injury. In the next long workout, try giving yourself a short break and focus on your breathing. You can thank us later.
Rest Days
Taking rest days in-between your training days is very important. These help your body recover and grow stronger.
In a workout, some things to take note of:
Its normal to have a higher heart rate
Its normal to sweat or feel hot
Its normal to feel a little dizzy when you push yourself hard
Its normal to feel muscle fatigue
Its normal to feel a little tired maybe a little discomfort
A Sign To Stop
When you feel any sharp pain in a certain part of your body
When your dizziness lasts longer that a few minutes
When your heart rate is irregular or excessively fast
It’s important to understand the difference between pain and discomfort. Pushing through a workout, when you’re mildly uncomfortable, is very different than pushing through when in pain. We want to teach you to understand your limitations.
Please always ask a coach if you have any concerns.
We’re here to help. Happy training!