Today’s blog is allll about workout intensity!
WHOA!!! ……….sounds……intense!
To kick things off, I have a question and before you answer, take a few seconds to think about it and be honest with yourself.
There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers.
The goal is to answer honestly, and then I’ll explain more.
But first, my question:
When exercising, are you working out *hard enough*?
Are you truly challenging yourself?
Do you get / feel uncomfortable at times?
Are your last few reps extra hard and challenging?
Do you feel winded and needing rest after using that heavy weight?
OR………
Do you take shortcuts / not finish the full set?
Do you breeze through exercises quickly, never needing a rest break?
Do you say “no” when prompted to try the harder progression or heavier weight just ’cause ya don’t wanna?!
Do you use the same weights all the time and never increase the resistance / load?
Regardless of your actual, physical strength, exercise has everything to do with mindset:
What you can do (not just what ya wanna do), your willingness to challenge yourself and acceptance to embrace the suck.
Exercising is HARD!
Sometimes it totally sucks!
Can be the last thing you want to do.
Most people don’t exactly love exercising but THRIVE on the post-workout high, the benefits reaped and the results experienced!
Sooooo, how you decide to show up for yourself every day is what keeps you focused and pushing towards your goals.
You will always have two options upon arriving at your workout / gym / Results Fitness:
#1. You can show up with a bad attitude and poor mindset.
#2. You can show up with a positive, “can do” mindset and be ready to give it your all -whatever your all is at that moment.
Remember, you aren’t doing this for me, your other RF coaches or anyone else.
You are doing this for YOU!
At the end of the day, the person you have to answer to is yourself.
Yes, you will have many ups and downs because change is f*ckin’ hard, but never give up my Warriors because it is all worth the struggle!
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MOTIVATION IS NOT THE ANSWER
If you are looking for that extra push from a coach or that perfect song to come on so you can crush your workout, look no further than within!!
Sure, having your coach holler “give me 3 more reps” or rocking out to your favorite bass thumping beat is super motivating!
But the magic comes from your personal drive and the ability to dig deep and exceed your self-limiting boundaries.
Coaches are very valuable and music moves people but, in the end, YOU are in control and that’s super powerful!!
You cannot rely on motivation because motivation is a fleeting emotion and NOT constant.
If you relied solely on motivation to go to work, feed your kids and brush your teeth, nothing would get done.
You have to be willing to look beyond ‘motivation’ if you want to succeed.
This means doing the shit on days you’d rather not and making trade-off’s when it comes to choices about food, sleep, alcohol, etc. – all of it.
If you want to level up your workout and continue challenging yourself every time you walk through our doors, let me introduce you to the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale pictured below.
The RPE scale is an effective tool for gauging workout intensity so that you can ALWAYS get the most out of your workouts!
If you want to see results quicker, I recommend working between a 7 – 9 range.
A 10 is usually super-duper uncomfortable and can potentially lead to injury in the long run.
The rainbow-colored scale is reflective of how you would FEEL at each level.
Take a look at the RPE scale below and before your next workout, pick a number between 7-9 and aim to hit that level of intensity.
Self-monitor your efforts and see what happens! As your coaches, we will continue managing expectations by reminding you:
#1. You need to feel uncomfortable to create change.
#2. You have to step outside your comfort zone!
Disclaimer: this is about YOU and you only!
Intensity looks/feels different and is relative to us all individually.
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HOW ‘HEAVIER’ SHOULD YOU GO?
The second chart below is based on the one above but geared towards muscle fatigue and picking the appropriate weight for the movement.
Again, this is completely subjective and different for everyone since you are all starting at different fitness levels.
Don’t let that deter you though.
Using heavy weights is relative to each of us so your goal is picking up weights that are heavy and challenging to YOU while moving your body with picture-perfect form.
Never ever sacrifice form.
Challenging your muscles won’t make them big and bulky.
Challenging your muscles will help you become strong AF, burn more fat, and give you a leaner, more defined look and overall body composition.
Being strong makes life today, tomorrow, and 20+ years down the road EASY.
Getting out of bed, carrying groceries, picking up your kids and grandkids, using the stairs – this stuff shouldn’t hurt or feel hard.
That’s why strength training is super important and why you are here!
And remember, you need to feel challenged and a little uncomfortable when using weights and exercising to create change.
This stuff isn’t meant to feel effortless and easy.
Check out this chart and at your next workout, strive for an 8-9 out of 10 when picking your weights.
I would also recommend tracking the weights you use during HIIT Classes (we do this for you in Small Group Personal Training) so you know what to get and can see how your strength is improving!
Understanding your weights and knowing what you use is something you always want to be mindful of and pay attention to in order to get the most out of each and every workout.
**Remember, always practice safe sets!**
