Thinking we’re invincible in the gym could be a huge misstep for many of us lifters. Bad workouts do happen, and we’re all susceptible to having an off day. The real test of our training knowledge comes not only in the amount of off days we encounter, but how we push through them when they happen. A senseless lifter will train through the pain, which will lead to injury at some point down the road, if not immediately. Watch out for some of these red flags, so that you can adjust your workout as you go along.
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Your Lower Back Feels Tight
You’ll know when your lower back is doing more than it should. The lower back is part of the posterior chain, and gets used in every low-back, dominant movement, with some ample contribution from the glutes and hamstrings.
The Fix
During deadlifts, hypers, and even back squats, ensure that your technique is on point. If you notice a change, then back off the weight or choose a different variation of the same exercise for that day.
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You’re Feeling Stress in Your Joints
It can take awhile for your body to find “its groove” and feel limber and warm enough to lift some heavy weight. When joints feel achy during the workout itself, there’s almost no point in performing the workout. Your muscles aren’t firing enough to bare the load, and that could be happening for one of many reasons. To prevent yourself from feeling this, try addressing your soft tissue before you workout. Also, try foam rolling and some dynamic stretching and mobility drills, and do a proper warm-up. The more comprehensive your workout is, the more attention you should pay in preparing for it.
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Your Strength is Down
When you have a 315 pound max-squat, but your set at 225 pounds feels more like you just attempted 400, it may be a sign that you just don’t have it today. It happens, and it makes sense to check your ego at the door before you end up in the emergency room. The nervous system can respond rather strongly to aggressive, heavy lifting – especially if done frequently. As a result, your neurotransmitters may be giving you the finger on days following. That means your strength in low-rep sets will likely suffer.
The Fix
When it comes to strength, there are many ways to approach it. During the workout it may make sense to adjust your rep range or choose a different exercise. Outside of that, it may be a smart idea to listen to your body and take a deload week — at the very least, a couple of deload days. This pertains to a week where you still train hard, but stop short of heavy efforts, and lift lower percentages. They should be lower than your max reps at those percentages. For example, if 225 is your eight rep-max, do sets of six with it instead.
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You’re Too Sore
Soreness only affects range of motion. A good warm-up can properly counter this side effect and allow you to have a quality workout. With that said, be mindful of the fact that your body also needs ample recovery time. If you notice during a brutal workout that the muscle groups you’re training are leaving you with a debilitating soreness, then it may be a good idea to take it down a notch for the day. Be aware of the fact that there’s a fine line between being very sore and too sore. Don’t use soreness as an excuse to opt out of a workout. Experience in the gym will help you to know the difference.
The Fix
Schedule your workouts with enough space between the same muscle groups, and give the muscle groups at least 48 hours of recovery time. If you train the same muscle groups back to back, make sure both workouts aren’t similar. Also try out different movements or different rep ranges and intensities.
Thinking we’re invincible in the gym could be a huge misstep for many of us lifters. Bad workouts do happen, and we’re all susceptible to having an off day. The real test of our training knowledge comes not only in the amount of off days we encounter, but how we push through them when they happen. A senseless lifter will train through the pain, which will lead to injury at some point down the road, if not immediately. Watch out for some of these red flags, so that you can adjust your workout as you go along.
Your Lower Back Feels Tight
You’ll know when your lower back is doing more than it should. The lower back is part of the posterior chain, and gets used in every low-back, dominant movement, with some ample contribution from the glutes and hamstrings.
The Fix
During deadlifts, hypers, and even back squats, ensure that your technique is on point. If you notice a change, then back off the weight or choose a different variation of the same exercise for that day.
You’re Feeling Stress in Your Joints
It can take awhile for your body to find “its groove” and feel limber and warm enough to lift some heavy weight. When joints feel achy during the workout itself, there’s almost no point in performing the workout. Your muscles aren’t firing enough to bare the load, and that could be happening for one of many reasons. To prevent yourself from feeling this, try addressing your soft tissue before you workout. Also, try foam rolling and some dynamic stretching and mobility drills, and do a proper warm-up. The more comprehensive your workout is, the more attention you should pay in preparing for it.
Your Strength is Down
When you have a 315 pound max-squat, but your set at 225 pounds feels more like you just attempted 400, it may be a sign that you just don’t have it today. It happens, and it makes sense to check your ego at the door before you end up in the emergency room. The nervous system can respond rather strongly to aggressive, heavy lifting – especially if done frequently. As a result, your neurotransmitters may be giving you the finger on days following. That means your strength in low-rep sets will likely suffer.
The Fix
When it comes to strength, there are many ways to approach it. During the workout it may make sense to adjust your rep range or choose a different exercise. Outside of that, it may be a smart idea to listen to your body and take a deload week — at the very least, a couple of deload days. This pertains to a week where you still train hard, but stop short of heavy efforts, and lift lower percentages. They should be lower than your max reps at those percentages. For example, if 225 is your eight rep-max, do sets of six with it instead.
You’re Too Sore
Soreness only affects range of motion. A good warm-up can properly counter this side effect and allow you to have a quality workout. With that said, be mindful of the fact that your body also needs ample recovery time. If you notice during a brutal workout that the muscle groups you’re training are leaving you with a debilitating soreness, then it may be a good idea to take it down a notch for the day. Be aware of the fact that there’s a fine line between being very sore and too sore. Don’t use soreness as an excuse to opt out of a workout. Experience in the gym will help you to know the difference.
The Fix
Schedule your workouts with enough space between the same muscle groups, and give the muscle groups at least 48 hours of recovery time. If you train the same muscle groups back to back, make sure both workouts aren’t similar. Also try out different movements or different rep ranges and intensities.
