We’ve all had those days where we drag though our workout. Every rep is a struggle. The dumbbells feel 5 pounds heavier.
My advice for those days: take an off day.
There is a reason our body feels like that on certain days. It’s telling us that it’s not up to par and needs a break. There could be several reasons for this. You could be overtrained. Maybe you haven’t been sleeping enough, or your eating habits have been terrible over the last couple days and it has finally caught up with you.
Whatever the case may be, working out could actually be detrimental to you at this point. Continuing to push your body when it is in this state weakens the immune system. Make up the day later in the week if you feel up to it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you shouldn’t push yourself every time you workout. If you feel like this 3 times a week, you’re just in terrible shape. Sometimes you need to tough it out, just be smart about it.
This principle can work the other way as well. If you are in a heavier phase of your program and there is a day where you are feeling really good and easily moving the weight, attempt a new max. As nice as it would be if our bodies were in sync with our lifting program and felt amazing for max week, it rarely (if ever) happens. Take advantage of the few days where the stars do align and go for a personal best on whatever you have that day.
We aren’t robots. Listen to your body and make the necessary adjustments. Push yourself when possible, but sometimes less is more.
Barrett Stover 