If you want to make quick progress with your fitness levels, you need to learn to push yourself to exhaustion.
Almost 100% of the time, when your mind is telling you you’re tired, you can actually continue for a lot longer.
If you’re running and you keep telling yourself:
“I’m tired…I should stop…I ran enough”…
Don’t stop.
Keep pushing yourself and keep going.
Unless you literally feel like you’re about to pass out or throw up; keep going!
Every single time I push myself when I think I’m tired, I always go a lot longer than expected.
Oh, and I feel amazing after.
Have I ever passed out or gotten injured?
No.
This applies more to cardio exercises.
With weight lifting, it’s different.
Just because you bench press 250 lbs. doesn’t mean you should push yourself and try to bench 300 lbs.
That’s a quick and easy way to pull a muscle or develop an injury.
With weightlifting, you have to make slow and steady progress.
Add 2.5 lbs. to 5.lbs every week without skipping a week.
With cardio (jogging, running, sprinting) you can push yourself a lot longer and improve your endurance and stamina.
Here’s a little trick, next time you feel like giving up, tell yourself:
“No, my legs aren’t going to fall off if I keep going, and no I am not going to pass out, I’m almost done, I can do it!”
And keep pushing and pushing!
I promise you’ll be very proud of yourself after.
The only way to make quick progress with your body, stamina, and endurance is to push yourself to exhaustion.
Don’t condition yourself to quit the moment you feel tired.
It’s mostly mental!
Sometimes cardio can get boring and in order to end it, you lie to yourself and say you’re tired.
Do you know what tired is?
Tired is when you can’t stand up and walk.
Tired is when you can’t keep your eyes open.
Tired is when you feel nauseous or light headed.
And if you’re not experiencing any of that…
You keep going!
-Alex
The Rational Rebel says
This is very true. “Tired” is just a lame excuse. I have a goal of reaching 5 minutes in planking. For a while I was stuck on a minute and a half and couldn’t understand why. Then, I realized that I’m being too easy on myself and it’s all in my mind. The next time I parked, I went up to two minutes and 20 seconds. Today I’m at 3:15.
Having said that, you must know your body and know when to stop. I’ve injured myself too many times just because I was stupid and pushed too hard (I’m talking knee injury, 3 shoulder dislocations during swimming training, and a disc protrusion with a tear in a disc that kept me in bed for 6 months).
Btw, Will from Revolutionary Lifestyle Design just posted an excellent post on diet and training mistakes we should all stop making: http://revolutionarylifestyledesign.com/20-diet-and-training-mistakes-you-need-to-stop-making/
Tara
http://therationalrebel.com
Alex (Administrator) says
Very well said, Tara. Thanks for sharing the article!
-Alex
Gracelyn says
I loved this!! I’m a long distance runner and i do the mile, i really needed this thank you so much!!
Alexander Writer says
You’re welcome!