Most of us realize that it’s important to push yourself when working out – otherwise, you’ll never challenge yourself and you’ll struggle to make meaningful improvements – but we also need to recognize that it’s possible when pushing yourself too hard when working out.
The trouble is, most people don’t know where the limit resides.
How can you tell when you’re pushing too hard, versus when you’re pushing just hard enough?
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The Risks of Pushing Yourself Too Hard When Working Out
If you work out in a way that’s “too hard” or “too aggressive,” you could end up sabotaging your progress or worse – hurting yourself.
This could imply a variety of possibilities, such as lifting too much weight, running too fast, straining yourself past your natural limits, or neglecting the importance of rest.
These are some of the most noteworthy risks of pushing yourself too hard:
Personal injury
The most obvious risk here is personal injury. If you try to bench press 300 pounds despite never getting above 200 in the past, you could drop the bar and break a rib – or crush your windpipe.
In less extreme circumstances, you could easily strain a muscle or hurt a tendon.
In any of these situations, it will leave you in pain and searching for urgent care near me for the necessary medical attention.
Recovery impairment
Recovery is an essential part of any fitness regimen; your body can’t get stronger or faster unless it has adequate time to recover from your workouts.
If you push yourself too hard, working out every day, you’ll end up sabotaging yourself and impeding your results.
Burnout
Even if you feel a sense of accomplishment or reward from pushing yourself hard, excessive strain or effort can make you more likely to burn out in the future.
Are You Working Out Too Hard?
These are some of the most important signs that you’re working out too hard:
You don’t take rest days
Rest days are vital to help your body recover. The day after working out a specific muscle group with heavy weight training, it’s important to avoid activity with those muscle groups.
Ideally, you’ll get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night and you’ll give your body ample time to recover before pushing it again.
Your heart rate exceeds recommended limits
Take a look at a target heart rate chart and figure out what your ideal heart rate is while exercising.
Depending on the intensity level you want for your exercise, you’ll aim for a different percentage of that maximum rate.
If you end up hitting or exceeding that maximum limit, it’s a sign you should back off and take things a bit easier.
You feel persistent pain
It’s good to “feel the burn” during a workout, at least slightly. But there’s a big difference between mild strain and genuine pain. If you feel persistent pain in your muscles, tendons, bones, or other physical areas, it’s a sign you’re pushing yourself too hard.
You’re sore for multiple days following a workout
After a heavy workout, it’s natural to feel some muscle soreness the next day.
But if that soreness continues to follow you for more than a day or two, it’s potentially a sign that you pushed yourself too far.
Be sure to get plenty of additional rest before hitting the gym again.
You work out through soreness and pain
Again, it’s normal to feel some soreness and some pain, and it’s fine to lightly exercise while experiencing light soreness and pain.
But if you’re setting new personal records while still feeling sore from your previous workout, or if your pain is significant, you’re doing something wrong.
You’re plateauing
Workout plateaus are relatively common, and they can happen for a variety of reasons.
Essentially, this means that you’ve stopped seeing growth after a long upward trajectory; you’re no longer getting stronger or faster.
One of the most common causes of a workout plateau is overwork; you’re not giving your body enough rest to recover.
Working With a Personal Trainer to Avoid Injury while Exercising
How can you stop yourself from working out too hard?
If you’re very experienced, you’ll have an innate sense for the “sweet spot” of straining yourself.
Otherwise, your best option may be to hire a personal trainer.
Your personal trainer will work with you to build and cement good workout habits, guiding you in proper form and cautioning you to rest when necessary.
They’ll get to know you (and your fitness level) and provide you with direction on just how far you can push yourself.
Working out is almost always a good thing, helping you build strength and stamina while improving your fitness and staving off a host of health complications.
However, it can also hurt you if you’re not careful.
If you’re starting a new workout regimen or just pushing yourself for bigger, more dramatic changes, avoid pushing yourself too hard when working out.
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