It is a classic internal battle. Is your body failing, or is your brain just trying to protect you from discomfort? Distinguishing between physical exhaustion and mental resistance is a skill that even elite athletes must constantly develop and refine. Here is a question from a reader who is curious about the process of training when you don’t feel like it:
Stew, how do you know which days are appropriate for scaling back the workout for recovery or injury prevention, versus gutting it out and working through it regardless of how you feel? What’s the balance between optimal training and mental toughness? Thanks, Sam.
Great question. I’ve always said there’s a fine line between mental toughness and stupidity, and it is true. The most reliable way to distinguish this conflict is to give it 10 minutes. The 10-Minute Rule lets you get moving (do the warmup) and figure it out logically. If you feel better and the fog is lifted after 10 minutes, go for it. If you still feel heavy, stiff, or your heart rate is abnormally high for effort, this is a good signal to take a recovery day (or mobility day).
Today, for instance, I am personally taking it easier these first three weeks of the year, because last year, even though it was a good year, it was highly stressful. I know I am burned out, and I know I can push harder and keep doing it, only to get burned out even more. I could even get sick because I’m just burning the candle at both ends. So, my New Year’s goal was to recover from the last two months of the previous year and then start working on my goals.
So, there is a difference. There’s a difference between your mind saying, “I really don’t feel well,” and your body saying, “I really don’t feel well.” Obviously, if you are ill or fighting an illness or injury, that is a logical place to pull back on your workouts. Or at least work around your illness or injury, like with mobility work or easy non-impact cardio if needed. Or do the upper body if a lower extremity is injured.
For instance, I wake up every day, and my mind is saying, “Oh, man, I have to get up. I’m too comfortable right now.” But I soon come to my senses and rephrase it as, “I get to go work out right now.” And then you get up anyway. That little mindset shift — being grateful for the opportunity to continue doing what I do each day — has done more for me than anything else.
But there’s that second when you really don’t feel like getting up. That five o’clock came early. I wish I could sleep another hour. I don’t. But the thought is there.
Now, if I listen to that thought and think, “I must be tired, that’s not good, and you will regret it.” But if I go to the workout and I do the warmup of that workout, I can let the warmup tell me how I feel versus my thoughts. If I am still dragging after the warmup, I may pull back a bit or extend the warmup until I feel better. But if that workout peps me up and tells me I’m ready to go now, I just keep going and get after it.
There are a few objective ways to determine logically if you are tired or just think you are tired:
Heart rate. Know your resting heart rate (first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed). If that is higher than normal, pull back. If normal, go for it.
Grip test. Grip strength is a known central nervous system test. Squeeze a baseline hydraulic hand dynamometer to measure grip strength, measured in pounds per square inch (PSI). If it is lower than normal, this is an alarm that you are burned out.
This will take some trial and error. There may be a day when you listen to your thoughts, stay in bed and just lie there waiting to go back to sleep. That may be an indicator that you made the wrong decision and should start your workout.
Want to Learn More About Military Life?
Whether you’re thinking of joining the military, looking for fitness and basic training tips, or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.
