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When it's time to push yourself, and when it's time to hold back

It can be difficult to know when to push and when to hold back in workouts. Here are a few tips on knowing your body’s limits.

Emma Gronholz

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One of the trickiest things about lifting weights is knowing when to push yourself and when to hold back. Luckily for our members, our team of coaches is here to help guide you in this! But even so, we are firm believers in educating our members to know why they are doing certain things in the gym, including why they should push themselves sometimes, and why they should hold back other times. We hope this blog post helps shed light on when and why it might be time to increase weight on your lifts.

When to hold back:

  • If you are recovering from an injury or have had an injury in the past. In these instances, it’s always wise to take things slow. There is no need to overexert an area that is trying to heal.

  • If you are not able to keep proper form on all of the reps and complete the sets. It is extremely important to be considerate of the potential for injury when you’re lifting.

  • If you have a high overall volume for the week. Volume for the week is the number of reps that you perform for a particular movement or muscle group, multiplied by the amount of weight you’re lifting. The more reps you do, the less weight you need to do. 

  • If the movements are new or difficult. It is ok to allow yourself time to learn how to do the movements with lighter weights until the skill is developed and you feel confident.

When to push: 

  • If the movements are feeling easy or simple, and you want more of a challenge.

  • If you are able to keep proper form on all of your reps.

  • If you would rate the difficulty of the movement under a level 6 out of 10. 

  • For more information, check out Coach Chase’s blog on increasing weights.

Questions to ask yourself:

  • Have you been able to lift the same amount of weight for the last 2 weeks?

    • If the answer is yes, definitely increase.

    • If the answer is no, look at the following questions to judge if you should increase. 

  • Do you think you are able to do 2 additional reps on each set?

    • If the answer is yes, you would be able to easily get more than 2 reps, then go up.

    • If the answer is no, you would struggle to get 2 more reps or if you did 2 reps they would be in poor form, stay where you are at. 

  • On a scale of 1-10, is it a 6 or under? (1 being easy and 10 being extremely difficult)

    • If you feel like the answer is yes, then increase weight and try to get to a 7 or 8 difficulty.

    • If the answer is no, stay where you are. 

  • Do you feel like you have more in the tank?

    • If you feel like the answer is yes, you have lots left in the tank, then go up. 

    • If the answer is no, stay where you are. 

  • Are you hesitant to go up in weight for fear of injuries or do you feel intimidated by the numbers? 

    • If it is just because the weight is intimidating, then definitely go up! You are stronger than you think.

    • If it is due to feeling at risk for an injury, it’s best to stay where you are.

  • Are you able to keep proper form during all of your reps and sets?

    • If you feel like the answer is yes, try going up.

    • If you feel like the answer is no, stay where you are and potentially find a regression to where you are able to keep proper form. The biggest goal is full Range of Motion and proper form for reduced injury risk.

  • Have I had an injury in this body part before?

    • If the answer is yes, ask yourself: how long has it been since the injury? Do you feel fully recovered? Are you in any pain now? The goal is to never cause injury or pain in a lift. Sometimes it is better to stay at a lower weight to allow your body plenty of time to recover.

All of the movements we do at the gym are able to be modified to serve you and your goals. This can be done by progressing or regressing the movement, or increasing or decreasing the weight that you are using. When in doubt, ask a coach. They will be able to help guide you based on how your body is feeling and your answers to some of the questions outlined above. If you’re interested in learning more about Rise and how our coaches’ expertise can help you achieve your health and fitness goals, we’d love to sit down with you to chat. Schedule a Free Fitness Consultation here to get started.