What Does A “Challenging” Workout Feel Like?

Age 36: Only after embracing the discomfort of a challenging workout

did the results begin to come my way.

In my early 30s I hit a wall at the gym. When I pushed myself to my then-limit, I felt really uncomfortable physically, dizzy and hot. I wanted to look a certain way but to do so I knew I had to break through that barrier of discomfort.

I convinced a competitive bodybuilder at my gym—who had already shed 3 other workout partners because they could not cope with his work ethic—to take me on. I was determined to reach my goal and by choosing this guy I knew it would be a matter of “sink or swim.” He took me on, I gritted my teeth, and I broke though.

Whenever I hit the wall previously, I stopped. But when I hit the wall with this guy, I had to keep going, and amazingly, once I pushed past that initial discomfort and overheating, I felt cool and powerful. I realized I had built my own barrier, and then for years afterward refused to break through it. 

Discomfort comes with the territory.

If you are not making progress in your workout, not seeing the results you think you deserve to see, there are most likely multiple reasons for this. First off, keep your smartphone in your locker. If, after performing your set, you can immediately pick up your phone and begin scrolling, then your set was absolute shit. 

As you perform your set your mind must be completely focused on the target muscle. Your chosen weight should be such that doing 10 reps provides an unpleasant challenge, and as you near rep number eight you should feel depleted of strength, light-headed and fighting for oxygen. After that set, your mind as well as your body should be entirely preoccupied with recovering—so much so that your hands should be trembling, enough to make picking up your phone and scrolling the last thing you want to do at that moment. Then you want to rest no more than one minute, and repeat.

On leg day if you don’t feel light-headed during and after EVERY set, you’re doing it all wrong. Smaller muscle groups, such as biceps, will not have the same dizzying effect as legs, but DEPLETED is exactly how you should feel after completing a properly executed set for any given bodypart.

The only way you will make progress is by challenging yourself, by adopting stricter form, upping your weight, and increasing the number of reps to get you within your DISCOMFORT zone.