Are you failing when you’re in the gym?
We have found over the years that clients are reticent to “fail” when they are at the gym. In this short video we explain why “failing” is actually a good thing, and by not pushing yourself to that point you wont be getting the results that you deserve.
In this video, you will learn:
- Females in particular consider that they’ve failed (negatively) if they don’t complete a full set of repetitions
- The actual thing you’re trying to achieve when you work out is to push yourself to progress
- You should actively be looking to fail
- You’re probably talking and not exercising if you’re in the gym longer than an hour
- You should try to give your body something to progress from
- Men are used to failing more than women
- You’ll actually be succeeding by failing
Transcript:
Mark: Hi! This is Mark and Steve from TheDVCC.com, the place to be to lose fat and increase muscle tone. Are you failing when you’re in the gym? That’s kind of a weighted question because especially with females, we find that if they don’t complete a full set of repetitions for any exercise, then they’ve actually failed. Now, Steve’s going to explain how this is incorrect.
Stephen: It’s not actually true and I know why people get like that, because they’re used to always trying to achieve something. But the actual thing you’re trying to achieve when you work out is to push yourself to progress. Now, if you are able to do – say, for example, you’re doing 60 seconds of an exercise. And you can just do that and you could probably go on for another 90 seconds, another 60 seconds even. Then you’re not actually going to get the training effect that you’re really looking for.
What you want to be doing is by say 50 seconds, really be struggling to actually push that weight up and to actually complete your 60 seconds. So by the end of 60 seconds, you’re glad it’s finished. You wouldn’t be able to do another 15, 20 seconds more. You’re actually looking to try and almost fail. So you’re either not able to complete the number of reps or you’re pretty much there so that you couldn’t carry on for very much longer. You are actually looking to try and fail.
Mark: So, an example is whether we’re training to lose fat or trying to increase muscle, say we’re trying to do 15 repetitions, if I hit 15, then I’ve been actually been incorrect there and I’ve gone too light. I should be aiming to do 13, maybe just get 14, but I can’t really get the 15th. And that’s failure, but actually, that’s good failure because you’re pushing your body to progress and you’re challenging yourself. As Stephen said, if you do 15 repetitions, you’re not really challenging yourself because the max you want to be doing is 15. You should be aiming for about 13 or 14.
Stephen: And that’s the key, is that you’re trying to give your body something to progress from. So it needs to be challenged. If you’re able to lift a lot more for a lot more repetitions, then your body is not going to feel the need to actually progress and actually adapt.
Mark: So it’s more applicable for females it seems in our experience that men are obviously used to failing more and females not. So the next time you’re working out, try and push yourself that much harder so you can’t complete all the repetitions or you can’t complete all the time. And actually, you’ll have done your body a great service and really push yourself to progress whereas you’re not failing as it were.
Stephen: So, in other words, you’re going to be succeeding by failing.
Mark: Nice! So, this is Mark and Steve from TheDVCC.com,. Leave your comments over at the blog on TheDVCC.com, and be sure to subscribe.
Thanks again. We’ll see you next time on TheDVCC.com, TV.
