Overcome the “good workout” myths to go from a good workout and program to a great one.
Your shirt is half soaked or there's a puddle of sweat on your mat?
Your heart was pounding so hard, it literally felt like it would beat out of your chest?
You lifted that weight until you couldn’t move it another inch or you’re numb with soreness?
You “feel” like you got a good workout from the music, yelling, dancing, and the atmosphere?
Some people use one or all of these to determine if their workout and program is “good”.
So how do you know if you had a “good workout”?
How do you know if your workout is effective?
Let’s dispel some myths and define a good workout and an effective program.
(As bonus, we’ll share how to go from a good to a great workout at the end)
Because what’s the point of having ONE good workout?
You want your program to help you reach your goals long term!
Myths of a “Good Workout”
Myth #1 - High Intensity
When we say high intensity, most people imagine ‘sweating, high heart rate, and working until exhaustion.’
We’ll talk about sweating later but using a high heart rate to measure a good workout isn’t quite accurate.
Your heart rate can increase from:
- hot and humid weather
- dehydration, stress, poor sleep
- serious medical or health conditions
- doing high effort continuous work (not necessarily exercise)
A high heart rate can signal that your body is experiencing bad stress.
While there is a time and place to train with high intensity…
Expecting all your workouts to be high intensity and spiking your heart rate could do more harm than good.
High intensity can:
- lead to more stress during your workout and accumulated each session
- require more time to recover between workout sessions
- increase the need for more food as fuel and recovery
- increase risk of injury
High intensity is a part of your overall exercise program, not the objective.
Build up to higher intensity and also have varying levels of intensity in your program.
Myth #2 - Muscle Soreness
“I’m so sore! That was a great workout!”
Exercise scientists thought soreness from “microtears” was the process behind building muscle.
But recent studies show that challenging your muscles with enough ‘tension’ is what makes them grow (hypertrophy).
Basically, you don’t have to break your body down to build muscle.
Trying to get sore could make your recovery and muscle growth take longer.
Muscle soreness can happen for several reasons:
- Novel exercise (a new type of exercise your body isn’t used to)
- Exercising when dehydrated (electrolyte imbalance, heat, humidity)
- A new stimulus (more weight, more volume, different exercise combinations)
Changing your exercises, combinations and volume is a part of your program…
But the goal isn't to constantly change these variables to get sore.
Soreness will happen as you change your program, but it’s not the goal.
Myth #3 - PBs (Personal Bests) / PRs (Personal Records)
The heaviest weight you’ve lifted or your best performance is a PB or PR.
And I’m guilty of chasing this in my twenties… and to my detriment in my thirties.
The desire to achieve new PRs can come from:
- the highschool weight room mentality
- people ONLY sharing their PR lifts on social media
- the feeling of accomplishment when you set these new records
Us competitive types get caught up in chasing this rabbit too frequently.
Call it ego, meathead-ness, youth or plain misguidance…
Attempting PRs stresses your body and central nervous system…
Seasoned lifters get injured despite their experience, knowledge and preparedness.
So it's especially dangerous for beginner to intermediate clients.
This might be the most dangerous myth to chase from this list.
When you lift weights consistently with increasing intensity, resistance and volume...
Over time, your body will get stronger and you will be able to hit records.
But chasing PRs and PBs every workout is not responsible.
Myth #4 - Sweating
This is the most common myth of a “good workout”.
“I don’t feel like I got a good workout unless I sweat!”
First of all, sweating is the main way your body cools itself.
- When the weather is hot, you sweat
- When you go into a sauna, you sweat
- When you put on too much clothes, you sweat
- When you’re sick, your body heats up to kill the virus… and you sweat
If you’re active long enough you’ll get sweaty:
- Going for a long walk or a hike
- Cleaning, gardening, moving furniture
- Hobbies or sports that require continuous movement
As you'll see in our 3 tier approach to a good workout...
Activity that you enjoy is terrific to include in your lifestyle.
But there is a difference between that and a workout for specific improvements in your fitness.
Remember, you will sweat from most moderate effort workouts and activities.
But expecting to be drenched, every workout?
You might as well sit and relax in a sauna.. don’t forget your water and electrolytes!
Myth Busting
But why do so many fall for these myths?
Two reasons.
The More is Better Fallacy and Instant Gratification.
The More is better fallacy states,
“A little bit of something is good, so more must be better!”
- More intensity = more calories burned
- More soreness = more muscles built
- More PRs / RBs = more strength
- More sweat = a better workout
Right?
Not exactly.
Intensity and PRs are just PART of a good program
Soreness and sweat are results of different types of workouts.
And Instant Gratification, wanting to feel the effects of your workout right away...
Can lead to ‘myth-hunting’,
- With high intensity, you can FEEL your heart rate spike and you FEEL exhausted
- With muscle soreness, you FEEL the tightness and inflammation from your workout
- With PRs, you FEEL your maximum effort and a FEELING of accomplishment
- With sweat, you FEEL the sweat dripping down your face and you see your sweat soaked shirt and towel
They give you immediate, tangible “proof” that you did something…
So it FEELS like you had a good workout.
Don’t get me wrong! Working out is a big step up from diet pills, hacks and spot reducing.
But instant gratification is what puts people in a position to need big changes, in the first place.
Here’s a three tier system to be certain you have a good workout.
But more importantly, an effective program you can sustain.
What’s Actually a Good Workout
Tier 1 - Show Up to Workout
You’re active
You’re safe
It’s helping you improve your day
I love the saying,
“Exercise to celebrate what your body can do, not to punish yourself for what you ate or how you feel.”
Tier 1 is about showing up and doing what you enjoy
- a simple strength training program
- light cardio - walking, treadmill, hikes, cycling
- group exercise programs - CrossFit, yoga, pilates
- where you enjoy the music, dancing, and atmosphere
- an active hobby or sport - paddle ball, badminton, golf
As long as you start safely (optimally with guidance)
And it’s improving your quality of life:
- lower or help manage stress
- have more energy
- enjoy moving
Showing up consistently and being active with what you enjoy is better than…
Starting something to get “fast results” but stopping because you hate it.
Naval Ravikant says,
“Read what you love until you love to read.”
We'll adjust it to,
“Be active with what you enjoy until you enjoy being active”
You can get a head start if you use Tier 1 also as a learning opportunity.
Tier 2 - Workout With a Purpose
Whichever activity you chose in tier 1, they fall into these three main pillars of fitness:
- Strength
- Cardio
- Flexibility
If you stick to one pillar long enough, improving the other pillars will help with the one you enjoy.
Pillar 1 - Strength
- Building muscle / bodybuilding
- Powerlifting /Strongman
- Olympic weight lifting
- Some crossfit-like gyms bias more towards strength
- Even the ‘build a booty’ programs are strength based
Pillar 2 - Cardio
- Running, cycling, swimming any long endurance sports
- Most classes - cycling, bootcamp, orangetheory, zumba
- Hiking, walking and similar activities are cardio based
- Some crossfit gyms bias more towards cardio
Pillar 3 - Flexibility
More accurately called mobility but flexibility is the common term:
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Barre
Low impact, slow movements, holding different positions/poses.
Here's how these three pillars help to improve the others.
If you enjoy strength:
- Cardio will help you recover between workouts and within the workout
- Flexibility will help you move better for performance and lower injury risk
If you enjoy cardio:
- Strength will help you perform better and lower risk of injury
- Flexibility will help you recover and perform better
If you enjoy flexibility:
- Strength will help hold positions long and progress to harder movements
- Cardio will help you endure positions longer and recover better
Workout with a purpose means you follow the tried and true method that helps anyone improve performance.
Progressive overload.
You gradually(progressive) increase the intensity(overload) to improve performance.
Whether it’s becoming stronger, building more muscle, running faster or longer, or being stronger in deeper stretched positions…
You’ll start by using progressive overload for your first choice of activity
Then you’ll start using it with the other two pillars.
Let's review.
In Tier 1, you have a “good workout” because you’re consistent, any activity is good activity!
You do an activity you enjoy.
In Tier 2, you have a “good workout” because your workout will lead to a specific outcome, improving your pillars of fitness.
This is where you learn to enjoy activity.
After learning to enjoy what you do, Tier 3 is the most important part to make your good program sustainable.
Tier 3 - Recover From Your Workout
Tiers 1 and 2 involve what happens during your workout.
Tier 3 is what you do before and after your workout.
- Warm up - prepare for your workout mentally and physically
- Cool down - bring your body and mind back to normal
- Sleep - recover from your workout and for your next workout
- Stress management - use workout to manage stress but also learn other ways to manage stress so you can have a productive workout
- Nutrition - eat to refuel the energy you used and the energy you’ll need for your next workout
Tier 3 will help you recover from the increasing intensity and soreness you experience in Tier 2.
Tier 3 blends in with your new Tier 1 where you:
- Review the basics
- Learn new ways to improve the basics
- And prepare to start building again with Tier 2
Going from Good to a Great Workout
Chasing the myths of a “good workout” is a YOLO mindset..
“You Only Live Once! Make the most of today… regardless of what happens tomorrow!”
- Go as hard as you can!
- Sweat as much as you can!
- Get as sore as you can!
Myth… busted!
- Most people try and quit after Tier 1 (many don't even start)
- Some get stuck in Tier 1 and lack progress
- Those that start Tier 2 make progress but can’t sustain it because they get trapped chasing “good workouts”
- If they can avoid the 'More is Better Fallacy' and 'Instant Gratification' they can get to tier 3
- When you master Tier 3, you learn how to recover from the intensity in Tier 2.
When you have a program that continues to follow this cycle and you have the discipline to stick to it…
That’s when a good workout and a good program becomes a great one.
“Be active with what you enjoy until you enjoy being active.”
1. Start with an activity you enjoy
2. Enjoy and improve the other pillars of fitness
3. Recover and prepare for your next workout well
Apply progressive overload (like the image above)
Overtime and you won’t need to chase the myths of a “good workout”
You’ll only have great workouts that's part of a great program!
If you need help putting together a structured program and avoiding pitfalls and myths.
Click this link to talk to our coach about the best strategy for you!
