RE: Training Only When you Feel Like It!?

[Guest guest]

:

Though I have experienced the same effect as you on occasion (not feeling

like training, doing it anyway, and kicking butt), please realize that ONLY

training when you feel like it can be just as detrimental to peak performance

as ALWAYS pushing it when you don't feel like it (and I'm not suggesting that

you meant to imply the latter).

One of the things that we need to be cognizant of is that when our mind tells

us we're not up for it, there's a reason. Overtraining (OT) has psychological

manifestations that athletes too often don't recognize, and " not feeling like

it " could be a sign of OT. Though there is value in " doing it anyway, " if a

loss of motivation continues, taking off can be infinitely more productive in

the long run than pushing through it. Besides, in terms of the big picture,

how much weaker are you really going to get if you do it tomorrow as opposed

to today?

Dan Wagman, Ph.D., C.S.C.S.

[Guest guest]

Diego Crespo wrote:

<This i really enjoy. Sounds wise. Sounds like how top kenyan runners

train (many say simply train hard when feel strong, rest when feel tired and

Jack

who stated " I don't train..never have. I just go out and

run...(pg.23 title, " Better Runs " , Joe ). " Sounds like that wise

saying of the Zen masters, eat when hungry, sleep when tired...Bowerman

states for sprinters that, if they don't enjoy their training, they will

never have long term success.>

Diego,

I'm sorry but I must say that I strongly disagree with this philosophy of

training - " only working out when you feel like it " . If I had a dollar for

every time I trained but didn't feel good, I'd probably be rich. Some of my

best training has been on days when I really wanted to skip it. As a matter

of fact, today was one of those days. Yesterday I took a day off from

lifting, but I must have walked about 4 or 5 miles - a lot considering I

rarely walk more than 40 yards/day.

Today I woke up tired and felt tired all day. At the end of the day, after all

my athletes had gone, it was time to start my workout - YIPPEE!! I did not even

want to look at the barbell. I tried to think of every excuse possible not to

workout, but proceeded to warm up anyway. I started with power snatch and

worked up to 2 sets of 2 with 90% of my lifetime best power snatch. Next was

power clean and jerk. I worked up to a single at 93% of my best ever. Next I

did jerks off the rack completing 5 sets of 3 with 83% of my best rack jerk.

Here's the

kicker; after all that, I did back squats working up to a double with 95% and

then did 100% for a single.

For a day when I felt so bad I just wanted to

go home and sleep, I wound up working out anyway and did a back squat with a

weight equaling the most I've ever done! It was only the third time in my

life I've done as much. I concluded the workout with 5 heavy sets of good

mornings finishing up with 3 sets of 3 at 75% of my best C & J. My

weightlifting coach once said; " Weightlifters should only feel good about 2

times a year " . Next time you're scheduled for a workout and really don't

feel like it, I hope you remember this post

Burkhardt

Strength and Conditioning Coach

UC Irvine

[Guest guest]

,

I also have the same experience. In fact this year I have made PRs in the

deadlift and reverse band deadlift after being sick for one or two days and

eating very little food. One time I had a fever for two days and the other

time I went to a party two nights in a row :-) Right before working out I

felt really bad but after warming up I felt great.

Dorian Yates made a funny comment about " instinctive training " . He said if

he was to follow his instincts he would be down at the pub chasing women

instead of doing 600 lbs squats.

Jan

Oslo, Norway

-----Original Message-----

From: Burkhardt [mailto:emburkha@...]

Diego Crespo wrote:

<This i really enjoy. Sounds wise. Sounds like how top kenyan runners

train (many say simply train hard when feel strong, rest when feel tired and

Jack who stated " I don't train..never have. I just go out and

run...(pg.23 title, " Better Runs " , Joe ). " Sounds like that wise

saying of the Zen masters, eat when hungry, sleep when tired...Bowerman

states for sprinters that, if they don't enjoy their training, they will

never have long term success.>

Diego,

I'm sorry but I must say that I strongly disagree with this philosophy of

training - " only working out when you feel like it " . If I had a dollar for

every time I trained but didn't feel good, I'd probably be rich. Some of my

best training has been on days when I really wanted to skip it. As a matter

of fact, today was one of those days. Yesterday I took a day off from

lifting, but I must have walked about 4 or 5 miles - a lot considering I

rarely walk more than 40 yards/day.

Today I woke up tired and felt tired all day. At the end of the day, after

all my athletes had gone, it was time to start my workout - YIPPEE!! I did

not even want to look at the barbell. I tried to think of every excuse

possible not to workout, but proceeded to warm up anyway. I started with

power snatch and worked up to 2 sets of 2 with 90% of my lifetime best power

snatch. Next was power clean and jerk. I worked up to a single at 93% of my

best ever. Next I did jerks off the rack completing 5 sets of 3 with 83% of

my best rack jerk. Here's the kicker; after all that, I did back squats working

up to a double with 95% and then did 100% for a single.

For a day when I felt so bad I just wanted to

go home and sleep, I wound up working out anyway and did a back squat with a

weight equaling the most I've ever done! It was only the third time in my

life I've done as much. I concluded the workout with 5 heavy sets of good

mornings finishing up with 3 sets of 3 at 75% of my best C & J. My

weightlifting coach once said; " Weightlifters should only feel good about 2

times a year " . Next time you're scheduled for a workout and really don't

feel like it, I hope you remember this post

Burkhardt

Strength and Conditioning Coach

UC Irvine

[Guest guest]

I'm with on this one. I've had some great workouts when I felt lousy. I

realize that training when you don't feel up to it may walk the thin line of

overtraining, but there's something to be said for mental toughness and

discipline as well. A great work ethic is becoming a commodity in our society

and I think that only training when you feel like it opens the door to laziness.

Training when you feel like it may be ok for a recreational athlete but as the

level of competition improves, sometimes the only thing that separates the good

from the great is the willingness to work a little harder and smarter. Wins and

losses are often the product of mental discipline and toughness or the lack

thereof.

If an elite athlete can honestly tell you that they only train when they feel

like it, either they are a genetic marvel or they really like to train and do it

consistently anyway.

Just my $.02, but I'm no genetic marvel.

Bob Helfst

Muncie, IN

-----Original Message-----

From: Burkhardt<emburkha@...> :

Diego Crespo wrote:

<This i really enjoy. Sounds wise. Sounds like how top kenyan runners

train (many say simply train hard when feel strong, rest when feel tired and

Jack

who stated " I don't train..never have. I just go out and

run...(pg.23 title, " Better Runs " , Joe ). " Sounds like that wise

saying of the Zen masters, eat when hungry, sleep when tired...Bowerman

states for sprinters that, if they don't enjoy their training, they will

never have long term success.>

Diego,

I'm sorry but I must say that I strongly disagree with this philosophy of

training - " only working out when you feel like it " . If I had a dollar for

every time I trained but didn't feel good, I'd probably be rich. Some of my

best training has been on days when I really wanted to skip it. As a matter

of fact, today was one of those days. Yesterday I took a day off from

lifting, but I must have walked about 4 or 5 miles - a lot considering I

rarely walk more than 40 yards/day.

Today I woke up tired and felt tired all day. At the end of the day, after all

my athletes had gone, it was time to start my workout - YIPPEE!! I did not even

want to look at the barbell. I tried to think of every excuse possible not to

workout, but proceeded to warm up anyway. I started with power snatch and

worked up to 2 sets of 2 with 90% of my lifetime best power snatch. Next was

power clean and jerk. I worked up to a single at 93% of my best ever. Next I

did jerks off the rack completing 5 sets of 3 with 83% of my best rack jerk.

Here's the

kicker; after all that, I did back squats working up to a double with 95% and

then did 100% for a single.

For a day when I felt so bad I just wanted to

go home and sleep, I wound up working out anyway and did a back squat with a

weight equaling the most I've ever done! It was only the third time in my

life I've done as much. I concluded the workout with 5 heavy sets of good

mornings finishing up with 3 sets of 3 at 75% of my best C & J. My

weightlifting coach once said; " Weightlifters should only feel good about 2

times a year " . Next time you're scheduled for a workout and really don't

feel like it, I hope you remember this post

Burkhardt

Strength and Conditioning Coach

UC Irvine

[Guest guest]

Without speaking for Dan Wagman, I think what he was trying

to impress on people was that at times we don't feel like working

out and then have an incredible workout anyway when we force

ourselves to do it.

It is the times when we don't feel like working out and then

when we force ourselves to do it and still feel awful while working

out that we should stop at that time to avoid overtraining. Just

going through the motions to say that you did it is probably not

going to be as helpful as just stopping and getting some much

needed rest. That's my take on it.

On 5 Dec 00, at 8:44, Bob Helfst wrote:

> I'm with on this one. I've had some great workouts when I felt

> lousy. I realize that training when you don't feel up to it may walk

> the thin line of overtraining, but there's something to be said for

> mental toughness and discipline as well. A great work ethic is

> becoming a commodity in our society and I think that only training

> when you feel like it opens the door to laziness. Training when you

> feel like it may be ok for a recreational athlete but as the level of

> competition improves, sometimes the only thing that separates the good

> from the great is the willingness to work a little harder and smarter.

> Wins and losses are often the product of mental discipline and

> toughness or the lack thereof.

>

> If an elite athlete can honestly tell you that they only train when

> they feel like it, either they are a genetic marvel or they really

> like to train and do it consistently anyway.

>

> Just my $.02, but I'm no genetic marvel.

>

> Bob Helfst

> Muncie, IN

>

> -----Original Message-----

>

> From: Burkhardt<emburkha@...> :

>

> Diego Crespo wrote:

>

> <This i really enjoy. Sounds wise. Sounds like how top kenyan runners

> train (many say simply train hard when feel strong, rest when feel

> tired and Jack who stated " I don't train..never have. I just

> go out and run...(pg.23 title, " Better Runs " , Joe ). " Sounds

> like that wise saying of the Zen masters, eat when hungry, sleep when

> tired...Bowerman states for sprinters that, if they don't enjoy their

> training, they will never have long term success.>

>

> Diego,

>

> I'm sorry but I must say that I strongly disagree with this philosophy

> of training - " only working out when you feel like it " . If I had a

> dollar for every time I trained but didn't feel good, I'd probably be

> rich. Some of my best training has been on days when I really wanted

> to skip it. As a matter of fact, today was one of those days.

> Yesterday I took a day off from lifting, but I must have walked about

> 4 or 5 miles - a lot considering I rarely walk more than 40 yards/day.

>

>

> Today I woke up tired and felt tired all day. At the end of the day,

> after all my athletes had gone, it was time to start my workout -

> YIPPEE!! I did not even want to look at the barbell. I tried to think

> of every excuse possible not to workout, but proceeded to warm up

> anyway. I started with power snatch and worked up to 2 sets of 2 with

> 90% of my lifetime best power snatch. Next was power clean and jerk.

> I worked up to a single at 93% of my best ever. Next I did jerks off

> the rack completing 5 sets of 3 with 83% of my best rack jerk. Here's

> the kicker; after all that, I did back squats working up to a double

> with 95% and then did 100% for a single.

>

> For a day when I felt so bad I just wanted to

> go home and sleep, I wound up working out anyway and did a back squat

> with a weight equaling the most I've ever done! It was only the third

> time in my life I've done as much. I concluded the workout with 5

> heavy sets of good mornings finishing up with 3 sets of 3 at 75% of my

> best C & J. My weightlifting coach once said; " Weightlifters should

> only feel good about 2 times a year " . Next time you're scheduled for

> a workout and really don't feel like it, I hope you remember this post

>

>

> Burkhardt

Mike

Prides Crossing, MA USA