If you exercise regularly you love the great workout. You know the one. Everything feels light, you can't seem to get gassed. You feel like a machine. These workouts are great and keep you coming back. However, not every workout is like this.
Some workouts are bad. You feel tired. Everything is way too heavy. Your cardio hurts. It is just not very good. As you slog through the event you wonder why did I show up. Why did I leave the comfort of my warm bed. These feelings are real and they are normal.
All that being said, a bad workout is a good thing.
Bad workouts are a sign of consistency. Human bodies cannot operate at peak level every day. We have events and forces outside of our fitness routines that influence our ability to exercise. When you have a bad workout it means you are human. It also means you chose to be consistent and this choice is important for success.
Being consistent takes discipline as motivation ebbs and flows. The food you eat, other actions in your life, your family and work demands all impact your motivation to exercise. If you are having bad workouts it means you are a disciplined person. You show up even if you are not feeling it today. You show up when everyone else is doing something else. By showing up, you are going to see the results you are looking for. In the long run, the bad workouts are going to help you get to where you want to be.
I do want to be clear. If you are injured you need rest and recovery before you continue. Just like a piece of paper, your body will not get less torn if you keep pulling on it. Likewise, if you are ill, not just a bit off but truly ill, you need to take some time to get better or you could get a lot worse.
Bad workouts show you what you need to work on. If things are not going well, you will see where your biggest weaknesses are. When you know what needs to be fixed, you can focus your attention in the right direction. It's easy to do the things we are good at and when we are exercising we feel good about ourselves when we do things well. Having a bad workout will show you your weakest spots and can you can work on them.
Finally, a bad workout contributes to the end goal just like a good work. If you are faced to work harder to get the reps in or finish your cardio plan, you will get fitter. The next workout or maybe the one after than will feel amazing. You will be able to do more than ever before. All this is not because of one bad workout, it is because of the discipline to stay consistent over time and stick it out. It's because you put yourself in a position to have bad workouts. By putting yourself into challenging positions, you will do amazing things.
Next time you think your workout is going to be bad, get at it. Get it done and reap the rewards.
