mental or phisical "toughness"?

jacksonpt
jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Since I'm curious AND bored...

When you get down to that final mile or that last set... what's hardest for you to push through, the physical or mental part?

For me, it's almost always mental. As soon as my muscles start to feel tired, my brain says, "well, that's it... time to go get some poptarts" even though my muscles, while tired, have plenty of umph left in them.

Replies

  • hauer01
    hauer01 Posts: 516 Member
    For me it's all mental weakness as well. When I am pushed hard, I am amazed at how much further I can go!
  • JJinWI
    JJinWI Posts: 197 Member
    Definitely mental. The thing that gets me through is looking at the clock and thinking to myself, "In only xx amount of time I will be home, fresh out of a hot shower, totally relaxed and feeling great."

    Sure is a terrific feeling when you win the mental battles!
  • diodelcibo
    diodelcibo Posts: 2,564 Member
    My body will fail before my mind does.
  • Flixie00
    Flixie00 Posts: 1,195 Member
    Physical.

    It amuses my PT that I hate failing, and he pushes me sometimes to make sure that I do. I think that mentally I have become quite arrogant, as I never think that I cannot meet a realistic physical challenge and am always willing to try a new exercise.
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
    Hadn't really thought about it, but it depends. If I'm doing something I hate, like running, it's totally mental. If I'm doing something I enjoy, it's physical. And that's way weirder, because in everyday life there aren't that many times I come across something I feel like I should be able to do but then can't.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Mental, I think.

    If I ever let "I don't know if I can do this" cross my mind, I'll typically fail. It's only if the other part of my inner monologue says, "BS - I'm doing this" that I can usually get through it.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Mental, I think.

    If I ever let "I don't know if I can do this" cross my mind, I'll typically fail. It's only if the other part of my inner monologue says, "BS - I'm doing this" that I can usually get through it.

    That's totally me when lifting. The second I think, "I'm not sure if I can get these last couple of reps" I can't... it's game over.
  • Dani19711
    Dani19711 Posts: 33
    My body gives out at a certain point while my inner voice keeps saying 'you can do it, you can do it, you can do it!!!'
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    for cardio/endurance it's mental, i.e. I think I can't continue when I can. I think it's because I had exercise induced asthma as a child so mentally I'm worried about pushing it too far. I'm determined to get over this though.

    for weight lifting, it's purely physical, as in I lift to failure and that's when I totally can't do another rep even though my mind is thinking "what's up legs/arms/abs? what's the fuss about? you can totally do another rep!!"
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
    Are they separate things?
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
    When running or cycling I always have to tell myself at the end, "your legs are not giving out, your mind is giving up". It works and my legs keep going, so I guess mental is the hardest part for me. I think you can train both though, and I certainly have.
  • Iron_Maiden
    Iron_Maiden Posts: 326 Member
    Absolutely mental. ....Then I push further until I physically cannot do it anymore - at least this is the case when it comes tome lifting. As for my cardio, I still struggle with letting my mental state rule over my body and being able to break through. I'm a work in progress with this.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Did someone say Pop Tarts???:heart::heart:

    ETA my answer: Mental for me always.
  • lesspaul
    lesspaul Posts: 190 Member
    In the last week I've had both. However, I find I am more likely to fade mentally following a physical fail, than the other way around.
  • cynthiatwayne
    cynthiatwayne Posts: 71
    I absolutely love to endurance run because of the mental toughness it requires....my body always gives out first.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
    Are they separate things?
    An answer disguised as a question. I agree with the line of thought to some degree. I can will myself past the point where I probably should have stopped and end up regretting it. I also often drop to a walk when I know full well I could have kept running but if I scold myself and try to start running again it is too late - the muscles have responded to the mind deciding they didn't need to work as hard.
  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
    I see it as the mental driving the physical.

    The the physical fails, the mental can keep pushing with whatever is left.

    If the mental fails, the physical goes to zero and doesn't matter anymore.
  • matt2442
    matt2442 Posts: 1,259 Member
    not sure what phisical is so ill go with mental for 100
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    mental with weights...sometimes I just do not want to pick them up for that last set

    but with running, physical. I remember trying to sprint last miles of marathons on twinge-y calves, completely cramped feet, and dead quads. By the end, I'm all arms. Its more like I'm grabbing air and trying to pull myself forward. Actually, i look sort of like Kermit the Frog finishing a race.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I'm not done when I quit.

    I quit when I'm done.

    period.

    whatever it takes to finish a work out- there is no try. There is no flag or fail. you do the work out you wrote down- and you finish it.

    that is all.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I believe it is mostly mental.

    Physically I could run a marathon if I wanted to...but I just hate running and I get SO. BORED. so mentally I cannot do it.

    Mentally I can get through sets of weights because I love lifting!!! I even love lifting heavier than I think I can (and sometimes I get beat out on the physical side LOL) because I think I can do it!!
  • Celiz
    Celiz Posts: 1
    For me, mental. The whole trying to eat healthy, lose weight, and exercise all depends on my mental state. I only succeed when I keep telling myself mentally that I can do it.
  • raquel424
    raquel424 Posts: 39 Member
    Like you, my mind wants to give up before my body actually collapses.....that's why I do better when I have a motivator/trainer.
  • CanuckLove
    CanuckLove Posts: 673 Member
    I am MENTAAAAAAL. (oooh.. wrong thread)

    I wanted to give up yesterday on my run and then realized.. I'm not out of breath and my legs are fine. WTF is my problem? Pushing through that is hard but I always have to do that check-in so I don't stop.
  • TAsunder
    TAsunder Posts: 423 Member
    It really depends on the exercise (and, sometimes, the day). I am good at talking my body into actually going to the gym or dojo when my body wants out. On the other hand, I often don't give 100% (to the point of complete exhaustion on all sets or intervals) because my mind tells me that I'm working out for over 7 hours this week and I don't need to make myself incredibly sore the next day every single time. Showing up for 7 hours is the only battle I feel like I need to win.
  • aaronlawrenc
    aaronlawrenc Posts: 666 Member
    i didnt read this, i was just so angry about the misspelled word that i had to say something!!253
  • aaronlawrenc
    aaronlawrenc Posts: 666 Member
    haha
  • xXxHBICxXx
    xXxHBICxXx Posts: 370 Member
    Mental, most def I have to give myself a little pep talk as i'm doing the last 5 minutes or so.
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    It depends.

    If I'm running, it's always mental. When I'm lifting, it's physical. I push hard with lifting and my mind always want to keep going, get stronger, go heavier but sometimes my body just says hell no.
  • rockieschick
    rockieschick Posts: 321 Member
    Totally mental!

    Actually, Mental when running or lifting. But when it comes to Mountain climbing, Ill keep going until I fall off ;)

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