Bad days at the gym

luciafernanda
luciafernanda Posts: 34 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have finally figured out a work out I enjoy at the gym and feel like it challenges me without making me want to kill myself at the end. I do ten minutes on the bike to warm up, then I do C25K on the treadmill (currently on week three), and then I do weights. On Mondays and Thursdays I do upper body, on Tuesdays and Fridays I do lower body. So about 40 minutes cardio, 30-40 minutes weights. Sometimes, like yesterday, it's really busy so I have to do weights before the treadmill so I'm not wasting time waiting.

Anyway occasionally I just have bad days. Monday was a good day, even though I'd barely slept and was a little hungover. Yesterday, however, I did the bike, then weights, then I went on the treadmill and running made me want to die. At first I was okay, but I almost gave up at the end.

It didn't help the treadmill was a little broken I think...even though I was walking/running at 3.2km/h and 4.8-5.2km/h respectively, I don't think that's accurate...3.2 was a fast walk, usually that's very slow for me...

So basically, do these bad days happen to other people? Why do they happen and is there anything I can do to prevent it? My pre-gym routine was the same - got home from work, had a small snack with carbohydrates, went out. I didn't feel tired. In fact I almost thought about starting week four of C25K because I felt that great.

At the end of the day, I think going to the gym and doing badly is better than not going at all, right? But it's just a little disheartening that something I have did well on Monday, did well last Thursday, was suddenly so hard yesterday.

Replies

  • jlshea
    jlshea Posts: 494 Member
    Definitely have days where I'm just not feeling my workout. Just have to remind yourself that a bad day at the gym is still better than a good day laying on the couch and eating crap. I ALWAYS feel better after workout too no matter how crabby and tired I feel before my workout.
  • runnergrlfl
    runnergrlfl Posts: 82 Member
    It's totally normal to have off days. I have bad days when I run, for sure. Some days I get out there all pumped up mentally, but I can't get a good stride - my feet feel like cement blocks or my legs feel heavy or I can't catch my breath, etc and it's a real struggle to finish.

    Other days I get out there and I feel like I'm flying down the street, not a care in the world.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Bad days happen. Good days happen. It happens.
  • Junctionbox
    Junctionbox Posts: 47 Member
    I had a bad day today too. Struggled with the weights and just wasn't feeling the cardio so I binned it after 15 minutes and tried a machine I've only used once before. Same as you, nothing has changed in my routine. I'll just chalk it up to a bad day and try again tomorrow. Still burned some calories so can't complain :wink:
  • luciafernanda
    luciafernanda Posts: 34 Member
    Other days I get out there and I feel like I'm flying down the street, not a care in the world.
    Some days I go and run and feel like I could run a marathon! Like I can just keep going forever.

    Yeah, I know, a bad day at the gym is better than nothing :) You never regret going to the gym, you regret eating pizza on the couch. But it just sucks, I build my confidence up and begin to feel proud of how well I've done, then it's like I'm back to the beginning.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    It's more about attitude and approach then an actual bad day. Yeah, things happen, but there are other workouts and options still available IF one is willing to take the attitude of "no matter what".

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I have 'bad' workouts. I have bad days. I say 'bad' workouts because any training that I get done isn't bad by nature. It just maybe wasn't as successful as I had hoped or I missed something I wasnt' planning on it- or I felt really under the weather and the workout didn't turn it around

    it happens. I still do the work- and most often I feel better- but sometimes it's just meh. Go do the work- that's really what makes people successful at a thing- learning to love the grind.
  • sammniamii
    sammniamii Posts: 669 Member
    yeap, i normally do a similar workout to yourself, but weights before cardio and sometimes that last bit of cardio is almost too much. I have cut it down to 20min some days, but often aim for 30min.

    It happens, but just keep going - anything is 100% better than NOTHING

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