No pain No gain, but where do I draw the line?

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quickclean313
quickclean313 Posts: 10 Member
in Motivation and Support
When do I stop resistance to pain for example during a plank hold? How long do I keep the hold until my body starts shaking etc.? Is it better to work with my mind and tell myself to stay strong for as long as I can endure the pain in building my muscles?

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  • MMMendoza007
    MMMendoza007 Posts: 157 Member
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    That's what I do. I work until failure. Until I can't complete another rep. Maybe that's wrong. But it's what I do. Particularly with planking or free weights. But whatever you do, don't get discouraged. And DO NOT hurt yourself! :)
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Most don't subscribe to this anymore. Of course there will be delayed onset muscle pain (DOM), but you shouldn't have pain while working out. I am sometimes a bit sore and fatigued but stop at the first sign of any real pain. Be careful.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,715 Member
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    I think it depends on the certain exercise you are doing. Planks to the point of failure is probably okay, simply because you're close to the ground and you can lower yourself quickly. Do you time your planks? I do and then try to build onto the time even if it's only 10 seconds at a time.

    Lifting to failure is a method used, but you have to know where to draw the line. Make sure you have a spotter and that you don't injure yourself. It's best to keep track of the amount you lift and the number of reps then keep building on that as you are able with good form.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
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    Working to failure and don't hurt yourself is a very thin line. Work for as long as you reasonably can, while maintaining good form, without hurting yourself, keep track of the reps/time/intensity and increase that next time. Once form breaks down, it's time to stop. For example, if you plank for 30 seconds until you really think you've had enough, and your form is suffering, stop and try for 40 after several goes at the 30 level.

    Reasonable effort, good form, improve over time.
  • VanillaGorillaUK
    VanillaGorillaUK Posts: 342 Member
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    Athletes don't try to break records everyday for a good reason. It causes too much stress on the body and slows progress.

    Stop when you have a tiny bit left. Not complete failure.



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