How does it feel to PUSH YOURSELF?

SOBAY310
SOBAY310 Posts: 6 Member
edited September 20 in Fitness and Exercise
When I'm playing basketball or running, I will take a break when I feel out of breath or tired. I don't know what is considered pushing yourself and what is considered endangering yourself? You know the feeling you get where you have played or worked out so hard that you start getting a little light headed or out of breath? On "The Biggest Loser" I see these people push past that point and keep going, but that's a barrier I'm hesistant to pass.

Did you guys have the same feelings before you pushed yourself and saw what your body could really do?

Replies

  • fitinyoga14
    fitinyoga14 Posts: 448 Member
    I do not think i'm capable of pushing myself that hard on my own. i'm lucky if i'm sore after a work-out if i do it on my own. However when i'm with a friend i push myself a little harder because of subconscious compeition. i push myself the hardest i've ever done with a trainer or coach whom i respect and want to prove myself to. A barrier that i would like to never cross again is vomiting from running too hard and not getting enough oxygen. that is a pretty crappy feeling, even after the work out. I felt weaker instead of stronger.
  • SOBAY310
    SOBAY310 Posts: 6 Member
    I do not think i'm capable of pushing myself that hard on my own. i'm lucky if i'm sore after a work-out if i do it on my own. However when i'm with a friend i push myself a little harder because of subconscious compeition. i push myself the hardest i've ever done with a trainer or coach whom i respect and want to prove myself to. A barrier that i would like to never cross again is vomiting from running too hard and not getting enough oxygen. that is a pretty crappy feeling, even after the work out. I felt weaker instead of stronger.

    Yeah, I've dealt with the vomiting too. After a game in which I really hustle, I feel completely ill afterwards. It's probably something that would get better over time if I continuously played at that level, but it is very difficult to deal with.
  • bleachcse
    bleachcse Posts: 148 Member
    I had a trainer a couple of years ago and she would make me push myself. I have to say it was a good feeling and I really felt like I had accomplished something afterward. She would do things like make me run a mile in under 10 minutes (pretty good for a fat girl). She also would make me do like 45 minutes on the treadmill at a high incline and then jump off and do the bike for another 30 minutes. But I never can make myself do this on my own. I think it takes someone pushing you past your limit. It's hard to get past that level on your own. She was good, I miss her! Can't afford her anymore :(
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    I would never push myself until I vomited...when I see that happening on tv, I always feel sorry for the person. They never seem to die though, so I guess if you're in good health (aside from being fat), working that hard probably won't kill you. You're supposed to work out at a level where you can carry on a conversation, but you really don't want to. There are a couple of fitness experts on the boards who hopefully will chime in and give you the facts on working yourself that hard. :)
  • SOBAY310
    SOBAY310 Posts: 6 Member
    I had a trainer a couple of years ago and she would make me push myself. I have to say it was a good feeling and I really felt like I had accomplished something afterward. She would do things like make me run a mile in under 10 minutes (pretty good for a fat girl). She also would make me do like 45 minutes on the treadmill at a high incline and then jump off and do the bike for another 30 minutes. But I never can make myself do this on my own. I think it takes someone pushing you past your limit. It's hard to get past that level on your own. She was good, I miss her! Can't afford her anymore :(

    Wow, that's awesome! Thanks for sharing your story. I'm just trying to figure out what is "pushing yourself" and what is "over doing it".
  • You should begin to feel a burn. Once pain, heat stroke, nausea, or muscles get pulled it is time to pull away. It can depend on the exercise that you are doing but you want to know where the burn is and give that workout a little bit of a break. Like if your walking and mix it up with some jogging, your stomach should burn and you should be pretty out of breath.
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    if you're feeling light-headed you need to stop. never try pushing yourself if you're feeling that way. I am able to push myself when I'm feeling tired enough that I'd like to stop. The tiredness will go away if I want to keep going badly enough. Pushing yourself past light-headedness could very likely result in a fall or even a faint, which, while using gym equipement, can be extremely dangerous.
  • FitJoani
    FitJoani Posts: 2,173 Member
    pushing yourself seems to come from within something just snaps inside of you and makes you power thru. it may sting burn hurt or make you throw up but after you do it you say "holy heck!!!! I did it!!!" and after a few times it gets easier ad less painful and allows you to climb the ladder so to speak! you can push yourself!!!!
  • SOBAY310
    SOBAY310 Posts: 6 Member
    pushing yourself seems to come from within something just snaps inside of you and makes you power thru. it may sting burn hurt or make you throw up but after you do it you say "holy heck!!!! I did it!!!" and after a few times it gets easier ad less painful and allows you to climb the ladder so to speak! you can push yourself!!!!

    Love the quote, Joani. It fits perfectly for this thread, LOL!
  • zafferFL
    zafferFL Posts: 402
    my martial arts instructor always used to say, "when you throw up, you know you've only pushed yourself 40%"

    obviously not entirely true, but we are capable of a lot more than we let ourselves do - our bodies (and minds) enjoy comfort
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    When we did our summer triple sessions for rugby, lightheadedness and vomiting were par for the course. This isn't the only way to push yourself though. You can also do it by pushing your muscles to the point of exhaustion, which I personally find more rewarding. While I still get light headed when I do tabata protocol, it's more the leg burn that really makes me feel like I've done some good work.

    I don't really agree with people saying that you must stop if you feel light headed, as long as you're medically cleared for strenuous exercise, it's ok to do this. Vomiting though, that's usually where you should stop for a few minutes and let your body recover. What you need to watch for is when these feelings don't subside after a few minutes, if they don't then it could be signs of medical issues and you should see a doctor about it.

    Note that there's a difference from feeling light headed and feeling dizzy, they are distinctly different (trust me, I've been both from exercise plenty of times), dizzy means you should stop, light headed means you pushed past your aerobic threshold, which can be a good thing, especially if you're trying to make endurance gains.
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