I GET IT...No Pain, No Gain!

I finally realized something. Yes, I know it may seem I'm a little slow by the title of this post - I mean after all I've been around for a few years.

I've heard the phrase "no pain, no gain" regarding exercise for years. However it wasn't until just recently that I completely understood what it means.

Let me first share what it DOESN'T mean:

It does not mean that you have to beat yourself silly in exercise until you can't take any more. Yes, when working out doing strength training you should always work your muscles to fatigue but you should never push them to the point of injury. That is not the type of pain that I'm talking about!


Now for what I believe it DOES mean:

There are times in your exercise routine that if you are doing the same things over and over, your body becomes conditioned to what you are doing to it. When that happens, the exercises that once made you walk like you had jello legs or that kept you from lifting a pen off your desk, now does not seem to affect you. This is a sign of progress but it is also a sign that you need to move on. Either focus on different muscles, increase your intensity or the amount of weights you are using. Try something new!

To tell that you are working muscles that haven't been used in a while, you should feel some sort of 'soreness' a day and/or two afterwards. If there is no 'pain' then it could be that there is no 'gain' due to a need of revising what you are doing in order to get maximum results.

So, the next time you work out I encourage you to step it up and make the most of your workouts! Remember...no pain, no gain!