Working to Failure
Some thoughts to share... feeling particularly introspective tonight for some reason.
When working out tonight, the trainer was pushing us to repeatedly do sets "working to failure" instead of either seeing how many you could do in a specific time, or giving us a specific numeric target to work toward. In training, the definition of "working to failure" can be either of two things... working until the muscle has "exhausted its potential for change" and needs to recharge or (subtle difference here) working until the muscle is exhausted enough that you cannot maintain the proper form when completing the exercise.
Working to failure is, therefore, analogous to 'working completely.'
In our weight loss journey, many of us see failure as a bad thing. If you told me that "working to failure" was a positive thing, I would laugh at you. BUT... in our WLS journey as in training, our goal needs to be to work to failure.
Failure in this sense is:
- making sure that we have expended our complete effort to achieve our goal.
- realizing that there will be times (many, for most of us) when we've expended our complete effort and now need time for our WLS muscle (metabolism, body, etc.) to recharge for the next stage of the effort
- working diligently and pushing ourselves to the fullest extent of our capability, without holding things back or in reserve, to achieve our goals
- not allowing ourselves to give up or give in when it gets hard, but to push past that point to find our REAL limits
There's an inherent trust in this...trusting that our muscles WILL recharge, that our bodies WILL respond, and that we WILL be able to get out of bed the next morning :-). But that's the essence of success in this - learning to trust our selves and love ourselves and embrace the journey.
As with working out, there is no "done" to it... WLS, working out, life... it's all a journey, not a destination.
My goal in my continued WLS journey will be to "work to failure" at it every day, putting in my best efforts to maintain my weight loss (and get this last 10 or so pounds OFF!) and keep my body in the best possible shape.
So now, failure is my goal. What an interesting rethinking!
Karen
When working out tonight, the trainer was pushing us to repeatedly do sets "working to failure" instead of either seeing how many you could do in a specific time, or giving us a specific numeric target to work toward. In training, the definition of "working to failure" can be either of two things... working until the muscle has "exhausted its potential for change" and needs to recharge or (subtle difference here) working until the muscle is exhausted enough that you cannot maintain the proper form when completing the exercise.
Working to failure is, therefore, analogous to 'working completely.'
In our weight loss journey, many of us see failure as a bad thing. If you told me that "working to failure" was a positive thing, I would laugh at you. BUT... in our WLS journey as in training, our goal needs to be to work to failure.
Failure in this sense is:
- making sure that we have expended our complete effort to achieve our goal.
- realizing that there will be times (many, for most of us) when we've expended our complete effort and now need time for our WLS muscle (metabolism, body, etc.) to recharge for the next stage of the effort
- working diligently and pushing ourselves to the fullest extent of our capability, without holding things back or in reserve, to achieve our goals
- not allowing ourselves to give up or give in when it gets hard, but to push past that point to find our REAL limits
There's an inherent trust in this...trusting that our muscles WILL recharge, that our bodies WILL respond, and that we WILL be able to get out of bed the next morning :-). But that's the essence of success in this - learning to trust our selves and love ourselves and embrace the journey.
As with working out, there is no "done" to it... WLS, working out, life... it's all a journey, not a destination.
My goal in my continued WLS journey will be to "work to failure" at it every day, putting in my best efforts to maintain my weight loss (and get this last 10 or so pounds OFF!) and keep my body in the best possible shape.
So now, failure is my goal. What an interesting rethinking!
Karen
R K.
on 9/22/10 7:44 pm
on 9/22/10 7:44 pm
That's been around since the 70s. It's usually part of HIT. Muscle only grows when it is broken down. Sort of like life. If you never get pushed beyond the limit or what you "think" is the breaking point you never truly grow.
*
"If I only had three words of advice, they would be, Tell the Truth. If got three more words, I'd add, all the time."
— Randy Pausch
"If I only had three words of advice, they would be, Tell the Truth. If got three more words, I'd add, all the time."
— Randy Pausch
thank u just what i needed today.this has been an intersting journey one that i would never trade
but how do u keep from being obsessed with it.Sometimes it's all i think about,i to am having a heck of a time with the last 15 lbs.I feel great but it is the fact that i want to see that number on the scale.
but how do u keep from being obsessed with it.Sometimes it's all i think about,i to am having a heck of a time with the last 15 lbs.I feel great but it is the fact that i want to see that number on the scale.
Teresa O
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