The Dilemma: Pushing Through a Workout When Fatigued or Taking a Recovery Day
Like most people who like to train hard for challenging competitions or selection programs, one thing that maybe holding you back is pushing too hard when pulling back may be the answer. Quick answer - I usually let my 15-20 minute warmup be the assessment to how the rest of the workout goes. If you feel good after the warmup, give it a go. If the warmup did not work, consider pulling back on time, intensity, and overall effort. Maybe move the mobility day to this day or add an additional mobility day to your week. Then, go home, eat, hydrate, and sleep well and get yourself ready for a new day at near 100%.
Face it - some days are better than others. Ultimately, what you want is to be able train hard while getting better at recovery. In the past, you've experienced failure with training too hard, getting injured, and burning out. The failure to add recovery days or even not doing deload weeks could be a simple culprit to your performance issues.
In fact, if you're like most hard charging people who like to go hard or go home, you’re really apprehensive about feeling like you are cheating yourself. Not training mental toughness by pushing through tired days of training is not something you even consider. Sure, there is a time and place for that ability, but you have to also realize that there is a fine line between being mentally tough and stupid.
To be honest, the mental toughness training happens before the warmup. Getting up and ready to train even though you do not feel like it. Pushing through a warmup when the body is still tired from yesterday's workout. You are not missing out on building mental toughness by realizing you need a recovery day. Who knows you may be helping yourself by being smart. Because, eventually, the body breaks down and you will see such things appear as overuse injuries, illness, or just reduced performance and plateaus.
None of this may be your fault because we all have pushed hard when training for a challenging goal. Sometimes learning LESS IS MORE is a huge ego check, but the results will speak for themselves. Not everything that is worth doing needs to be overdone. There is a cost to pushing too hard, just as their is a benefit to pushing perceived limits. However, a smart mobility day well placed into the week yields NOTHING but benefits. Seriously add mobility and practice some technique work in the pool for the day's training.
Here's something you may not know...
The thing that's really sabotaging your success here is understanding you need some variety in your training cycles. You can still have some of your favorite exercises, but changing the choreography and arrangement of those exercises regularly makes a big difference in not creating these training overloads and quite frankly – boredom with your training.
You can actually get quite creative with your workouts, but still adhere to sound physiological principles and push yourself the way you like, but also actively pursue recovery. See recovery article and section below for ALL the ways you can help yourself recover well and perform better.
Specific Training Programs for Your Goals (if seeking a tactical profession)
No worries if you are not very creative with your training. There are many programs developed by Stew Smith CSCS that challenge you thoroughly, add diversity but still focus on specific training goals, push internal mental toughness dialogue, and engage recovery throughout the week. (SEE BELOW) It is a lot to juggle in a week, but it can be done with smart split routines, non-impact cardio options, and a mobility day added into the week.
The programming section below hold some of my favorite NEW workouts you've been looking for to get the results you want. If you really want to train hard while getting better at recovery at the same time, these latest programs that incorporate Mobility Days strategically into the week are a place to start. However, you can simply add in the mobility in the middle of the week and watch the rest of the week’s performances be so much better. The Mobility Day proves LESS IS MORE every week for me and even my young Spec Ops Candidates. Trust me, the remaining days of the week can be a higher level of intensity and performance than you ever thought possible.
No Matter What Phase of Preparation You Are In - We Have an Answer For You
Join Stew Smith's LIVE QA on YouTube, where he dissects and critiques submitted CSS videos and takes your questions LIVE! 930am Mondays / Tuesdays at Stew Smith Fitness YouTube Channel.
(In fact, there are more than 40 books, 1000+ articles, online coaching - and more)
Who is Stew Smith CSCS? Coach, Trainer, Writer, Podcaster: I'm the former Navy SEAL that tactical candidates go to for books, ebooks and online coaching to prepare themselves to get to and through intense tactical assessment and selection programs and qualify for service in their chosen tactical profession. See More at StewSmithFitness.com
Where to Find More Information About Optimal Performance Training Programs
When you start training again, consider the seasonal tactical fitness model. I call it A WAY to train and obviously not the only way to train. But it offers the opportunity to never neglect your weaknesses, helps with flexibility and mobility, but will also put you at a level of physical abilities where you are happy with your overall ability to do just about anything. We have a system where the seasons dictate our training. When it is nicer outside, we tend to run and do more calisthenics. When it is colder and not so nice, we lift more, run less, and still maintain our outdoor activities with shorter runs and rucks. Check it out: Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization System.
These Seasonal Tactical Fitness BLOCK Periodization programs will walk you through 4 x 4 weeks cycles with 16 weeks of each season in two programs. (32 total weeks)
Increase Strength & Crush the PST / PAST
3 Weeks Strength - 1 Week PT / Cardio Focus
(16 weeks)
These programs will walk you through 4 cycles with 12 weeks of each season in two programs.
The Specific Military / Special Ops Physical Fitness Workouts
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 1
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 2 - 3
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 4 Grinder PT
Navy SWCC Workout
Army / Air Force Advanced Fitness / Special Ops
Army PFT Workout (Prep For Rucking, OPAT, ACFT)
Army Special Forces / Ranger Workout
Army Air Assault School Workout
Army Airborne Workout
Air Force Special Warfare IFT / OFT / Selection Prep
Advanced Running Program - Special Ops Supplement Plan
USMC RECON / MarSOC Workout
USMC OCS / TBS Workout
USMC IST and PFT
The Combat Conditioning Workout
Air Force PJ / CCT Workout Battlefield Airman Prep Course
The UBRR Upper Body Round Robin Workout / Spec Ops version
The Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer / Navy SAR Workout
The Service Academy Workout (West Point, Navy, Air Force Academy)
The Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp Boot Camp Workout
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The Law Enforcement Physical Fitness Workouts
The FBI Academy Workout | FBI Workout Vol 2
The DEA Workout
The FLETC Workout - Ace the PEB
The PFT Bible: Pushups, Sit-ups, 1.5 Mile Run
The Fire Fighter Workout - Ace the CPAT
Tactical Fitness Over 40 Series
Tactical Fitness (40+) Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, Phase 4
Online Coaching Options
Online PT CLUB - Weekly Workouts created personally for you.
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The dashboard below has the links to all the information, archives, videos, and links to workouts, podcasts, live Q and A lessons.
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