#1 Question: “How do I know when to skip a workout?”
Seriously…athletes ask me this question ALL the time. And truthfully…I ask myself this question ALL the time too.
If you’re on a structured training plan (or you’ve ever followed a structured plan), you’ve experienced low motivation, low energy levels, fatigue, tiredness & lethargy. In this state you can easily be overwhelmed just by thinking about putting your workout clothes on…much less heading out the door!
So, what’s an athlete to do? How DO you know when it’s appropriate to skip a workout versus forcing yourself to just “get it done”? Unfortunately, the answer is less than straightforward because…it depends. It depends on many factors…like…
- What sort of “tired” are you feeling?
- What has your training looked like in recent days?
- What does your next block of training look like?
- What is the purpose/goal of the current training block?
- How close to your key (Category A) event are you?
I’ve found that it’s especially difficult for athletes to answer this question simply because we are often Type A personalities. This personality type (myself included!) is very competitive, focused on achievement, reliant upon structure, impatient for results & highly regimented. Because of these traits it’s very easy to view deviation from the plan (i.e. missing a workout) as failure or laziness. In other words…it’s easy to blame yourself for a missed workout rather than viewing it as necessary to your overall improvement!
For me, the easiest way to answer this question is to truthfully assess what sort of “tired” I feel. We’ve all experienced…
Different Types of “Tired”
- Fatigue from one night of poor sleep
- Low motivation
- Heavy legs and/or body
- Clumsy & uncoordinated
- Scratchy throat, foggy head, slight body aches
For #1-4 I generally encourage folks to start their workout. Get your workout clothes on, head out the door & do at least 10 min. Often, in the first 10 min, those feelings of “tired” will dissipate & you’ll end up having a great workout. But if those feelings persist, then I say it’s time to head back home & rest.
For #5…let the workout go. Those symptoms are early stages of illness &, in my opinion, it’s not worth the risk of making yourself sick simply to get that workout in. Remember that workouts add stress to your body. When your body is fighting off an illness, it needs all the rest & relaxation you can give it. Better to miss one workout & remain healthy than to push it & be sick for 5-7 days.
If you do decide to skip a workout, how do you minimize those nasty feelings of failure or laziness? I know exactly how this progression goes. You head out – you feel yuck – you cut the workout – you’re bummed out because you couldn’t get the workout done – you sabotage the rest of your day by eating French fries & donuts – which only makes you feel more yuck!
The key to taking advantage of this unexpected Rest Day is to do EVERYTHING you can to improve your rest & recovery. Think of it as “training…for rest & recovery”. If it helps, plan it out, schedule it, structure it.
- Take a nap
- Take a cold shower (for muscle recovery)
- Do your mobility exercises
- Eat a bit extra of high-quality carbs, protein & fat…yes, the extra nutrients (& calories) can help you recover
- Do your meditation practice
- Take a light walk just to be outside
- Do a short drill/technique session
Finally, there are times when the goal is actually to work out in a fatigued state. If your event is long (like Ironman or ultra-distance), you’ll need to get used to working out with a tired body. HOWEVER, these types of workouts need to be carefully planned out AND they need to be followed by adequate recovery. In other words, they don’t just happen!
Good luck & do let me know if I can help YOU answer the question of “How do I know when to skip a workout?”!