This week’s Ultimate Transformation Moment takes a look at what it means to be tough in your workout.
At some point in your life, you may have been told that “You’ve got to be tough,” in reference to your workout.
Well, what does it mean to be tough in your workout? It refers to that point in time in which your workout becomes uncomfortable. Some people speak of a burning sensation in the muscles while others may call it the “booty lock.” There are many sayings used to describe that moment in time, where the workout starts to become a little more challenging, if not out right difficult.
It is during this time frame that personal toughness must come into play. Specifically, if you can find the mental stability; find that greatness inside of you, to push past that moment of discomfort, the benefits are tremendous. The key is to push through the hard part to finish the workout.
For a difficult workout, I take my clients through something called lactic acid workouts. Here’s how it works: The build up of lactic acid in the muscles creates lactate, which is a chemical that enters the muscles and eventually develops into a growth hormone.
It is this same growth hormone that we see some bodybuilders injecting into their bodies. When the lactate forms in the muscle, it also sends a chemical message to have the muscle repair itself back stronger, better, and leaner, and it’s a great way for anyone who’s trying to first lose weight, and get the body more lean for just an aesthetic look. It’s also very good for body symmetry. That’s just giving your body its natural, straight lines, where you can show some definition in muscle.
People can naturally generate this growth hormone through working out and pushing yourself and that muscle to form lactate. However, the key to this is not to do these types of workouts everyday.
A basic lactic acid workout is as follows: Monday there is a challenging workout, which will cause some discomfort in the muscle. I have my clients push past that discomfort. A recovery period follows, on Tuesday. Then, Wednesday, there will be quite a different workout with less intensity so that the muscle can continue to recover fully. A more strenuous workout may be resumed on Thursday or Friday, and the cycle of recovery continues.
So, when you’re working out, plan to have a day in which you do a lactic acid workout and push a little harder in order to push past your discomfort. Begin on a Monday, and then on Thursday or Friday, return with another workout that increases the amount of lactate in the muscles. Plan to use your mental toughness.
After a month of these workouts, review your progress and notice the beautiful gains that your body has made. See just how far your mental toughness has brought you.
That’s our Ultimate Transformations Moment. Peace and be more.
Erich Nall is the owner and founder of Ultimate Transformations Training in Los Angeles. He is the author of “21 Days to Ultimate Health and Wellness.” The certified trainer, nutritionist, motivational speaker, and dedicated life coach is a regular guest and commentator on KJLH 102.3 FM’s the “Front Page” with Dominique DiPrima. As founder of Collegiate Search Youth Organization, Erich has been assisting youth in the community for more than 20 years.
