Let me be clear from the start: exercise, especially weightlifting, should feel tough. No one builds a strong physique without pushing their body to its limits consistently. I’m often surprised when people comment that certain movements stress the body too much. Isn’t that kind of the point of exercise—to stress the body and force it to adapt? That view seems narrow and unhelpful to me.
That said, there’s a difference between working hard and always trying to make every workout harder. Working hard is good; always making things harder can be counterproductive.
I’ll illustrate with a real-world example. A client I started coaching a few months ago is a trainer who’s no stranger to the gym. She reached out to have her technique audited on squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, and to have someone take over programming. As with any client, we spent time getting to know each other and figuring out how to tailor my coaching. One thing I noticed early is that she always aimed to beat her last workout. If her deadlift didn’t exceed the previous week’s number, she’d be disappointed.
Honestly, I love that ambition. Progressive overload—gradually doing more over weeks, months, and years—is essential for long-term progress. The trap, though, is treating every session as a test of maximum strength rather than a step forward in building it. So yes, I want hard work, but not at the expense of sustainable progress.
I often think of Paul Carter’s idea of 80/10/10: ten percent of the time you feel like you’re conquering everything; ten percent you feel crushed; and eighty percent you just show up, do your work, and leave. The 80% workouts aren’t dramatic; you simply perform, with purpose, and move on. You’re still working hard, just not every session needs to be Instagram-worthy.
You can still train hard even with a poor night’s sleep, or if you’re dealing with an injury, or if you’ve had a bad day at work. The point is that every session doesn’t have to be a grind to make progress. Using different metrics—like rate of perceived exertion (RPE) or Reps in Reserve (RIR)—can help. For example, instead of forcing a heavy double on the squat when sleep was poor, you might do 2–3 sets of squats with 2–3 reps in reserve. You’ll still get challenging work without risking injury or excessive fatigue that could derail progress.
Another approach I’ve started using, inspired by Conor Harris, is this: Week 1: 3×5 at 70% of 1RM plus an AMRAP. If the AMRAP exceeds eight reps, add five pounds next session. If it’s six to eight reps, repeat the same weight. If it’s fewer than five, drop five pounds next session. This keeps reps fast and crisp, while the AMRAP satisfies more competitive athletes.
This is a win-win in my book. Easy training is still good training. Build strength, don’t chase constant PRs every session. And yes, I’m not above making light jokes—like joking that I wear pants on Saturdays. Note: some of my best workouts come after a poor night’s sleep; it can happen, but it’s the exception, not the rule, and I’ve seen it with clients many times.
