Failing Is Progress

We've all had it happen. You walk into the gym knowing that you have to put in the work to see the results. That's the only way it will happen. And then you get under the bar. Your feet planted, your muscles tight, your form on point. The first rep goes up. Solid. You come down for the next rep, and coming up you buckle and drop the bar. Your muscles are shot. You're shaking. You're embarrassed.

You feel like this guy.

Not to worry, though. You're not alone. We've all done it, and we'll all continue to do it. The beauty in failure is that you know where your body stands. You've pushed yourself to the absolute limits. Sometimes it results in vomiting, but that's hardcore anyways. Now, that's not to say that other outside factors are not affecting this happening. Lack of sleep and lack of adequate nutrition will bring you to this point far more often than you should be. So, if you're failing like this twice a week, you need to take a step back and reassess the amount of sleep you're getting and the amount of food you're eating. If you're staying up until 1am, waking up at 7am for a full day of work, and then hitting the gym, chances are that you won't be primed for the iron battle, and you're not going to get the workout you need. Sleep 8-10 hours a night, eat from morning until night, and keep your head in the game always.

Now, if you're doing all of that and still failing, you just need to plain accept the fact that you're not at the level required to push/pull the weight you're throwing on the bar. Drop some poundage, keep your form solid, and the weight will come. No need to ego lift, as that only results in bad habits and bad injuries. I'll give 100% credit to a guy who only lifts 135 lbs for 5x5s with solid form, as opposed to the guy who puts on 315 and gives one half-assed rep that looks like he's going to snap his shoulders clean off his body. Calm your shit, you're not cool. Lift for the long-term progress, not the short-term satisfaction until you blow out your pec and are finished benching forever.

Looks fun, right?

To draw us back in to the original topic at hand, don't feel ashamed if you have a bad day once in a while. It is totally normal in the weightlifting lifestyle, and it is to be expected. Give yourself a day or two of extra rest, then jump back on the iron horse and ride. It's better to take some time off, than to push through the pain and cause an injury. But, if you don't use that time to recover properly and eat like a maniac, what good is it? Fuel the machine, keep it well-oiled, and it will work.