Crappy training session? Don’t give up on it yet.

We’ve talked about having bad days in the gym before. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, a problem that we all face from time to time during a training session. It can be frustrating to say the least. One day you feel like a superstar, just killing it in the gym, getting the perfect pump, like you’re invincible. Other days are like the worst of your life. You never get a pump, you feel lethargic, you’re just not quite yourself and you just can’t get it together. It’d be easy to say that you should just give up on the workout and hope for a better tomorrow, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But what if you feel the pump is just a few good reps away? What if you feel like you’re on the cusp of a great workout and you just need to push through? Here are some tips to salvage a terrible training session in the gym…

High Reps

Lifting heavy can have its limitations. If you’re having one of those days where you can’t lift heavy, and we mean you’ll literally know you’ll hurt yourself in doing so, then lighten up the load and lift for high reps instead. You’ll get a burn even if you’re not setting personal bests.

Switch Things Up

Sometimes your usual exercises just don’t feel like they’re doing the trick.  In that case, try out some new exercises that target the same muscle group to freshen things up.  Try something you haven’t done before or at least not in a long time and you may just renew your interest.

Rapid Reps

Going slow and steady can win you the race, but it can be boring as hell on the way to the finish line. Switching up your speeds can help break up the tedium. Try and blast through your reps as fast as you can in a safe and controlled manner. This could produce a nice burn, particularly if it’s done at the end of a tough workout.

Focus on Weak Points

Maybe it’s arm day and you fully intend on building up your biceps, but for some reason the pump is just out of reach. To switch things up you can work on a specific weak point that’s lacking. Time away from your specific goal can energize you once you return to it.

Up The Intensity

There are times when you’re pretty much at the end of your workout and you just feel like you haven’t done enough and wasted your time. To salvage things before it’s too late, you can up the intensity of your workout. Pack on more weight to each exercise and work your muscles to failure. Lower the weight gradually and you’ll be guaranteed an extreme burn by the end of the session.

Focus on a Favorite Exercise

Okay, so it may not be leg day, but you know you can kill squats no problem. If the rest of your workout is turning out to be utter crap, then at that point you have a decision to make. Do you keep working your biceps with no hope of a pump or do you perform your go-to exercise and build up a renewed interest in your session. Your favorite exercise may just jump start your energy levels and get you into the mindset you need for an optimal workout.

 

So what do you guys think? Is it possible to salvage a terrible session in the gym? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.