I was training an early morning client and he was telling me his friend referred to his trainer as the prince of pain. What a cool nickname! I will probably never be given such a name and honestly I am fine with that.
There are many trainers out there who have one goal in mind and that is to make sure their client can’t walk the next day because they are so sore. Soreness after a workout is a good indicator as to how challenging your exercise routine was but it is not always the best. As I have told many clients, you can be sore because you challenged yourself but you can also be sore because you did everything with poor form. I am a firm believer that if you cannot walk the next day or cannot raise up your arms because they are just too sore, you may have overworked your muscles which can lead to long term damage.
I truly think you should challenge yourself when you workout, however exercise should enhance your life, not take away from it. Exercise should be a part of your life, not take over your life. This is a fine line that is crossed often by those working out and by trainers. The body has limitations and it is going to tell you what those limitations are. Listen to it.
Until next time…
