THERE ARE NO RESULTS WITHOUT SUFFERING" - TRUTH OR MYTH

"THERE ARE NO RESULTS WITHOUT SUFFERING" - TRUTH OR MYTH?

For some, it is very clear: the more you suffer, the more results you get. But for others, these kinds of expressions like "no pain, no gain" (no results without suffering) or "only the strongest survive" do not mean much. Is it true that you have to suffer in training to be effective?

As usual, this question can not be answered with a simple yes or no. We have carefully examined four areas - weight loss, strength training, stretching and improvement in running performance - and now we would like to explain to you how much truth is hidden in the expression "no pain, no gain".

1. WEIGHT LOSS
If you want to lose weight and get rid of some extra kilos, this is the key: a negative energy balance. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. In addition, the best training sessions are those that make you burn a lot of calories. Full-body bodyweight workouts or running at intervals are two ideal types of training to eliminate fat. Although it is true that more calories are burned at a higher intensity, it is absolutely unnecessary to force the body to reach the threshold of pain, or even go beyond.

Note: pain is the way the body is alerting you. Problems in your passive musculoskeletal system (joints, cartilage, ligaments and tendons) are almost always related to muscle overload or incorrect muscle stimulation. Even muscle aches should not be taken lightly. New or too hard training sessions and unusual movements can cause muscle tearing, known as microtraumas. If your muscles are very sore, you should avoid doing very intense workouts. Give the body time to recover and wait to re-train until the pain has eased.

2. FORCE TRAINING
The motto "no results without suffering" is very popular in strength training.

And part of it is true, if you want to gain muscle. Generally, your body needs a sufficiently powerful fitness stimulus to make the body adapt. In other words, you have to take the body out of its comfort zone (homeostasis) to start the adaptation process.

If you do one flex a day, you will not gain muscle, since the stimulus is too light. Still, if you do the proper strength training, twice a week for a long enough period of time with push-ups to fatigue the muscles, the body will be forced to adapt and improve. Experienced bodybuilders often train until they reach muscle failure to optimize their adaptability. But these fitness enthusiasts also make sure they give their muscles enough time to recover before doing their next training session.

Note: training up to total muscle failure is very effective, but is only recommended for professional bodybuilders. Instead, you should focus on doing the exercise correctly. As soon as you stop being able to do the exercise in the correct way, you should stop. Thus, you minimize the risk of muscle overload.

3. STRETCHES
Throughout their careers, professional gymnasts or circus contortionists have done stretches that have forced them to push themselves beyond their limits. But, luckily, we do not all have to be able to put one leg behind the head
The general rule is to stretch until you feel a slight tension. It should never end up hurting you. And the same norm is applicable to the exercises to mobilize the joints.

4. IMPROVEMENT IN RUNNING PERFORMANCE
If you think that the only way to improve your speed is to run to exhaustion in each session, you're on the wrong track.

Of course, there are runners who are prepared for a specific race and want to improve their personal brand by incorporating some very demanding intervals in their workouts. This can be very painful, but even professional runners do not do many hard workouts. The important thing for beginner and amateur runners is to get a good fitness base. The better the base of your fitness level, the more intense you can do your running training.

CONCLUSION
"No pain, no gain" is only applicable in exceptional situations and, sometimes, in competitive sports. Although in general it is true that you need to train hard in many areas to achieve great results, pain should always be avoided. It is important that you listen to the body and not ignore the signals it sends you, such as pain. If you give the body the necessary time to recover, you can enjoy training without feeling pain.