How often do we, in our own ways, think we need to do more when it comes to achieving goals/results? Too often is the answer, though most won't admit it.
We create a mindset that more is better and that we should always be doing more. Anything less, we begin to think it hinders our results or whatever it maybe we are out to achieve. The search for more can lead to actual setbacks that further us from the root cause of the issues, which in return can lead the person to distance from the end goal/results.
In all my years of coaching I have come across the same issue with clients as well as in my own training. Let me give you a few examples of what I am referring to.
In prep for comps, if a lift failed, not because it was too heavy, my mind would race to what more do I need to do? If I caved in a squat though the bar felt light on my back, my mind would race to do more good mornings, more front squat, more core work. In the end, the frustration grew when these ideas of more were short-lived, causing more stress, more injury and more setbacks.
Several of my clients have suffered from the same thought process. As numbers didn’t move as fast as they wanted, they began to search for more. More workouts outside of training, more online searches for what everyone else was doing and more frustration with their results or goals that weren’t coming.
To overcome the more needed mindset, it does not require a major injury, major comeback story or let’s just quit. The simplest answers can be found by actually going back to the root cause or getting an outsider’s perspective, drop your pride and do so.
To keep this simple, here are just a few situations one could occur, and how to consider solutions:
Let’s go with weightlifting and the squat movement. If your chest is caving at the bottom of the heavy squat, it could be that you are losing tightness in your back. The only way to test this is to strip the bar down to just a bar but treat it like it's your max. Do controlled tempo squats, feeling every part of the squat. Video tape yourself doing so and in the review, you could find the problem. My recommendation is to work from the feet up in your review, but I can assure you, you will find the answer.
The scale isn’t moving in your weight-loss journey. Oh no (insert sarcasm)! What does your journal say? Do you even have one? Did you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep or were you mindlessly scrolling through social media before you fell asleep? Did you eat enough that day or are really messing with the cupcakes before bed? How much water did you intake, and did you consume more if you had a lot of caffeine throughout the day? Better yet, do you even know what you are supposed to be eating vs what you are not? Most people really don’t but assume they do.
You can’t push another mile in your run. Have you thought about setting up markers to know when you are at your best on your run and when you are not? Possibly videotape the run and look at the positioning of the camera as you hit the point of failure. Take it a step further, have someone wait at the marker that you struggle at and take a look back at how you look in form. Most aren’t aware, but once the form begins to break down in running, the body has to use more energy to keep you going and the results can lead to failure of running just one more step.
There is no one size fits all answer here about what the root cause is for everyone. However, it does require you on your part to be honest and to keep track of what you are doing vs what you think you are doing. For me, it took an outsider's perspective, showing me that my form was poor and so was my mobility. Either way, it does require submitting to the fact that doing more wasn’t better for me and the same could apply to you.
Final food for thought. The definition of “overkill” is excessive use, treatment, or action; too much of something: The definition alone shows that more isn’t better and if that is the case, then why are you still doing so?
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