Training Doesn’t Have to Be All or Nothing
A lot of people fall into the trap of thinking, “If I can’t give 100% to training, what’s the point?”
But let’s be real for a second, if you gave 100% energy to everything every single day, you’d be cooked all the time.
Life doesn’t work like that. We’re all juggling work, family, stress, and responsibilities. Your energy and time will never be perfectly consistent, and that’s not a failure, that’s normal.
Some months, you’ll have the space to push hard and dial everything in. Other times, training has to take a backseat while other areas of life take priority. That’s not a reason to quit, it just means learning to shift gears without stopping.
It would be a shame to throw away all the work and time you’ve already put in, just because you can’t train perfectly right now.
Common All-or-Nothing Traps
Miss a session?
Suddenly it’s: “I’ve lost all my gains, may as well start over later.”
Reality: Missing one day doesn’t ruin your week or your progress. Shake it off and keep moving.
Not feeling 100%?
“I’ll just skip today, no point if I can’t hit the numbers programmed.”
Reality: Weight on the bar is relative. Go in, adjust, and work with what you’ve got; you’ll still move forward.
No PBs in sight?
“What’s the point? I should be progressing faster.”
Reality: Everyone progresses at their own rate. If you’re showing up and putting in consistent work, PBs will come, but forcing them never works.
Deload week/sessions?
“I’m wasting time, this isn’t real training.”
Reality: Deloads are actually a great break for your body, and if not physically, they are also mentally great! You might just find that the weights you thought were hard or heavy in earlier weeks of training are now feeling easier!
Have an injury?
“Once injured, it’s easy to quit.”
Reality: You don’t have to stop, just learn to adapt.
Find a good rehab professional, and talk to your coach so your training can shift to match your new situation. There’s always something you can do, and something is always better than nothing.
Injuries might feel like a curse, but they can be a blessing. They highlight areas you may have neglected, help you focus differently, and remind you just how much you love the training you get to do.
These are just a few of the common all or nothing traps I have seen. They all have a solution and they can easily be helped, so you can continue to train and enjoy training for longer periods. Stopping and starting is going to slow your progress down a lot more than just finding what works consistently best for you! Not what others are doing, and not what you see or hear on the internet.
When Life Gets Hectic, Here’s How to Keep Moving
Train fewer days. Even 2–3 sessions a week keep the momentum alive.
Shorten your sessions. Cut the fluff. 60–90 minutes is plenty.
Prioritise smartly. Hit the big lifts, but keep some fun work in so training isn’t a chore. If you aren’t training for anything in specific, talk to your coach about mixing it up a little.
Talk to your coach. Training isn’t about punishment. Adjust the plan to fit your current life.
Final Thought
There’s always something you can do, and something is always better than nothing.
And if that doesn’t convince you, then remember this:
You don’t have to train; you get to. Some people don’t even have that choice.
If you can learn to balance training with your life and to slow down when needed, but not stop, you’ll make better progress in the long run. And more importantly? You’ll enjoy it a hell of a lot more.
—MWBC Team
