Episode
When to Push and When to Hold Back
- Podcast
- Timber & Steel Podcast
- Published
- Dec 10, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1292
- Processing state
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Summary
### Episode Overview Clayton and Jennie discuss the important topic of modulating training intensity—when to push hard in your workouts and when to hold back. They explore why hitting 100% intensity every day isn't sustainable (especially as we age), how to make smart decisions about your training approach, and the critical importance of consistency over intensity. ### Key Topics Covered **Why You Can't Go 100% Every Day** - Your body breaks down without recovery, increasing injury risk - Lack of proper rest affects movement quality and positioning - Intensity can become the enemy of consistency—burning out leads to quitting - Different life seasons (new parents, job changes, etc.) affect your capacity **Strategies for Modulating Intensity** - Look ahead at the week's workouts and identify which align with your strengths - Push harder on workouts in your wheelhouse - Use weakness days for skill development, not max effort - Match your effort to workout design (shorter/intense vs. longer/steady) - Remember: plans don't survive reality—be ready to pivot **Making Day-Of Decisions** - Use the warmup as an assessment tool—pay attention to how your body feels - Don't predetermine your intensity before warming up - Give yourself grace to shift expectations based on actual readiness - Sometimes you feel terrible but hit PRs; sometimes you feel great but struggle - Your coach's advice: "How your body feels is a lie" (sometimes) **The Mindfulness Factor** - Check your ego at the door—it applies to both athletes and coaches - Be present and aware during warmup sets - Use each rep as information to guide your decisions - Ask yourself: "How am I really doing today?" - Take ownership of your training—coaches can guide, but you know your body ### Main Takeaways 1. Consistency beats i…