Anytime I spend a bit too long on social media, I’m inundated with videos from fitness influencers promoting their special HIIT workouts—full of “plyos ‘til you puke”, burnout circuits, and intensity for intensity’s sake. The kind of workouts that promise to leave you gasping on the floor, barely able to stand (or sit) the next day.
And every time, I find myself wondering:
What are the people doing these workouts actually hoping to get out of them?
Is the goal to feel like absolute trash afterward—to chase that shaky-legged, near-vomit sensation like it’s a badge of honor? Or are they actually looking for measurable, undeniable results? More strength. Better endurance. A leaner, more capable body. The kind of progress that doesn’t just make you sweat but makes you better.
The Problem with “Go Until You Die” Training
Look, training hard isn’t the problem. But training dumb is.
These workouts might feel brutal in the moment, but ask yourself:
- Are you actually getting stronger, or just getting tired?
- Are you moving better, or just feeling more broken?
- Can you keep this up for months, or will you burn out in a few weeks?
If you’re wrecked for days after every session, struggling to recover, and dreading your next workout, you’re not training—you’re just surviving.
What Actually Moves the Needle?
If you want real results—ones that you can see, feel, and sustain—it’s time to rethink your approach.
✅ Strength Over Suffering – Muscle isn’t built through exhaustion; it’s built through progressive overload. Strength training should be the foundation.
✅ Conditioning With a Purpose – HIIT has a place, but it should be structured. Redlining every session doesn’t build fitness—it builds fatigue.
✅ Training You Can Repeat – A good workout should leave you feeling challenged but capable, not crippled. If you can’t train again tomorrow, was it really effective?
✅ Progress You Can See – Numbers don’t lie. Track your lifts, your endurance, your recovery. If it’s not improving, it’s not working.
Train Smarter, Not Just Harder
The real difference between people who stay fit and strong for years versus those who bounce from trend to trend? The smart ones aren’t chasing exhaustion—they’re chasing progress.
So, the next time you see an influencer promising to leave you “wrecked,” ask yourself:
👉 Do you want to feel destroyed, or do you want to get better?
Because those are two very different things.