Not All Stress is Bad!
Stress gets a bad reputation in the fitness world, but the truth is a little more nuanced…
Not all stress is bad. In fact, the right kind of stress is exactly what drives progress in the gym and in life.
The Types of Stress (Through a Fitness Lens)
1) Acute Stress (Short-Term, Productive)
This is the stress you feel before a heavy set, a competition, or a big decision. Your heart rate rises, focus sharpens, and your body prepares to perform.
In training, acute stress is what forces adaptation. You stress the muscle, nervous system, or energy systems, then recover and come back stronger. No stress = no stimulus. No stimulus = no growth.
2) Chronic Stress (Long-Term, Draining)
This is the stress that sticks around: poor sleep, financial strain, relationship issues, work pressure, or trying to do too much for too long without recovery.
In fitness, chronic stress shows up as stalled progress, nagging injuries, low motivation, and poor recovery. Your body can’t distinguish between “life stress” and “training stress” it all pulls from the same recovery pool.
3) Eustress (Positive Stress)
This is the stress tied to meaningful challenges like prepping for a meet, pursuing a physique goal, or building something bigger than yourself.
Eustress feels hard, but purposeful. It stretches you without breaking you.
When World Gym Webster closed, Dave and I only had 3.5 weeks to:
Find a location
Buy equipment
Set up an LLC
Build a website
Create a business plan
Handle build-out logistics
And about a hundred other details
It was one of the most stressful periods of my life. Long days, constant decisions, real financial risk, all while still working my full time job. But it was eustress, aligned with a vision. That pressure is what forced growth, urgency, and execution. Legends 24/7 Gym exists because we embraced that stress instead of running from it.
How to Manage Stress (Like You Manage Training)
1) Dose It Properly
You don’t max out every day in the gym. Don’t max out in life every day either. Hard pushes need easier periods.
2) Prioritize Recovery
Sleep, nutrition, and downtime aren’t luxuries. They’re performance tools. If your recovery is poor, your stress tolerance drops.
3) Control What You Can
You can’t control every life variable, but you can control your habits, effort, and preparation. That alone reduces stress dramatically.
4) Attach Stress to Purpose
Stress without direction feels overwhelming. Stress tied to a goal feels meaningful. Ask yourself, “What is this stress building me toward?”
The Takeaway
If you want to grow, stronger, more muscular, more successful, stress is part of the deal. The goal isn’t to eliminate it. The goal is to apply it intelligently and recover from it effectively.
Too little stress and you stagnate.
Too much unmanaged stress and you burn out.
The sweet spot is where challenge meets recovery.
That’s where real progress lives.
Are you looking for a coach? Get started today by applying for coaching here>> Contact — THE CREW (sheridanstrengthcrew.com)