Embrace the Suck (The Right Way): How to Use Discomfort for Growth. Without Burning Out. The Fine Line Between Growth and Self-Destruction

rich25265
Jul 27
4 min read

Updated: Oct 8

The Fine Line Between Growth and Self-Destruction

If you’re the type of person drawn to challenges, Races, Crossfit, Hyrox etc…you may already know that real progress results from pushing through the boundaries of your comfort zone. Whether it’s grinding through the last round of a HYROX workout, or forcing yourself out the door for a freezing 5am winter morning run, or pushing through the last reps of a heavy max rep squat set, discomfort is the price of improvement.

But here’s the problem, most people get discomfort wrong.

They believe that more suffering equals better results (or they know it doesn’t but can’t stop anyway.) They skip rest days, ignore nagging pains, and wear exhaustion like a badge of honor, and then, inevitably, they crash out with injuries, burnout, stalled progress, or worse a wrecked metabolism, hormonal imbalances, and chronic fatigue.

The truth, discomfort should be used as a tool, not a lifestyle.

The best athletes in functional fitness, OCR, and endurance sports don’t just push hard, they push smart. They periodize their training and ioritize recovery just as aggressively as effort, and understand that health is the foundation of performance. This would be the approach of a professional athlete, so ask yourself the question, if they take this approach, how the hell can I expect to replicate this and then also go to work 8 hours a day.

Read on to discover:

Why discomfort is necessary (but not at the cost of long-term health)
How to periodize pain, when to suffer and when to back off
The hidden costs of chronic overreaching (hormones, immunity, mental health)
Practical strategies to train hard without breaking down

Let’s dive in.

Part 1: Why Discomfort Matters (But Isn’t the Only Goal)

The Science of Adaptation: Stress + Recovery = Growth

Your body doesn’t get stronger, faster, or more resilient during the workout, it happens after, during recovery. The process works like this:

Stress (training hard) creates micro-damage in muscles, depletes energy, and triggers fatigue.
Recovery (sleep, nutrition, rest) repairs the damage and supercompensates—making you fitter than before.

But if you skip Step 2, you don’t adapt, you just accumulate damage.

Example:

Smart Approach: A HYROX athlete does 2/3 brutal training days per week, then 2 light recovery sessions + proper sleep and with good diet, carbs, protein and fats to refuel.
Dumb Approach: Same athlete trains 5 days a week at max effort, never deloads, and wonders why they’re injured and plateaued.

Signs You’re Pushing Too Hard

Chronic fatigue (even with caffeine)
Persistent soreness (muscles never feel fresh)
Frequent injuries (nagging pains that won’t go away)
Mood swings & low motivation (overtraining crushes dopamine)
Poor sleep & high resting HR (your nervous system is fried)

If this sounds familiar, you might be mistaking self-destruction for discipline, sorry Goggins.

Periodization, Timing Your Suffering

You wouldn’t max out your squat every day before a powerlifting meet, so why train like every workout is life-or-death before an OCR race?

Periodization is the art of structuring training into phases so you peak at the right time without burning out.

1. Pre-Competition (Embrace the Suck)

Goal: Build sport-specific fitness (e.g., HYROX endurance, grip strength for OCR).
Methods: High-intensity intervals, heavy strength sessions, race simulations.
Mindset: "This is where I earn my fitness."

2. Tapering (The Art of Backing Off)

2-3 weeks before race day, reduce volume but keep intensity sharp.
Example: Instead of 5x 800m runs, do 2x 800m at race pace—fresh, not fatigued.
Why it works: Lets your body fully recover so you perform at 100% on game day.

3. Off-Season (Strategic Ease)

Goal: Recover, rebuild weak points, stay mobile.
Methods: Low-intensity cardio (walking, swimming), hypertrophy work, skill drills.
Key Benefit: Prevents burnout and lets joints/tendons heal.

Health First—How to Stay Resilient

1. Sleep & Hormones: The Silent Game-Changers

Cortisol: Chronic high stress (from overtraining) = fat storage, muscle loss.
Testosterone/GH: Poor sleep tanks these = slower recovery, weaker performance.
Fix: Prioritize 7-9 hours, minimize blue light at night, nap if needed.

2. Diet as a Tool (Not a Religion)

High-Carb for Competition Fuel: Needed for glycolytic events (HYROX, CrossFit).
Optional, Periodic Keto/Fasting for Metabolic Flexibility: Helps endurance athletes tap into fat.
Key: Adjust based on training phase, don’t dogmatically stick to one diet, one macro ratio..

3. Injury-Proofing

Mobility Work: 10 mins daily = 70 mins once a week.
Deload Weeks: Every 4-6 weeks, cut volume by 30-50%.
Listen to Your Body: "Pain" vs. "discomfort" - know the difference.

The Fitness Mindset

"Discomfort is a Dial, Not a Switch"

20% Rule: 20% of workouts should be brutal, 80% should be sustainable.
Longevity v. Ego: Train so you’re still crushing it at 50, not broken at 35.

Final Thoughts: Train Hard, Recover Harder

Discomfort is necessary but only when applied intelligently. The best athletes aren’t the ones who suffer the most; they’re the ones who suffer the right amount, at the right time, and recover like pros.

So ask yourself: Are you training for short-term punishment or long-term domination?

Action: Pick one recovery habit to improve this week (sleep, deload, mobility).