How to Balance Life and Training: Why the Middle Ground Is Where Real Progress Happens
Most people think the hardest part of training is motivation. But motivation isn’t the problem, balance is.
Balancing training with work, family, energy, stress, seasons of life, and your own expectations is what keeps people consistent long term. And if there’s one thing I’ve seen over years of coaching, it’s this:
The people who find balance stick around.
The people who chase extremes burn out.
And I know that not just from coaching others, but from my own journey.
Let’s get into it.
The Go Hard or Go Home Trap (and Why So Many of Us Fall Into It)
I’ve been coaching people for well over a decade, and I’ve seen the same cycle repeat itself across hundreds of clients:
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Train hard
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Feel good
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Push harder
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Push harder again
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Burn out
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Stop
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Lose progress
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Start again
And I’d love to say I’ve never done that myself, but I have.
Plenty of times.
Even with everything I know about training, periodisation, recovery, and human physiology… I’m human. I’ve had phases where I’d train like a machine for 3-6 months and then hit a point where I couldn’t stand the thought of another session.
Not because I didn’t love training, but because I pushed so hard that I took the enjoyment out of it.
If you’ve ever done that, you’re not alone.
And nothing about that means you’re weak, lazy, or uncommitted.
It means you’re normal.
Knowing What to Do vs. Doing It Yourself
Here’s something most people don’t realise:
Coaches are great at coaching others because we’re objective.
We struggle with ourselves because we’re emotional.
I know exactly how to build long term, sustainable training programs.
I know how much volume someone can tolerate.
I know when clients need rest.
I know how to avoid overreaching and burnout.
But knowing the right system doesn’t magically remove the internal battle.
I can easily tell a client:
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“You need a rest day.”
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“Pull back the intensity.”
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“You’re doing too much.”
But when it comes to myself?
My biggest challenge isn’t the programming, it’s my mindset.
I love training.
I love pushing myself.
And I naturally lean toward going all in.
That’s not a knowledge problem, that’s a human nature problem.
And that’s exactly why balance matters.
Why Balance Matters More Than Motivation
People think motivation is what keeps you moving forward.
It’s not.
Balance is what keeps you showing up on the days you’re tired, stressed, busy, or not feeling it, without swinging to extremes.
Balance creates:
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longevity
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consistency
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better recovery
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fewer injuries
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sustainable progress
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less guilt
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more enjoyment
Balance is the antidote to the all or nothing trap.
Why You Don’t Need to Train Every Day (Even If You Love It)
This one took me the longest to learn.
You don’t need to train every day.
You don’t need to smash yourself every session.
You don’t need to feel wrecked to make progress.
Rest isn’t laziness, it’s forward movement.
Training hard without recovery is just stress.
Training hard with recovery is where adaptation happens.
And honestly, sometimes the hardest part is fighting the urge to train more, not less.
Life Stress Counts as Training Load (Even If You Don’t Feel It)
This is the part people forget:
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work stress
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poor sleep
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parenting
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mental load
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emotional exhaustion
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long days
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low energy
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illness
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changes in routine
These all add to your total stress bucket, the same bucket that training load pulls from.
So if your life stress is high, your training load needs to ease up.
If life is smoother, you can go harder.
This isn’t weakness.
It’s smart adaptation.
The Secret to Long Term Success: Enough Effort, Enough Space
The goal isn’t to train at 100% all the time.
The goal is to train at a level you can sustain for years, not weeks.
Balance looks like:
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training 3-5 days consistently
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resting when you need it
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pushing hard some weeks, easing off others
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fitting training into your life season, not fighting against it
It’s finding the middle ground where:
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progress happens
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enjoyment stays high
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life remains stable
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training supports your life, not consumes it
This is the real winning zone.
You’re Not Alone if You Struggle With This
I’ve trained through injuries, events, busy seasons, setbacks, burnout, and rebuilds.
I’ve worked with people after kids, before weddings, during crazy work schedules, and through mental slumps.
I’ve seen every version of “too much” and “not enough.”
And I’ll tell you now:
You’re not alone if you find balance hard.
Almost everyone does.
Even the coach.
It’s taken me years of self awareness and discipline to find my own middle ground, to enjoy life while actually pacing myself.
But once you learn to train with balance, not extremes, everything changes.
Final Takeaway: Progress Happens in the Middle, Not the Extremes
All or nothing feels glamorous.
“Go hard or go home” sounds cool.
But the truth is simple:
The people who grow, improve, and stay consistent are the ones who live in the middle, not the extremes.
Balance isn’t a soft approach.
It’s the smartest approach.
Train hard.
Recover harder.
Adapt to your life season.
And build something you can maintain long term.
That’s where the real transformation happens.
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