The breaking point is your growth zone

There's a point in every journey where you can't imagine taking another step. You're exhausted, burned out, totally over it.

You can see your goal, but you don't know how to get there, and you feel like you don't have the gas.

In weightlifting, we call this the point of "muscle failure." The mind may be willing, but the body is weak.

The thing is, that bodybuilders and weightlifters consistently push ourselves to our maximum — our point of failure — because that's where the gains occur. Often, we will complete 10 repetitions of an exercise, and our muscles will "fail," but a trainer or workout partner helps us get two more reps to reach complete fatigue.

The last reps of any set are the hardest, and are the most important for building meaningful strength. The end of the cycle is where we truly build our "muscle."

In my training as an amateur strongwoman, I face frequent failure. I try to lift very heavy things, and sometimes I just can't do it.

The real growth for me, both emotionally and physically, has happened when I felt like I couldn't take another step with the heavy weight or I could not add another pound to that bar, but I did it anyway. I didn't accept my body's desire to stop.

You can see that in this video, when I feel like I can't lift another inch, I draw from an inner well of strength and get the job done. This is the largest lift I'd ever done to that point (that's 365 lbs)!

You have that inner well of strength. You just have to learn how to tap into it to achieve max gains.

What do you do in these moments, as an athlete, or as a professional? You have a choice. Either you can dig deeper than you ever have and fight for those most difficult inches, or you can give up.

In the past, I've been the type of person who really loved to give up. I rather fancy myself an expert in the art of walking away from a challenge.

I'd get right to the breaking point, just as I was about to push through to greatness, and I'd stop. I'd make an excuse. I'd miss my goal and miss the glory.

What changed? I updated my mindset, and you can, too!

Three ways to break through when you feel like stopping

1. Get a buddy. A workout partner can encourage you to succeed. At my gyms, we love to yell at each other to "get it!" or "you got this weight!" When you have someone you trust in your corner, cheering you on, you're motivated to reach your goal. This is true in the workplace and in the squat rack. My lifting coach doesn't accept being a wimp. He expects me to show up every day and reach for the goals I've set. I don't want to disappoint him, so I push myself harder.
2. Commit to the next step. You don't have to see the full path ahead. You don't have to imagine getting to rep 12 if you're on rep 1. You just have to take the next single step. Commit to doing one more and then make the decision about whether to continue. I guarantee that you're going to have more momentum.
3. Only pursue productive pain. Pushing yourself to the point of failure encourages growth, but punishing yourself for sport doesn't make much sense. You want your discomfort to have purpose. There's a line between fully exhausting yourself for growth and self-flagellating. Don't push yourself to failure over stuff that doesn't matter to you.

Mental toughness and physical toughness go hand-in-hand. As weightlifters and workers, we often have to break ourselves down to rebuild ourselves stronger. When you reach the precipice and desperately want to turn back, that's the most important time to stay present and pursue your goals.

That's where the growth happens. Stare at your goal, don't be afraid, and finish the lift. I guarantee you'll come out stronger on the other side.

Kathryn Bennett, CPSM, is the Director of RFP Excellence at Loopio and lives in Western Colorado. When she's not powerlifting in a garage, she's hanging out with her dog, Dot, doing crossword puzzles over brunch, and encouraging other aspiring strongpeople. Follow her weightlifting account on Instagram at @kaybeelifts