The challenge of low-intensity workouts

The title probably sounds a bit self-contradictory. But it's accurate--at least in my experience so far.

What do I mean? Well, this entry is a follow-up to my last entry, where I discussed a new experiment I'm trying--one in which I'll be doing most upper-body strength training sessions within a given phase at a low intensity, while doing just a few sessions at the end of the phase at full intensity. I'm hoping thereby, as I said, to introduce some further variation into my workouts.

Ok, so I'm going easy in these last few sessions. What's the challenge in that? Well, I've found it challenging to restrain myself from ramping up the intensity. I start doing reps with the resistance bands and think to myself unconsciously, "this is too easy, I'll have to use less slack next time." As you may have noted from my last entry, that's the first step toward getting into competition with myself--something I'm trying to avoid during this low-intensity segment of the experiment I'm doing during this phase.

So, it takes some conscious effort to ramp down the intensity. It's something I'll probably have to work on continuously.

And it brings up some interesting possibilities. I'm perhaps more engaged in the routines mentally than when I'm just trying to go all out in my efforts. So, what will be the effect--if any--on my efforts when I come to the high-intensity segment of this phase?

Might I be able to break through some barriers that I've confronted thus far while being in full-throttle-mode for most workouts? Might I, for example, be able to do more push-ups than the maximum I've been kind of stuck at for a year or two? Do more reps with a given amount of weight?

I'll have to wait to find out the answers to those questions. And, interesting as those answers will be, I can't say that an answer in the positive is terribly important. As I said, I do this for health reasons, not to win any sort of competition or anything.

But still, it will be interesting to see what are the effects on performance. I am--in addition to trying to maintain god health--out to learn, after all.

I'll be posting results as they become available.