Are You Working Hard Enough?

I've been on a mission lately.  I'm trying to get in the best shape of my life.  Now, I know that might sound overwhelming to some, but I'm pretty sure that I need to be in better shape especially with 4 kids!  During a workout recently, a fellow colleague and trainer said to me, "You're not working out hard enough."  Of course, I wanted to clobber him with my dumbbell but then I asked the question, "What do you mean."  He proceeded to tell me that in order to reach my goal, I'd have to dig deep and workout harder than ever. As I thought about that, it occurred to me that he's exactly right.  But what exactly does that look like?  Over the next week, I monitored the intensity of my workouts.  I pushed myself harder than I have in the past.  I mean, I was grunting and really getting in the zone.  What was the result?  The days after my workout, I felt it in areas I hadn't felt in a long time.  I needed that time to recover which is crucial to muscle development.  I felt stronger and stronger with each workout.  Intensity is everything during a workout.  From now on, if  I'm "breezing through" a workout I know I need to up the intensity.  Next time you're working out ask yourself, "Am I working hard enough?"