man working out hard wearing uppper wrist wraps

How to Know If You’re Undertraining (And How to Fix It)

• Evelyn Valdez

Most lifters swear they’re training “hard.” But here’s the truth: hard is relative, and a lot of people are leaving way more progress on the table than they think.

Undertraining isn’t about skipping the gym. It’s not about doing “easy sets.” It’s about the hidden habits that keep you from ever tapping into your real strength and your real results.

Let’s break down the signs you’re undertraining (without even realizing it) and how to fix them.

1. Your Last Reps Still Look Pretty

If you finish a set looking like you’re filming a form tutorial, you’re not working — you’re warming up.

Your final reps should look like you’re fighting for your life (with control, of course). A shake, a grind, a little “help me”… that’s training.

Fix it:

2. Your Strength Isn’t Moving, But You’re Not Tired Either

If your numbers are stuck and you leave the gym feeling fresh enough to run the whole session again… Congrats — you’re maintenance training.

Real progress requires real stimulus.

Fix it:

  • Track your weights
  • Increase intentionally
  • Stop “guessing” your loads

3. You Rest Too Long Between Sets (Or Not Long Enough)

Rest timing matters more than you think.

Too long → you cool down and lose intensity
Too short → you never recover enough to push

Ideal rest:

  • 2–3 min for strength
  • 60–90 sec for accessories
  • Longer for max attempts
  • Shorter for metabolic sets

4. You Avoid Hard Variations

If you never use paused reps, tempo reps, slow eccentrics, deficits, or unilateral versions… you’re avoiding the hard stuff.

Fix it: Pick one “challenge variation” per workout. Your progress will take off.

5. Your Muscles Burn, But They Don’t Fatigue

Burn = discomfort.
Fatigue = stimulus.

If you stop when it burns, you stop early.

Fix it: Take accessory work closer to failure. The final reps should fight back, not politely follow along. Use lifting gear like lifting straps, wrist wraps, or a lifting belt to help give you the support needed to push through more reps.

6. Your Form Is “Too Perfect” All the Time

Perfect form is great — until it stays perfect because you’ve never pushed close enough to your limit for it to try to break down.

Effort doesn’t mean sloppy. But effort should show.

7. You’re Not Using Gear That Lets You Push Harder

This isn’t a raw lifting competition. Gear doesn’t make the lift easier, it makes the right muscles work harder.

8. You Could Finish Your Workout… and Do It Again

If you leave the gym thinking, “Solid session. Could’ve done more.” Then you should’ve done more.

You don’t need to leave drenched, but you should leave knowing you gave something meaningful.

How to Fix Undertraining Without Overdoing It

Your UPPPER-approved checklist:

✔ Push 1–2 main lifts to RPE 8–9
✔ Take accessories to RPE 9–10
✔ Add one hard variation per day
✔ Use supportive gear to access deeper effort
✔ Track your lifts consistently

Most lifters aren't lazy; they’re just not pushing in the right way.
Dial in your effort, support your lifts, and stop leaving gains on the table.

Train with intention.
Push with structure.
Let UPPPER take you further.