Balancing Training Intensity and Recovery | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. トレーニング計画は大変ですが、最近は回復するのが難しくなっています。

   The workout plan is challenging, but recovery has been hard lately.

   トレーニング計画

   workout plan

   大変

   challenging

   最近は

   lately

   回復する

   to recover

   難しくなっています

   has become difficult

   More detail

   トレーニング計画 means “workout plan.” It is a noun compound: トレーニング (“training/workout”) modifies 計画 (“plan”). Japanese commonly places the modifying noun before the main noun. Example: 旅行計画を立てます。 — “I make a travel plan.” 大変 means “challenging” here. It is a な-adjective, so before a noun it normally takes な, as in 大変な計画 (“a challenging plan”); in this sentence it is used predicatively before the contrast marker ですが. The following が is the conjunction “but,” while the です-like polite ending is part of ですが, not part of the quoted word 大変. 最近は means “lately” with 最近 (“recently”) marked by the topic particle は. The particle gives the recent period a topic-like frame: “as for lately.” The same time expression can appear without は when no such topical contrast is needed. Example: 最近はよく眠れます。 — “I can sleep well lately.” 回復する means “to recover.” 回復 is a noun meaning “recovery,” and する turns it into a verb; the observed form is the nonpast dictionary form. Here, 回復するの nominalizes the clause, so 回復するのが means “recovering” or “the act of recovering,” with が marking it as what is difficult. Example: けがから回復する。 — “I recover from an injury.” 難しくなっています means “has become difficult” or, in this context, “has been hard.” The adjective 難しい (“difficult”) changes to its connective form 難しく before なる (“become”): 難しくなる means “become difficult.” なっています is the polite progressive/result-state form of なる, indicating that the resulting difficult situation currently holds. This is different from simply 難しいです, which describes something as difficult without explicitly presenting the change into that state. Example: 仕事が難しくなっています。 — “The work has become difficult.” Together, トレーニング計画は大変ですが sets up the contrast: “The workout plan is challenging, but …” Then 最近は回復するのが難しくなっています says that, lately, recovering has become difficult or has been hard. The complete meaning is: “The workout plan is challenging, but recovery has been hard lately.”

2. 今のスケジュールには、トレーニング量が多すぎるのかもしれません。

   The volume may be too high for your schedule right now.

   今の

   current; right now

   スケジュール

   schedule

   には

   for; in

   トレーニング量

   training volume

   多すぎる

   too much

   のかもしれません

   may be

   More detail

   今の means “current” or “now’s” and modifies the following noun. 今 means “now”; adding の lets it describe a noun: 今のスケジュール = “the current schedule.” This does not by itself specify who owns the schedule; the fixed translation supplies the intended “your.” スケジュール is a loanword meaning “schedule.” Together with 今の, it identifies the schedule as current rather than a general schedule. には combines に and the topic/contrast particle は. Here に marks the schedule as the frame against which suitability is judged, giving a meaning like “for the current schedule.” は highlights that frame. The combination Nには is reusable when saying that something is suitable, difficult, excessive, or otherwise relevant for a particular situation. トレーニング量 is “training volume” or “the amount of training.” トレーニング means “training,” and 量 means “amount” or “volume”; together they form a compound noun. For example, 宿題の量 means “the amount of homework.” 多すぎる means “be too much” here. Its base adjective is 多い (“many” or “much”); with すぎる, the い is removed: 多い → 多すぎる. This pattern expresses excess: 高すぎる = “too expensive/high,” while 少なすぎる = “too little/few.” In this sentence, 多すぎる describes the training volume, not the schedule. のかもしれません marks a polite possibility: “may be” or “might be.” The の packages the preceding statement as the proposition under consideration, and かもしれません expresses uncertainty. The plain form かもしれない is less polite; かもしれません is the polite form. The construction does not assert that the volume is definitely excessive. As a whole, 今のスケジュールには sets the standard—“for your current schedule”—and トレーニング量が多すぎる says that the training volume exceeds what that schedule can reasonably accommodate. のかもしれません softens this into a possibility, producing: “The volume may be too high for your schedule right now.”

3. セッションは最後までこなせますが、その後は疲れ切ったように感じます。

   I can finish the sessions, but I feel drained afterward.

   セッション

   session

   最後まで

   to the end

   こなせます

   can complete

   その後

   afterward

   疲れ切った

   completely exhausted

   ように感じます

   feel as if

   More detail

   セッション is a noun meaning “session.” It is a loanword and can refer to one organized period of training or another activity. In this sentence, セッションは sets the sessions as the topic; は marks what the statement is about. 最後まで means “to the end.” 最後 means “the end” or “the last part,” and まで marks the endpoint or limit. The pattern Nまで is reusable: 駅まで歩きます。 means “I walk as far as the station.” こなせます is the polite potential form of こなす, meaning “can handle” or “can complete” a task. The form こなす → こなせる expresses ability, and こなせます is its polite form. Here, the ability is to get through the sessions to their end. This is different from simply saying 終わります (“end”): こなす presents the subject as successfully handling or carrying out the task. For example, この仕事は一人でこなせます。 means “I can handle this work alone.” その後 means “afterward” or “after that.” その refers back to something already understood, while 後 means “after” or “later.” Here it points to the period after completing the sessions, without specifying a precise time. 疲れ切った means “completely exhausted.” It is the past form of the verb 疲れ切る, “to become exhausted” or “to be completely worn out.” The ending 切る can emphasize that an action or state has reached its limit; 疲れる is simply “become tired,” whereas 疲れ切る is “become utterly exhausted.” In 疲れ切ったように, the past form modifies ように; it does not by itself make the whole sentence past tense. ように感じます is a polite form of the pattern ように感じる, “feel as if …” or “feel that something seems ….” The phrase before ように describes the impression: 疲れ切ったように感じます means “I feel as if I am completely exhausted.” ように感じる presents this as the speaker’s felt impression rather than a direct factual statement about an externally measured condition. For example, 今日は静かなように感じます。 means “Today feels quiet.” Together, セッションは最後までこなせますが means “I can complete the sessions to the end, but ….” が connects this statement to a contrasting one. その後は makes the period afterward the topic of the second part, and 疲れ切ったように感じます says “I feel completely exhausted.” Thus the complete utterance means: “I can finish the sessions, but I feel drained afterward.”

4. セッションを終えることと同じくらい、回復も大切です。

   Recovery matters as much as completing the sessions.

   セッション

   session(s)

   終える

   finish; complete

   同じくらい

   as much as; to the same extent

   回復

   recovery

   大切です

   is important; matters

   More detail

   セッション means “session” here. Japanese nouns do not normally mark singular versus plural, so this form can refer to one or more sessions; the fixed translation makes the plural reading appropriate here. 終える means “to finish” or “to complete.” It is the dictionary form of the transitive verb; its object is marked by を, so セッションを終える means “complete the session(s).” In this sentence, こと turns the verb phrase into the activity “completing the session(s)”: セッションを終えること. 同じくらい expresses an equal degree or amount: “to the same extent” or “as much as.” The reusable pattern is A と同じくらい B — “B to the same extent as A.” Here, A is セッションを終えること, and the comparison is about how important the two things are. 回復 is the noun “recovery.” It can be used as a topic or subject, as in 回復が必要です (“Recovery is necessary”). In the fixed sentence, 回復も presents recovery as an additional item that is important, alongside completing the sessions. 大切です means “is important” or “matters.” 大切 is a な-adjective used here as a polite predicate with です; the observed form is not an inflected form of 回復. A useful contrast is 大切ではありません (“is not important”), which negates the same predicate politely. Together, セッションを終えることと同じくらい sets up the comparison “as much as completing the session(s),” while 回復も大切です says “recovery also matters.” The whole utterance therefore means: “Recovery matters as much as completing the sessions.”

5. 強度を下げても、習慣を安定して続けられますか。

   Could we lower the intensity and still keep the habit steady?

   強度

   intensity

   下げても

   even if [we] lower it

   習慣

   habit

   安定して

   steadily

   続けられますか

   can [we] continue?

   More detail

   強度 means “intensity” here, especially the level or difficulty of an activity. It is a noun; 強度を marks it as the object affected by the following verb. For example, 強度を上げる means “increase the intensity,” while 強度を下げる means “lower the intensity.” 下げても comes from the verb 下げる, “to lower,” in the pattern て-form + も, which means “even if” or “even when.” Thus 強度を下げても means “even if [we] lower the intensity.” The omitted subject is understood as “we” in the fixed translation; Japanese verb forms here do not identify a person or number. 習慣 is “habit,” a noun referring to a repeated practice or routine. In this sentence it is the thing that should be maintained: 習慣を続ける means “continue the habit” or, more naturally, “keep up the habit.” 安定して means “steadily” or “consistently.” It is the て-form of 安定する, “to be stable” or “to stabilize,” and functions adverbially here, describing how the habit can be continued. 安定して続ける is a useful pattern for “continue something steadily.” 続けられますか asks whether continuing is possible. The base verb is 続ける, “to continue”; its potential form is 続けられる, “can continue,” and the polite question form is 続けられますか. The potential form expresses ability or feasibility, while か marks the sentence as a question. Together, 強度を下げても sets a concessive condition: “even if we lower the intensity.” 習慣を安定して続けられますか asks whether the habit can still be continued steadily. The whole utterance therefore means, “Could we lower the intensity and still keep the habit steady?”

6. できます。毎回無理をするより、継続することのほうが大切です。

   We can; consistency matters more than pushing every session.

   できます

   can; be able to

   毎回

   every time

   無理をする

   push oneself

   より

   rather than; than

   継続する

   continue; maintain

   こと

   act of; doing

   のほうが

   the ... is more

   大切です

   is important

   More detail

   できます is the polite nonpast form of できる, meaning “can” or “be able to.” In this utterance, the fixed translation identifies the understood subject as “we”: “we can.” Japanese verbs do not change form for “I,” “you,” or “we,” so the form itself does not mark that subject. The nonpast form can describe present ability or a decision that is possible now. 毎回 means “every time” or “each time.” Here it applies to the action that follows: doing something excessively on every occasion. It is useful for repeated situations, as in 毎回同じです (“It is the same every time”). 無理をする is a set expression meaning “to overdo it” or “to push oneself beyond what is sustainable.” 無理 can refer to something being unreasonable or excessive, while する makes it an action expression. The form する is the nonpast form of “do”; in this expression, the whole unit—not 無理 alone—means “push oneself.” より marks the standard of comparison, roughly “than” or “rather than.” In the pattern AよりBのほうが大切です, the sentence says that B is more important than A. Here, A is 毎回無理をする, so 毎回 and 無理をする combine before より as “pushing oneself every time.” 継続する means “continue” or “maintain.” It is a formal or neutral verb built from 継続 (“continuation”) and する; the observed form is the nonpast form. In this sentence it describes maintaining the activity over time, rather than merely performing one instance of it. For example, 運動を継続する means “continue exercising.” こと turns the preceding verb phrase into a noun-like idea: 継続すること means “continuing” or “the act of continuing.” This lets the activity be compared with another activity and evaluated as important. The こと here is a nominalizer, not the general noun “matter” or “thing.” のほうが is the comparison pattern’s “the ... is more” part. After a verb phrase nominalized with こと, 継続することのほうが means “continuing is more ...” than the standard already introduced with より. The full reusable pattern is AよりBのほうが + adjective: “B is more adjective than A.” 大切です means “is important” or “matters.” 大切 is a descriptive noun/adjectival word, and です gives the polite sentence ending; the important quality is attributed to 継続することのほうが, not to より itself. A useful contrast is 大切ではありません (“is not important”), where ではありません makes the polite negative. Together, 毎回無理をするより、継続することのほうが大切です says, “Continuing is more important than pushing oneself every time,” or naturally, “Consistency matters more than pushing every session.” The first sentence, できます, adds “We can,” so the complete utterance is: “We can; consistency matters more than pushing every session.”

7. 完全にやめることになるより、ゆっくり進歩したいです。

   I would rather progress slowly than end up stopping completely.

   完全に

   completely

   やめる

   stop; quit

   ことになる

   end up; come to be the case

   より

   rather than

   ゆっくり

   slowly

   進歩したいです

   want to make progress

   More detail

   完全に means “completely” here and modifies the stopping described next. It is an adverb, so it describes the extent of an action or state. For example, 完全に忘れました。 means “I completely forgot.” やめる is the base form meaning “to stop” or “to quit.” It is a transitive verb: the thing being stopped can be stated with を, as in 運動をやめる (“quit exercising”). Here, the object is understood from the situation, so only やめる appears. ことになる literally uses こと to turn the preceding verb phrase into a matter or outcome, followed by なる (“become”). Together, V-ることになる commonly means “it will end up being that one does V” or “it comes to be decided that one does V.” In this sentence, 完全にやめることになる describes ending up in the situation of stopping completely; it does not by itself say that this outcome is deliberately chosen. Example: 来月、引っ越すことになりました。 — “It has been decided that I will move next month.” より marks the option or situation used for comparison in the pattern AよりB: “B rather than A” or “B more than A.” Here, the alternative being compared is 完全にやめることになる (“ending up stopping completely”), while the preferred option is the later ゆっくり進歩したいです (“I want to progress slowly”). ゆっくり is an adverb meaning “slowly” or “at an unhurried pace.” It modifies 進歩したい, describing the manner or pace of making progress. Example: ゆっくり話してください。 — “Please speak slowly.” 進歩したいです contains 進歩する, “to make progress,” followed by たい, which expresses the speaker’s desire to do the action, and polite です. The form 進歩したい therefore means “want to make progress”; the polite ending makes the statement appropriate in a polite conversation. The たい form is built from the verb stem: 進歩する → 進歩したい. Example: 毎日少し進歩したいです。 — “I want to improve a little every day.” As a whole, 完全にやめることになるより sets up the less-preferred alternative, “rather than ending up stopping completely.” ゆっくり進歩したいです gives the speaker’s preference: “I want to make progress slowly.” Thus the complete utterance means, “I would rather progress slowly than end up stopping completely.”

8. それなら、トレーニングを続けやすくなるはずです。

   That should make the training easier to sustain.

   それなら

   if that is the case; then

   トレーニング

   training

   続けやすくなる

   become easier to continue

   はずです

   should; be expected to

   More detail

   それなら means “if that is the case” or, as a result, “then.” It refers back to the situation just mentioned and introduces the consequence. Example: それなら、私も行きます。 — “If that’s the case, I’ll go too.” トレーニング is a noun meaning “training.” It is a loanword written in katakana and functions here as the activity being continued. 続けやすくなる expresses “become easier to continue.” The base verb is 続ける (“to continue”). Japanese combines the verb stem 続け with やすい (“easy to do”), producing 続けやすい (“easy to continue”). Because this is followed by なる (“become”), the adjective takes its adverbial form 続けやすくなる: “become easy to continue.” The subject of 続ける is understood from the situation rather than stated explicitly. Example: この方法なら、勉強を続けやすくなる。 — “With this method, studying becomes easier to continue.” はずです marks an expectation or conclusion that the speaker considers well supported: “should” or “is expected to.” はず is a noun meaning an expected outcome or basis for expectation, and です gives the expression a polite style. It does not by itself guarantee that the outcome will occur. Example: 明日は晴れるはずです。 — “It should be sunny tomorrow.” Together, それなら、トレーニングを続けやすくなるはずです。 means “If that is the case, training should become easier to sustain.” The consequence is introduced by それなら, the activity is トレーニング, 続けやすくなる describes becoming easier to continue, and はずです presents that result as an expected one.