One of the biggest problems lifters face, especially those pushing heavy weight, is managing their rest periods. You need to recover enough to be able to give a strong effort, but you don’t want to cool down so much that you lose that readiness. But what happens when the most primal of urges interrupts that balance? Today, we’re talking about something every serious lifter will face at somepoint: the urgent need to take a dump midworkout. You don’t want to let your rest period drag on too long, but you also don’t want to soil yourself under a heavy load. So, how do you handle it?

When you’re lifting heavy your body builds up tension. Your nervous system is primed. Your muscles are ready for that next set. If you suddenly spend 5 to 10 minutes sitting on the toilet, guess what? That tension fades. Your heart rate drops. Your body cools down. And worst of all, your mindset shifts from lift this bar to scroll through myphone in the sitting position. The result is that you come back to the rack feeling sluggish. Your tightness is gone. Your focus is broken. And now that next set of squats feels way heavier than it should. Or worst case scenario, you rush back, get under the bar, and tweak something because you lost that critical tightness.

But let’s consider the alternative. You ignore the call of nature. You think, “I can hold it.” And then midset, especially max effort squat or deadlift, you realize you were wrong. If you’ve never seen a lifter experience involuntary movement at the bottom of a squat, I promise you it’s something you don’t want to be part of. Not only does this ruin your set, it ruins your shorts, your confidence, and possibly your entire day. Not to mention that it’s a distraction to everyone else in the gym. And if you think you can just power through, let me tell you, no amount of hip drive will make up for the loss of structural integrity in your undergarments.

So, what’s the right approach? You need to plan ahead. Here’s how you solve this problem. If you’re serious about your training, you need to be serious about your pre-workout routine. A trip to the restroom should be as standard as your warm-up sets. Heavy meals right before training is risky. Fiber intake at the wrong time is dangerous. Know your body. If you absolutely have to go midsession, keep it under two minutes. You’re not in there to check social media. You’re in there to handle business and get back under the bar. If you’re deep in a volume day and things are feeling uncertain, don’t take the gamble. A quick trip might cost you a little momentum, but a midset disaster will cost you a lot more.

At Starting Strength gyms, they train hard, they train smart, and above all else, they don’t let anything stand in the way of our progress. So the next time you’re in the middle of a heavy workout and you feel the urge creeping up, remember to plan ahead, to act decisively, and above all else, don’t gamble under a heavy squat. Stay strong, stay disciplined, and for the love of all things heavy, plan your bathroom breaks.

Bibliographic references:

• Starting Strength. (2025). The Great Lifter Dilemma [Video file]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/UMRqDjs6wHI?si=Bfot4SyWt0KoU_vq