As for pushing the boundaries of the machine and yourself, I'm all for that, but it is definitely a case of small increments at a time. I did exactly the same thing in the SuperCub and later, a Taylorcraft. If you're doing it and think you need a helmet to protect yourself, you may want to look at how you're approaching that.
It's simply a question that if you fly nearer the edge of the envelope the margins are smaller.