Help! weight lifting questions!!

[Neo_MMA]

I've been doing mainly pull-downs, benchpress, and concentration curls for awhile now. I've been lifting weight that I usually fail at about 12 reps with and I've been lifting every day. I do 3 to 6 sets of each excercise. My question is this: Lately I haven't been getting sore the day after a workout. I used to get sore almost everytime. I've even raised my usual weight to try and push myself, but still I don't get sore. What should I do? does it matter? do you get stronger and bigger even when you don't get sore the next day? I was thinking maybe my body is just getting used to lifting or something. But I'd hate to be wasting time. Should I just keep raising the weight til I start getting sore again? or should I just do more sets?
Also, Do you think it is a good idea to lift every day?

Thanks for any help!

[Wampus]

Hey Neo, I'm new here myself so I hope no-one minds me jumping in.

I think you hit the nail on the head with the "every day" thing. I can't imagine that you're giving your muscles any time to recover. After all, muscles don't grow when you train, they grow between sessions, when you feed them.

For about 2 years I trained 5 times a week, 90 minutes a session, and grew precisely zero. I cut down to one session every 3 days, 30 minutes per session, and I started to grow immediately. Why not try cutting back to every other day, and maybe reducing reps to 8 to 10 whilst you're at it? Try it for a month or so, but remember to keep the intensity up.

[Todd]

Yah for sure try to keep your sets to 3-4 per exercise and in the 6-8 rep range for ultimate growth, keep your intensity for each set high and get plently of sleep each night (8 hours or so), and then make sure you are eating enough clean food calories throughout the day. Make sure to take in some quality protein along with some simple carbs (maybe even creatine & glutamine too) right after your workouts.

Give yourself plenty of rest time between workouts, like Wampus said, or else you will burn yourself out (over-train) and you don't want this!

[Neo_MMA]

Alright then. I will do 4 sets with weights that I fail at about 6-8 reps with. And I will lift every other day from now on.

How fast would you say I should lift to keep the intensity high? and how much time should I take between sets? Also, should I do all my sets for one muscle group and then do the next excercise or can I do a set of concentration curls, then a set of bench press, then pull-downs, then repeat?

Is there something I can eat to take care of the nutrients I need daily? like a powerbar of some sort. I have a very busy schedule and cannot always take time out for 3-5 meals everyday. I also need to loose weight so I need something light.

Sorry about all the questions! I am new to weight training and you are extremely helpful!

Thanks!

[Fudomyo]

Yeah, soreness, I believe (*), is related mostly to cortisol. If you train the same muscles everyday, then you're body will be pissed and make plenty of cortisol for you. This is very catabolic, and you'll immediately stop making gains. Cortisol is natures anti-inflamatory.

The amount of rest you need seems to be directly related to the muscle mass you have. So when you start out, you can grow what you need a few times a week. After you add 20 lbs (50 - 100% more), it takes a lot longer to recover from.

Just keep your workouts to less than an hour, and give yourself more rest between working out the same muscle group.

Fudo.

[Neo_MMA]

"Just keep your workouts to less than an hour, and give yourself more rest between working out the same muscle group. "

Doing pull-downs, benchpress, and concentration curls, 4 sets of each with an 8 rep max would only take me like 15-20 minutes. That is long enough right? How could a weight lifting routine take an hour? lifting heavy for 8 reps doesn't take long. I don't need to workout my legs, but should I add an excercise or anything? I just need to work out my upper body.

[Fudomyo]

You are a Sophos9 type lifter.....

Listen, you are letting yourself be subjective. Always bad. You don't want to guess at what's heavy. So when we collectively say 8 reps, that means this.

Use a weight where on the 9th rep, you can't get the weight to move. You should be tired after this. I do like 3 reps and my heart rate is near the rev limiter.

If you are still flying through 8 reps, try 4-6.

I have many 30 minute workouts, that leave me hobbled the next day.

Fudo

[Neo_MMA]

OK, thanks. I am totally new to lifting and I have nobody to help but people at forums and such.

When I do concentration curls it gets to a point, around 10 reps, where I cant hardly move the weights past a point. Yet it never burns. I'm not sure why. Its almost as if at that point I cannot control the muscle or something.

How much time should I take between sets?

[Fudomyo]

Well that's why we are here.

When you lift really heavy, your muscles just stop. This is very anaerobic. No real pain or discomfort.

If you don't lift heavy, you lift more aerobically, and you make lots of lactic acid, which is painful. This is the burn.

Heavy works best. You will get confirmation the next day, if you keep your workouts short.

After about 3 minutes you have restored about 90% of your short term energy reserves. Have at it.

Fudo

[Neo_MMA]

Hey, thanks man! I think I've almost got it now! I only have two more questions:

Does it matter how long the rep takes. Sometimes I can force a rep that takes like 6+ seconds. Really slow but I can do it. Should a rep be between 2 and 3 seconds up and down or anything like that?


And how many seconds should I take between reps? Like a rest between reps of a few seconds or should I go right in to the next rep?

[murphomat]

it depends what your goals are

slow controled reps, with no rest in between are going to create more size if that is what you are looking for.

if on the other hand you want to increase in power and strength, and are not as concerned with size then try to do each rep in an explosive manner (but allways stay in controll) with a short (1-2 seconds) rest between reps. i.e on a bench press push the bar up as fast and hard as you can and then bring it slowly back down to your chest where you should wait for a couple seconds and repeat.

if you use the explosive manner, alwayss be very careful and use very good form or you will hurt yourself

good luck