How much/long to workout?

[chonger]

Hi all,

I've been reading (lurking) this board for nearly a month now. I've found the advice on this board to be really helpful and I've started to form a regular exercise plan and started eating healthier. There has been something about my routine that's bothering me, and I know I can turn to you guys for answers. My problem is, I don't know if I am working out enough.

I used to punish myself for an hour plus doing high reps until my muscles ached. Now I know that's the wrong way to go. Since I started reading this board I've switched to a low rep routine, always trying to lift my max, and I would rest at least a day or two between working out the same muscles.

When I first started the low rep method, going to the gym would still kick my ass. When I get out of the gym, I can feel the burn in the muscles I worked. They'd be sore and tired and when I go to sleep at night, I really feel like I pushed myself. I'd feel like a battle-hardened gladiator coming out of the coliseum. Fast forward to the present day. I'd go to the gym and set the weights at my max. I'm pretty good at judging my max. When I lift my max, I would hit 3-4 reps before failure. Then I'd rest and try that again until I can't even do 1. When I get out of the gym now, however, I rarely feel like I've challenged myself. In fact, I know in an hour I can go back and lift the same as I did before (or at least it FEELs that way). Not that I want to get sore, but I'm not so sure if I really gave myself a good workout. I could try to push a little harder. Maybe add another 10lbs and see what I can do. But I don't. My fear is that I will be risking seriously hurting myself. As hard as I am straining now, I can feel myself beginning to use a bad form when I workout. Instead of smooth, controlled motions, my movements are hard and jerky sometimes. When I noticed myself doing that, I'd drop the weights until my form gets better again. In generally, I can do 1 set at my max (3-4 reps), then I'd have to drop the weights a little and do about more sets (at 5-7 reps), and I feel like I can do these sets forever. If I don't drop the weights, I cannot do more reps. If I do, I feel like I am working at high reps and I'm not working my muscles correctly.

I usually complete my workout rather quickly. In 30 mins I would have benched, curled (and worked on lat pull down machine, sorry, I don't know what that's called), and I would feel fine when I leave the gym. I don't know if that means I need to try increasing my max, or if that's completely normal. What is your experience on when you know you worked out enough? And when you should try to push a little harder, or rather, when you should NOT push yourself harder (and risk injuring yourself)?

[Jackal]

My workouts last about 30-45 min also, and i am not usually sore the next day except after leg day. I know i have a good workout when i look at the results form last week to see if i beat them or at least meet them. Even if i do 1 more rep on a specific weight thats progress, but huge progress because i only do 4-6 reps. After i can do 6 reps without failure trying a 7th then i bump the wieght up.

BTW Welcome to the board.

[Bombigfish]

hey whats up

im not so much an expert, but i think i kinda ran into your problem a little while back. when i started working out with my friend we do 5 sets for each exercise. so for bench you would start at a pretty low weight and each set increase it slowly. so do a weight you can destroy first set, one you can do like 8 2nd, like 6 reps 3, like 4 4th, and have to push out 2 hard one last. this is really only for bench press, squats deadlifts, etc. (not like curls)

also you said you wait a couple days between working same muscle groups. i would suggest spreading them apart further, your muscles have to recover. maybve make a routine like

day 1 - chest
day 2 - legs
day 3 - bi's and tri's
day 4 - back
day 5 - shoulders

i think uping it to 5 sets will give you plenty workout, and make sure to keep good form.

[TsiTalon]

it all really depends on the person. Right now i am trying a new routine where i work out for at least 1hr-1 1/2 . I do 4 sets for every exersice and i do 6-8 reps. If i can get 8 reps out of it then i add more weight. You have to try these different things and see which one works for you.

Yeah that thing you mentioned that you can go back to the gym an hr later and do more. Thats true and so could I. Think about it you have given your body a chance to rest (not much but its rest) so of course you could go back but it would just hold you have in the long run (overtraining). If you want to get even more intense i'd try limiting my rest time between sets and that has worked great for me at least. Dont wait any longer than a min and bang out another set right after each other. That will work you out enought trust me.

[Alex(AJ)]

in this post, to a certain extent, less (volume) is more (results)

if you're training 5x/week, only train 35minutes/day. if it's 3x a week, never go past an hour. other than that, focus on heavy compound lifts and you'll be fine.

if you break those guidelines you'll quickly over-train and end up in a rut.

[chonger]

First of all, I'd like to say thanks for all your helpful replies.

It makes me feel a lot more comfortable knowing that I'm on the right track. My gf and I are going about only 3 times a week now (upper body, legs, cardio), with plenty of good rest in between. She just moved down here (from seattle to LA) and once we get settled down we'll be going a lot more. I'm getting a couple of books and planning a workout and eating plan for the both of us. This site and all the knowledeable people definitely helps a lot!

[Alex(AJ)]

Originally Posted by chonger

First of all, I'd like to say thanks for all your helpful replies.

It makes me feel a lot more comfortable knowing that I'm on the right track. My gf and I are going about only 3 times a week now (upper body, legs, cardio), with plenty of good rest in between. She just moved down here (from seattle to LA) and once we get settled down we'll be going a lot more. I'm getting a couple of books and planning a workout and eating plan for the both of us. This site and all the knowledeable people definitely helps a lot!

did you say.....books (see my sig if you didn't figure this comment out )