How hard should I push myself in the gym?

[sillyme]

I"m am 35 year-old former weight-lifting fiend, turned computer geek (read sit on my butt ALL day long for the past 8 years). I've started going to the gym and lift like an animal. Ok - ok - so for my upper body we're only talking about 10 to 30 pounds, but the point is I push myself HARD. I'm very sore every night. What I"m wondering is how much is too much? I enjoy pushing myself, but I don't want to make the mistake of overtraining or something like that.

What do you think?

BTW - when I first started lifting weights quasi-seriously my body hurt for a month - then after that I was pretty darn strong and defined (no nasty cellulite). But I was much younger then, and I'm wondering if it is wise to push my 35 year-old body to that same degree.

[Tuna Fish]

Take your time and build the intensity slowly. No need to rush, as you have the rest of your life to do this.

I too am 35- you gotta care for yourself a little bit differently than when you were 18-19 years old! Is it wise to push yourself as hard as when you were younger....? Yes, absolutely!!! But don't just jump into the high intensity stuff without a proper "body break-in" period.....

Take some time with your form- get it PERFECT on all of your planned exercises, as that is your best defense from injury. Your connective tissues will need a little more time to get back up to par, while your muscles will grow and develop almost immediately (as long as you have your nutrition/rest figured out).

Best thing is to stay on this board and get advice that will help you along the way- motivation is easy to come by at this place, so use it to your best advantage!

Good luck!

[Lady C]

Just remember one thing - don't give up. Lots of people start out zealous and then peter out because it is too much for them. Like Tuna says what is the rush!

[CJNY]

Originally Posted by sillyme

But I was much younger then, and I'm wondering if it is wise to push my 35 year-old body to that same degree.

Think being 35 years old has to hold you back? Silly you, indeed.

You've got 8 years of relative inactivity to counteract - that's your real problem. Take it easy at first but eventually you can push as hard as before, probably even harder .

[tinabee]

I sometimes push myself too hard when I'm in the gym. My trainer told me,"You are in this for a marathon....not for a short wind sprint." It is difficult to believe that I am doing more than enough by not working to failure on every single set. As long as you are making steady strength gains, no matter how small of an increment they go up, you are pushing yourself enough. BTW-I'm 36, myself.

[sillyme]

Lots of people start out zealous and then peter out because it is too much for them

That's the problem. I'm one of those extreme people. It's hard for me to do things "lite". I like to go B*lls out. I get a total rush out of pushing myself to the edge, but of course, hurt like the dickens afterword. So, I'm not so afraid of petering out - not my personality profile. I"m really just afraid that I migh injure myself or overtrain such that my muscles tear down instead of build up. So, what do you think? Where do I draw the line from the perpective.

The past few years I've been going "B*lls out" on building a family and a career. Now I feel that I have the emotional/finacial resources to focus on my body and other aspects of my health - including counseling for my over-achieving personality - which btw is going awesome - heck I should be normal in a year

[DaRkAnGel]

Haha that sounds a lot like me... i'm quite the overachiever as well. Take it easy for a while just to make sure you don't hurt yourself. After that, do whatever your body can handle. You will be fine as long as you manage your diet, sleep, and volume properly. Hell you might be able to train 5 times a week if you do it right.