What is an intense weight training session?

13

Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    When I am having to wipe the sweat off myself, the ground, and the equipment after graving it with my presence.
    When I am holding back my vomit - typically three days a week.
    When I feel the pump in my arm - C4 helps here
    When you're done and you feel something that feels really really rewarding in your brain.
    When you're done and you can't help but stand in admiration at the image in the mirror.
    When I feel like I can be proud of my performance.
    When the callous on my hands gets bigger.
    When people in the gym are looking at me and copying the workout routine I do.
    When the huge body builders in the gym introduce themselves and compliment my work ethic.
    When the ladies wink and keep walking in front of my station trying to catch my gaze.
    When I am done working out and my arms are too beat to take off my shirt to get into the shower.
    When your walking to your car you feel like you are in a daze due to the concentration you just were putting into each rep.

    edit: grammmar ;)

    Even though I hate them, I agree about the callous.

    I only hate that they rip.
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    When I am having to wipe the sweat off myself, the ground, and the equipment after graving it with my presence.
    When I am holding back my vomit - typically three days a week.
    When I feel the pump in my arm - C4 helps here
    When you're done and you feel something that feels really really rewarding in your brain.
    When you're done and you can't help but stand in admiration at the image in the mirror.
    When I feel like I can be proud of my performance.
    When the callous on my hands gets bigger.
    When people in the gym are looking at me and copying the workout routine I do.
    When the huge body builders in the gym introduce themselves and compliment my work ethic.
    When the ladies wink and keep walking in front of my station trying to catch my gaze.
    When I am done working out and my arms are too beat to take off my shirt to get into the shower.
    When your walking to your car you feel like you are in a daze due to the concentration you just were putting into each rep.

    edit: grammmar ;)

    Even though I hate them, I agree about the callous.

    I only hate that they rip.
    :drinker: true that.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    I'm following a program so none of these things feel applicable to me.

    It's not designed to be taken to failure- but I can tell you when I get home- I'm starving- if I'm done and not hungry- I feel like perhaps I didn't do enough.

    Also anything under an hour feels unsatisfactory.

    HIIT workouts I particularly love- and I find those are really intense- but well- you aren't getting a lot of weight training from HIIT LOL

    This is pretty much how it is for me.
  • bv109
    bv109 Posts: 83
    i would answer this, but i dont lift.
  • TheOtherSideOfFood
    TheOtherSideOfFood Posts: 6 Member
    Hi,

    Just wondering what is your definition of an intense weight training session? When you finish your workout sweaty? When you cant finish your set because it's too heavy?

    I am used to do a lot of cardio so when I weight lift I dont really sweat.

    Thanks,
    Jamal

    Hi there,

    I would start by performing compound lifts (multi-muscle exercises) such as bench press, squat, and deadlift to start engaging those muscles. Since you are not used to resistance training this will condition your body for more, "muscle building" techniques :)

    -Chris
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    I don't want to give advice on what to do - because your just asking what an intense training session is - what really started to get me sweating and seeing bigger results quick is performing negative repetition.

    If you have no idea what negative repetition is I recommend goooooogling it - plus I just purchased stock in google so the more gooooooogles the better :wink:

    anywayz - negative repetition - super insanely slow - and you will be sweating.


    Also - make sure you put WAYYY more work into your legs then you do your arms - easier to see gains faster which aids in getting that body fat% low - and make sure you work your core more than your legs.

    Also^ don't neglect your back- I see people at the gym constantly who work out their biceps, and then work out their biceps, and then work out their biceps and I'm always like........ "da faq?" - you won't get sweaty doing dat.
  • icu814me2
    icu814me2 Posts: 212 Member
    Just now introducing some lifting, but my trainer said that when your muscle fails, or when you just absolutely can't do one more rep...THAT is when change is happening. Had an intense upper body (Chest, back & arms) workout last night! I can hardly list my coffee cup this morning.

    In cardio...when I am sweating my *kitten* off, can talk, but not easily. When I stay at my target HR.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Just now introducing some lifting, but my trainer said that when your muscle fails, or when you just absolutely can't do one more rep...THAT is when change is happening. Had an intense upper body (Chest, back & arms) workout last night! I can hardly list my coffee cup this morning.

    In cardio...when I am sweating my *kitten* off, can talk, but not easily. When I stay at my target HR.

    read my original reply- MyHaloSlipped just quoted it.

    Muscle fatigue is not always the best indicator for growth.

    Growth happens when you are resting and recovering.
  • caesar164
    caesar164 Posts: 312 Member
    I usually alternate workouts wthheavy days, and moderate weight days.. They are both very intense.... I use techniques like drop sets, super sets, and giant sets.... On moderate days, I slow down the rep speed, and feel the muscle contract with every rep. when I go to failure on the positive side of the repetition, I will sometimes cheat the weight up and try to go to failure on the negative(eccentric) side of the rep.
    On my leg day for example, (two days ago) I got up to 405 for 7 reps on the squat, I immediately dropped it to 315 and got another 8: reps, dropped it to 225 and got 22 reps... That was only my first exercise... That's intensity
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    In terms of weight training intensity is based on volume and sets vs. reps. Basing it on your body's tendency to produce sweat or not is incorrect.
  • for me last leg session... i went all out as i usually go!!!!

    this time was like this : 3 sets of walking body weight lunges just to warm up the knees and legs in general...
    then 2 sets of 25 reps on squats just with the bar... prepare mentally for what was coming....

    from time to time to change things a little a do some challenges ....not only to test my body limits but also my will power and go beyond what i thought were my limits...

    so..i currently weigh 81,4 kg lean bulking.... and i did 100reps straight with 102kg squats no rest ....just some short re racking the bar 10 -15 sec and go again.... my back was hurting , my heart was pumping so hard , dripping sweat ....but i did it !!! :)
    afterwards some leg extensions moderate weight and i was done , barely could go up the stairs ahahah..... MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! intensity is the key!!!!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,662 Member
    Take what you normally do (exercises, sets, reps, weights) and try to do it in less time.

    Doing more work in less time was how Arnold defined intensity when it came to weights lol.

    basically cut the rest time, do super and tri-sets, drop sets. stuff like that adds intensity
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,662 Member
    people are really having to choke back vomit during lifting sessions? are you ill?
  • JeffInJax
    JeffInJax Posts: 232 Member
    To put it very simply, I personally believe an intense weight training session is the inability to finish at least half of your weighted sets because you cannot simply push that muscle any further. When you plan on doing 3-4 sets of 8, getting 4 on the 4th set and not able to do another, you know you did your best.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,662 Member
    Most programs have you running between 50-80- sometimes 90% of your 1 rep max.

    Training to full failure ever session taxes your CNS quiet a bit and it takes a lot more time to recover than you think. I used to do usually one big lift and trained to failure almost every workout- I made decent gains- but I stalled out after a year- and I stalled hard- I couldn't get anywhere.

    After you tap a certain potential- training to failure isn't going to really get you where you want to go. This is why many programs have a deload/default statement
    "if you fail a lift- repeat the lift next week"
    "if you fail again- deload to the previous weight and go again "

    If you are doing a specific vetted program and that's what they are suggesting- I'd raise my eyebrows- but shrug and say follow your program.

    But at some point you won't be able to recover fast enough from that kind of load- and you won't be getting as much out of your lifts because your body won't be recovered enough. I like training to failure- but I learned a valuable lesson much to late that it just isn't as effective.

    to be honest with you, your the only source i've been hearing this from.

    do you have a keyword or something i can google to learn more about what you are talking about.

    when i'm healthy again i plan on following a basically periodization scheduel, hoping that will provide similair benefits, but still plan no lifting to failure.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,457 Member
    The one where I walk away and say to myself "now that was an f-ing hard workout".

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    people are really having to choke back vomit during lifting sessions? are you ill?

    I have been there, just depends on what I'm doing, on a deadlift day I also do calf raises alternated with box jumps to finish the day, on the third set going from raises to jumps with only rest being the short walk between stations, I sometimes feel sick.

    I did three burnouts with weighted dips on Monday with only 30 seconds rest in between and I almost puked on the last set. That was a good day.

    Rigger
  • JeffInJax
    JeffInJax Posts: 232 Member
    The one where I walk away and say to myself "now that was an f-ing hard workout".

    Anyone notice this happens especially on legs day when you feel a little wobbly walking out of the gym? =D
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Most programs have you running between 50-80- sometimes 90% of your 1 rep max.

    Training to full failure ever session taxes your CNS quiet a bit and it takes a lot more time to recover than you think. I used to do usually one big lift and trained to failure almost every workout- I made decent gains- but I stalled out after a year- and I stalled hard- I couldn't get anywhere.

    After you tap a certain potential- training to failure isn't going to really get you where you want to go. This is why many programs have a deload/default statement
    "if you fail a lift- repeat the lift next week"
    "if you fail again- deload to the previous weight and go again "

    If you are doing a specific vetted program and that's what they are suggesting- I'd raise my eyebrows- but shrug and say follow your program.

    But at some point you won't be able to recover fast enough from that kind of load- and you won't be getting as much out of your lifts because your body won't be recovered enough. I like training to failure- but I learned a valuable lesson much to late that it just isn't as effective.

    to be honest with you, your the only source i've been hearing this from.

    do you have a keyword or something i can google to learn more about what you are talking about.

    when i'm healthy again i plan on following a basically periodization scheduel, hoping that will provide similair benefits, but still plan no lifting to failure.

    anything with CNS- central nervous system- training to failure- high volume training- all should get you information.

    Something about this too- which is not something I've research but found more for myself when you are training to failure you're form is breaking down the deeper you get into that- and you're losing out on muscle memory training. Doing good lifts A LOT helps build that- continuing to up the level to failure doesn't get you a lot of good lifts- it gets you some good lifts and some not so good lifts. Higher volume sets with moderate weight (upwards of 80%) get you a lot of work- but not as much form break down- so you are practicing your lifting- a lot.

    I'm not AGAINST lifting to failure- I've just shifted my mind set a little bit when as I have a hard goal with competition in mind.

    Actually- funny thing. I learned a very VERY interesting lesson about CNS recovery yesterday- I tested all my one rep max's on Sunday- (I should have done it Sat- but I was lazy and pushed it off a day) I lifted Day 1 of my new program on Monday. essentially Bench/Squat/Bench/Squat- was hard- but I finished most of it- I only cut it short because I ran out of time- but there was no question I was tired.

    Yesterday
    DL/Bench (Lots and Lots of benching) Rack Pulls and Walking lunges.
    That was it. (hah- I should show you the list)

    I got to the rack pulls- and 245 felt impossible- I was only doing 4 groupings of weight
    1 x 5 @ 185
    2 x 4 @ 215
    3 x 3 @ 245
    4 x 2 @ 275

    highest is 80% my 1rmp- so do-able.

    245 kicked my *kitten* all over the place. I did 1 set- pulled the first rep of the second set and said this is stupid- and dropped to 225. (and I'm talking easily 5-7 min rest between the two sets)... I had NOTHING in my tank. I was not tired- I had no muscle fatigue. I seriously just had NO strength what so ever.... I was talking and chatting between sets- that wasn't even an I'm just exhausted kind of thing- it was so weird. Anyway

    And the best thing I can pin it on is the fact that my CNS was completely shot to sht from Sunday.

    I opted to pull the bulk on my last set- I did 4 x 3 @ 225 and just called it a day- wasn't worth injuring myself. But it just goes to show you even though you feel fine- your system may not have rested and caught up- and how good of a lift did I have? how effective was it? probably not very. On top of that it was just demoralizing to feel fine and have to walk away knowing you were probably doing more harm than good.

    But- these are the lessons learned- I've been lifting for damn near two decades- and I'm still learning- it thought it was interesting and a hard lesson to learn- but one worth while.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,662 Member
    i guess i'd say if your still progressing that your doing fine,

    if you've plateaued then anything is worth a shot

    theres also a differnce between defining failure as stoping when you cannot complete another rep with good form, and defining it as the inability to do another rep 'by any means necessary'.

    you feel as though you are 'giving it your all' training this way?