Workouts are so short now!

5minty

After several months of being in the gym for 1.5 to 2.5 hours doing upper/lower splits, seemingly like every day now that I am doing SL's, I end up standing there for a minute when I am finished, saying to myself, this is it, am I really done already?!
So far, I am resisting the urge to add more moves to this program, although I did add skullcrushers/dips on A days & bicep curls/pullups on B days. I admit to also doing shrugs & calf raises on both A & B days because I really like those moves!

So this is my question, 3 moves + a couple accessory moves, is that really all that I need to do and why am I not achingly sore after my workouts like I used to, how can this be?

MommysLittleMeatball

How far along are you with SL5x5? In the beginning it does go pretty fast because the weight is low/easy. For me, now that weight is heavier, I have longer time in between sets, which makes the overall time longer. With heavier weight I am getting an increase in soreness, which makes sense because before with lower/easier weight it did not push my body, but the purpose was to train my body on proper form and work my way up.

You can add more if you like. It's a basic full body workout starting point.

5minty

I just started doing it last week, though I have been strength training off and on for the last few months, but nothing like the numbers the ladies here are putting up!
But even so, not staggering round in pain after hours in the gym the day after the day before is a great feeling for me.
That makes perfect sense that the heavier it gets the longer it will take, don't know why I couldn't figure that out on my own, thanks for the response :-) but I am still loving & slightly shocked by the fact that I am doing a nice big workout in a small(er) amount of time then before.

jessiefrancine

As you add more weight, you may also spend more time warming up to your working weight (if you're like me, anyway). I usually start with a few sets of bodyweight squats, then a few reps of just the bar, then I add weight in 10 - 20 pound increments and do 2 or 3 reps at each new weight. Not everyone does that, but I like it. That time has certainly started to add up as I've increased my working weight. It takes a lot longer for me to get to 100 lbs than it did when I was at 50 lbs.

MommysLittleMeatball

jessiefrancine wrote: »

As you add more weight, you may also spend more time warming up to your working weight (if you're like me, anyway). I usually start with a few sets of bodyweight squats, then a few reps of just the bar, then I add weight in 10 - 20 pound increments and do 2 or 3 reps at each new weight. Not everyone does that, but I like it. That time has certainly started to add up as I've increased my working weight. It takes a lot longer for me to get to 100 lbs than it did when I was at 50 lbs.

Excellent point! I didn't even think to mention warmups. It is beneficial as weights get heavier and adds time to over all work out.

DawnEmbers

Yep, seems about right for the beginning when you need to rest less and don't need quite as many warm up sets to get to the working weight. Will take longer over time. Even now that I'm not doing SL, I find things where I'm at a much heavier weight, like squats, those days take longer compared to my bench days. Takes more warm ups to get from 45 to 170 for a squat set and I don't go in even 10-20 lb jumps either, just amounts that make sense for me in the moment. However, it's longer than say bench where I'm going from 45 to 95 or 100.

To summarize: yep. It feels like it's so easy and doesn't take as much but it'll change over time as you keep going. Felt the same when I did NROLFW, easier at the beginning but heavier and longer over time.

5minty

Thanks everyone, I guess I will enjoy my short workouts while they last and prepare for the heavier weights down the road!