Do you need to feel a burn for an exercise to work?

concetta1123

I know you can't spot reduce, but I'd love to tone my chest area and alleviate some flab. While losing overall weight and doing cardio, I decided to try a chest routine today. Its my first time doing the routine and I don't feel a burn, but I was very out of breath during the routine and my heart rate was up. I felt it more in my triceps than my chest, but there isn't a true burn there either.

Does this mean I'm doing the exercise wrong or that it's not effective?

Thanks!

laurabadams

No. But it's also too early to tell. If you haven't been lifting & you just started today & worked with decent intensity, I'm guessing you'll be sore tomorrow. It's usually delayed onset.

jdlobb

It takes a while to find the weight you need to be lifting and the intensity you need to work out at. Just keep at it, you'll find your groove

meganw2020

When I do strength training I usually don't feel sore until the day after. Make sure your form is good of course, but I bet you will be feeling it soon enough! If you don't feel anything after a day or two you might want to consider upping the weight you are using.

concetta1123

Thanks guys, I didn't know it's common to feel it the day after. I'll reevaluate the next couple of days and up the weights I'm using if needed!

jdlobb

Remember. There's no such thing as lifting too much or too little. If you're lifting, you're benefiting. Maybe you could benefit more by lifting a little more weight, but you can't be going backwards.

gearhead426hemi

If you are anything like me I actually don't get sore until two days after I workout. If the next day I am a little sore I know I am REALLY going to be hurting the next day. When I first started lifting a friend of mine is a bodybuilder and he told me its sounds crazy but really try to visualize and only use the muscle you are trying to target. Don't focus on the weight or reps as much as the stretch and contraction of that specific muscle. You will find that certain muscles will ache more than others and it will take longer for them to heal. Keep changing things up so your body doesn't get muscle memory and keep up the hard work!!

HeliumIsNoble

gearhead426hemi wrote: »

If you are anything like me I actually don't get sore until two days after I workout. If the next day I am a little sore I know I am REALLY going to be hurting the next day. When I first started lifting a friend of mine is a bodybuilder and he told me its sounds crazy but really try to visualize and only use the muscle you are trying to target. Don't focus on the weight or reps as much as the stretch and contraction of that specific muscle. You will find that certain muscles will ache more than others and it will take longer for them to heal. Keep changing things up so your body doesn't get muscle memory and keep up the hard work!!

Okay, you lost me. What's wrong with forming muscle memory and learning how to do lifts consistently?
Do bodybuilders use 'muscle memory' to mean something different from other sportspeople?

shadyj26

You need to get the mind muscle connection. Once you learn to active the chest muscle without involving the triceps so much, you will see a change in your chest development. Don't get me wrong, you still use your triceps with this movement.