POV Question

mommabenefield

So because this person believes that working out in my room I don't workout hard enough and I don't sweat enough so I'm not doing enough etc etc.... today it was said to me:

'if you aren't dripping sweat by the end of your workout you're not working out hard enough'

I'm Curious MFP,

Do you agree or disagree? Why or Why not?

My POV - I don't believe that is true. I've never naturally been a visible sweater. I can workout as hard or as long as the next person and have 80% less visible sweat. Now if I'm out running or working outside in the sun that's a different story. Side note- I'm currently doing P90X3 (in my room now) and I can say although I don't sweat much I feel spent and sore by the end of 30 minutes.

ValerieMartini2Olives

If you're sitting on a stationary bike and just easily going for it... you're probably not working hard enough. I know I'm not. I feel so much more vigorous and alive when I'm just drenched and huffing and puffing.

grimendale

Sweat is a physiological response to your body being overheated. Whether you sweat depends on a lot of factors. When I run in cold weather, I don't tend to sweat much because the heat transfer to the environment is efficient enough to not need it. When I was doing Insanity outside, I used to end each workout in a large puddle of sweat; if I did in in my living room (when it was raining, for instance) I sweated a great deal less since the air conditioning kept the room (and by extension, me) cooler. When I did them at the gym, I tended to sweat somewhere between these extremes since it was cooler than outside, but warmer than I kept my house. I also sweat a great deal less doing weight training that HIIT or pure cardio due to the inherent rest cycles. Still getting a good workout, but not getting as hot. Edit to add that some people sweat more than others due to their genetic makeup. Even doing the same activity in the same environment, some people's bodies are more efficient at cooling them off and don't need to sweat as much.

TL:DR - sweat can be an indicator of a good workout, but the absence of sweat does not necessarily mean you aren't working.

mommabenefield

Sweat is a physiological response to your body being overheated. Whether you sweat depends on a lot of factors. When I run in cold weather, I don't tend to sweat much because the heat transfer to the environment is efficient enough to not need it. When I was doing Insanity outside, I used to end each workout in a large puddle of sweat; if I did in in my living room (when it was raining, for instance) I sweated a great deal less since the air conditioning kept the room (and by extension, me) cooler. When I did them at the gym, I tended to sweat somewhere between these extremes since it was cooler than outside, but warmer than I kept my house. I also sweat a great deal less doing weight training that HIIT or pure cardio due to the inherent rest cycles. Still getting a good workout, but not getting as hot. Edit to add that some people sweat more than others due to their genetic makeup. Even doing the same activity in the same environment, some people's bodies are more efficient at cooling them off and don't need to sweat as much.

TL:DR - sweat can be an indicator of a good workout, but the absence of sweat does not necessarily mean you aren't working.

Thank you for that insight I really enjoyed reading it :drinker:

mommabenefield

If you're sitting on a stationary bike and just easily going for it... you're probably not working hard enough. I know I'm not. I feel so much more vigorous and alive when I'm just drenched and huffing and puffing.

I agree, I tend to stay away from those bikes altogether.

GauchoMark

also depends on how in shape you are now.

bcattoes

My first question would be "Not working out hard enough for what?"

Sweat is not a good indicator of effort as it is affected by many things, including genetics. Just because someone sweat more than someone else, does not mean they worked harder.

ElliottTN

My POV is you really need to stop giving a F about what other people say about your sweat and in the future resist the urge for a self justification whinny post on MFP.

mommabenefield

My POV is you really need to stop giving a F about what other people say about your sweat and in the future resist the urge for a self justification whinny post on MFP.

Well I'm glad your panties aren't in a twist this morning Yay! you....

amwoidyla

My boyfriend tells me this all the time. There's girls at my gym whose hair will be entirely wet at the end of zumba or spin.
It seems as if I only sweat on my lower back and (strangely) under my neck, even if I'm killing it at the gym. I can probably count the number of times I've actually noticed sweat dripping off my body on one unsweaty hand.