What is an intense weight training session?

Jamal_Guildford

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

aledba

For me, intense is when I'm so sweaty, my hands slip off my legs trying to grip them during stretch. If I can do 20 reps+ in a set and not feel it, it's time to add 5-10lbs to that set. If I can't plank for at least 45 seconds at the end of my hour long training, it was a very intense workout. If I'm not adding weight to my sets on lift day, I'm not intense enough. I tend to really sweat during deadlifts and squats.

gypsy_spirit

When I know that I have just pushed myself to my limit - and maybe a little beyond. Depending on my goals for the session, it could mean different things.

LKM54

I do the firm. I love it, it adds both weights and aerobics. It always kicks my *kitten*. I like the older ones, you can get a lot of them still. Not so much a fan of the newer versions but they work well.

ew_david

When I'm choking back vomit. Usually happens on leg day.

levitateme

When you feel like you might fail your last set but you complete it anyway.

NovemberJune

When you feel like you might fail your last set but you complete it anyway.

This. I also don't sweat much while I'm lifting, unless it's just really hot in the gym.

rybo

IMO, intensity is based on how far you take each set, whether its to failure, or shy of that. Other factors include total number of sets for the workout and rest periods between.
Sweat amounts are arbitrary and can vary too much to be a gauge.
All weight training should be intense. If its not, you are just burning calories.

Megmo127

When you feel like you might fail your last set but you complete it anyway.

This. I also don't sweat much while I'm lifting, unless it's just really hot in the gym.

Same! I typically bust out as many reps as I can (noises/grunts/faces and all) but I rarely sweat much at all.

waldo56

I use the typical nomenclature that intensity = load.

So a strength workout with high intensity is low set volume, lots of rest between sets, and doing sets that reach failure in under 5 reps.

Volume workouts, those are the ones that really crush you physically.

JoRocka

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

jason_adams

If you're not sweating, you're not pushing hard enough, IMO. But that could be fine, depending on what you want to do.

High Level / General Comments:
Basic Adjustments: Either increase the weight or reps, or decrease the amount of time between sets.
Medium Adjustments: Circuit Training
Advanced Adjustments: Super Sets, Giant Sets, Drop Sets.

I'm not sure what your workout looks like, so it's hard to add more than that.
I will say that when I started StrongLifts, I was also sweat-free outside of my warmup and post-lift cardio. Now that I'm a few weeks in and the weight is going up, I'm starting to break a significant sweat. You might be falling into this same type of situation.

Sam_I_Am77

All that matters is if you achieved your goals for that training session. If you finish sweaty, winded, or looking like you didn't even train; it's all rather irrelevant. The only thing that matters is accomplishing something you set for yourself. Training just to sweat is stupid. Set goals.

QueenBishOTUniverse

I regularly end my weight session with jelly limbs, but I don't always get sweaty. This was surprising to me at first as well because I normally think of myself as someone who sweats rather excessively, but weight training doesn't really cause this for me. Some days I sweat, some days I don't, but if I worked close to failure and I can feel it in my movement afterwards then I know I had a good day. Also, yea hunger cues, I feel like I could eat a cow after a good day.

Gwyn1969

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-rippetoe/exercising-training_b_4597039.html

mustgetmuscles1

Lift more weight than I did last time for the particular rep/set range I am doing that day.

navyrigger46

I use the typical nomenclature that intensity = load.

So a strength workout with high intensity is low set volume, lots of rest between sets, and doing sets that reach failure in under 5 reps.

Volume workouts, those are the ones that really crush you physically.

Yup, intensity is the number of plates on the bar.

Now, if you want to know when I have had a productive workout, it's when I leave the gym thinking ^%$# yeah! that was an awesome session. That is typically after a hand full of OH &^%$!!! followed by my spotter saving my @$$ because that last rep was not going to happen. At that point I'm drenched in sweat, shaking a little bit, and seriously hungry.

Rigger

_Resolve_

Intense is when I am on the floor at the end.

mortuseon

When I have trouble pushing the door open on my way out-! (especially after I've trained chest). Or when I have to grip the bannister when I head down the stairs as my legs feel a bit jelly-like.

Taiser

Don't have to sweat, but it's a good sign! Three sets of each exercise to failure and just that euphoric feeling after the heavy lifts then I know it's been a good session, that and a general "ache" all the time in my body = good!

spicegeek

when I could fall asleep on the gym floor because I used up every thing I had - I usually feel like that after heavy dead lifts

or - I`m laying on the floor in an ever increasing puddle of sweat - that happens after my kettle bell training