'If you're not raining, you're not training'...

kirsty0911

At the gym this week I have seen the training motto 'If you're not raining, you're not training'. How far do you agree with this?

I personally don't rain (sweat) a lot when i'm training. I do cardio in the gym on the treadmill, cross-trainer and arc trainer. I also do a BodyBalance class once a week, BodyCombat twice a week and BodyPump. I probably sweat the most in the combat class, although I feel my heart rate is higher in the pump class.

In my opinion, the above statement doesn't hold much weight. (Sorry for the pun!) Just because I am not dripping with sweat does not mean I am not working out and burning calories. Somedays I sweat more than others. My boyfriend, who I go to the gym with a lot, on the other hand sweats a lot! And I mean A LOT! Like dripping! I don't think it's fair to say he's trained harder than me just because he's a sweaty mess! A vast amount of variables must come in to play with each individuals perspiration.

I just want to know your opinions, and how far you agree with that statement!

3dogsrunning

I don't really know how true it is, but I don't measure how hard I worked by how much I sweat, but for opposite reasons.
When I started with a trainer, the wife of a good friend who is also a gym fanatic, my friend asked me if I worked hard, if I was sweating. For me, sweating is not an indicator of working hard. I can work up a sweat doing very mild workouts. I joke I sweat if I think to hard.
So for me, I can be raining, but it doesn't mean I am training.

addisondisease

Sweating is not a direct indicator of effort. I sweat most when i do met-cons, yet i hardly sweat lifting above 80% 1rm.

melrose09

I'm not much of a sweater and I feel like it's during my cool down that the sweat starts or maybe that's just when I notice it. My head doesn't really sweat, just my boobs and back. But I've definitely had some KILLER workouts and not sweated a drop.

ETA: Is sweated a real word? It sounds funny

57rainbows

Different people sweat different amounts. Our bodies sweat to keep us cool, not as a direct response to effort. If you only measured it on sweat, you could just go work out in a sauna and say it was an effective workout since you sweated a lot (-:

However, the meaning behind the motto is still important. We tend to sweat the most when we are working the hardest - I'm going to sweat more when I'm running than when I'm walking! It's definitely important to make the most out of your workouts if you're trying to lose weight and if you don't put out effort you won't see results. Of course, with all you're doing, I'm sure you're already perfectly aware of that! Haha.

Lesa_Sass

It is not easy for me to work up a sweat so when I do, I like it. I "feel" like I am working harder and achieving more when I do, I guess that is what matters to me.

deekaydee

I don't sweat very much when I lift weights. But I guarantee I'm working hard.

keiraev

Haha - it's hard to say actually!

I actually sweat loads when lifting weights but I don't burn that many calories doing it.

To be honest room temperature has a lot to do with it, the other day I did a Zumba class in a warm yoga studio and I was dripping with sweat afterwards- however I don't actually think I "worked" any hard then normal I was just very hot! x