Why did the Barbie weights feel so heavy?

cleotherio

I'm trying to a little cardio on my non-lifting days. I did some of the Jillian Michaels workouts a few years ago and remembered them as being not too strenuous. I want to do something, just not something too intense, so I thought that would be OK. I was fine with the cardio sections, but there were a couple exercises in the "strength" portions that I struggled with. I figured holding 5 lbs weights wouldn't be fatiguing enough to ruin my recovery days.

I can complete 5x5 sets of OHP at 75 lbs and squats at 125, but doing a minute of squat presses (squat and raise arms at the same time) holding 5 lb dumbbells was haaaaaaaaaard! I even put down the weights during middle of the second set. Was I just fatigued from yesterday (was not an OHP day)? Does anyone alternate SL with lighter endurance weight workouts?

ladyjoie

Endurance and strength aren't directly correlated. I can squat 50kg without issue, but ask me to do 100 squats in a row and my legs will be burning at 20.

DaniH826

The Barbie weights feel heavy because you're going for endurance, not strength. You're just dealing with muscle fatigue from that.

I've done dumbbell/kettlebell compexes but I have to be careful with them because I simply lack the endurance to do 100 goblet squats, so I stick with sets of 12-15 or something along those lines that's actually reasonable.

The Kinect Yourshape has squat/lunge circuits, and those do me in also even though they're only like 30-60 seconds per set. It's hard! And, I don't think it has anything to do with whether I lift or not. I think they're just hard all on their own, and I have to work up to keeping pace, just like I'm having to work up with heavy weights.

A JM DVD doesn't train anybody on strength. She's all endurance, all the way. Lifting a 5 lb dumbbell 100 times won't make anybody stronger. It'll give you a decent, basic amount of muscular and cardiovascular endurance, though, if you stick with it.

cleotherio

The initial weight training I did in college for the crew team (20 years ago) was all endurance. But mid-weight type stuff. We'd do 50 reps of stuff like squats, bench press, bench rows with 30-45 lb bars. So I always look back on that training no matter what my current workout is and wonder if I could still do that. I realize I was in kick-*kitten* shape back then, but it was still frustrating having trouble with such light weight this morning. I might try to add in some more body-weight endurance stuff.

nexangelus

Does anyone alternate SL with lighter endurance weight workouts?

I do not alternate, but I do volume now with Wendler's 5/3/1 cycles after the main lifts. Lightest squats and deads for 5 sets of 10 reps is 50kg. Lightest bench is 30 kg for the same. OHP 20 kg. I also do volume (up to 5 sets of 10 reps) chin ups, leg curls, dumbbell rows, hanging leg raises, back raises, push ups, weighted standing ab crunches, bicep curls. These lifts for volume are accessory or assistance exercises/lifts.

tameko2

I hate the 30 day shred. ITs not just the number of reps, its the fact that you have to HOLD THEM OUT IN FRONT OF YOU. Normally for an overhead press you position them over your shoulders which is a fairly restful position, but she wants you to jut hold them out. heck, hold your empty arms out in that position for a minute, its just exhausting regardless of the weight.

I do the same thing as Nexus.

My recommendation to everyone us, use SL to get a good base of strength first (meaning, at least get to the point that you've deloaded once or twice) and then you can start to mix in hypertrophy and endurance.

I don't really do any endurance honestly, I loathe it. I consider 12 reps an UNHOLY LARGE NUMBER OF REPS and will basically get up around there then quit.

I do higher rep work in the 10ish range with 5/3/1 but its mixed with lower rep work.