How do you feel after your strength workout?

wellbert
wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Asking more to the linear-progression strength types, rather than the bodybuilder rep-to-failure types.

So, people on GSLP, SL5x5, SS, etc.

How do you feel after each exercise?
Let's say bench for example. Your 5th rep was tough on all 3 sets. Do your arms feel noodly after? Worn out?
Squats - Where the 4th, 5th rep is a real tough one, do you feel like you're going to need to be wheeled out?
If so, how long until you feel normal?

Reason I ask is: I wonder if I'm not training hard enough.
With GSLP, I'm doing 2x5 + 1x5+ (Last set is as many reps as possible, usually I'm at 2x5 + 1x8)
The last few reps are real grinders. Yet, a few minutes later, I could easily do another set.
After the entire workout, it takes about 15 minutes and it feels like I could do it all again. (And sometimes I do.)

Maybe my ATP-PC system is screwed up.

How long does it take you to fully recover after a strength workout similar to the above?
Does it feel like you could do endless sets of 5?
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Replies

  • Loftearmen
    Loftearmen Posts: 380
    I feel shaky and like I can't think
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    there is a different way to weight train then to go to failure? lol

    seems like what your describing is going to failure, for the last set anyway
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Bench - chest is tight, triceps are shot for a few hours
    Squat - abs are tight, legs are shot, stairs are sketchy for a few hours
    Deads - legs, shoulders, upper back, abs are all tight, lower back is shot. bending over (at the waist) hurts for a day

    I will say that I do a little accessory work after each big lift that adds to the work each muscle group sees.


    .
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    there is a different way to weight train then to go to failure? lol

    seems like what your describing is going to failure, for the last set anyway

    Pretty close to it probably. I keep going until I'm sure my next one will have bad/dangerous form.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I generally have a pretty tough time getting those last reps up and usually the last one I think is going to come down on me but I somehow manage to push/pull it. When I leave the gym I feel good and I feel like I could do it all over again...but I know I'm working it because I can barely get those last reps in. You shouldn't have to feel like hammered **** after a good workout...you should feel good.
  • alyssa92982
    alyssa92982 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Shakey. Then muscles have a tight feeling
  • naculp
    naculp Posts: 225 Member
    Bench - chest is tight, triceps are shot for a few hours
    Squat - abs are tight, legs are shot, stairs are sketchy for a few hours
    Deads - legs, shoulders, upper back, abs are all tight, lower back is shot. bending over (at the waist) hurts for a day

    I will say that I do a little accessory work after each big lift that adds to the work each muscle group sees.
    I think you hit the nail on the head here. My pecs and tri's are sooper sore after that last rep of the last set on bench.
    My upper legs are shaky and I'm really winded after squats. Stairs after squats: not even once.
    Arms and shoulders feel like jello after OHP.
    Back is sketchy after deads.

    It's a good thing I do my lifting after work. Just resting on the couch feels so good

    ETA: I have recently taken to using almost a full 3-minute break before my last sets, and that does seem to help immensely
  • LemonMint6
    LemonMint6 Posts: 76
    I feel the same is what you described. The last few are very difficult, to the point where I am glad I'm done with it because I'm not confident I could (even shakily) do it again, however I feel fine within 10 minutes.

    I haven't tried doing it again, but I don't have a spotter, and do not want to drop a weight on my face testing at least my arm strength. maybe squats and deadlifts I should increase though,then I'll just drop it on the bar or the floor....
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    I generally have a pretty tough time getting those last reps up and usually the last one I think is going to come down on me but I somehow manage to push/pull it. When I leave the gym I feel good and I feel like I could do it all over again...but I know I'm working it because I can barely get those last reps in. You shouldn't have to feel like hammered **** after a good workout...you should feel good.

    this is pretty much my experience.

    I go till i can't do any more nearly ever set. i'm pretty tired when i'm done, but my muscles don't feel incapable of performing more.

    IDK, a lot of what some people are describing i haven't exerperienced since i started lifting for the very first time.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    On a related note... I often think I feel like I'm on my last good rep, but if I push through it, my body almost always surprises me. My mind things I'm done before my body, so what often seems like the last rep rarely is.

    Don't let your mind tell you what your body can and can't do. Use the safeties and push yourself... if you feel your form suffering drop the weight and call it a set.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    I think you hit the nail on the head here. My pecs and tri's are sooper sore after that last rep of the last set on bench.
    My upper legs are shaky and I'm really winded after squats. Stairs after squats: not even once.
    Arms and shoulders feel like jello after OHP.
    Back is sketchy after deads.

    It's a good thing I do my lifting after work. Just resting on the couch feels so good

    ETA: I have recently taken to using almost a full 3-minute break before my last sets, and that does seem to help immensely

    thats interesting, i've never experienced soreness during or after a set (unless injured myself). I mean i'll feel a burn on some lifts that i do a little higher reps of but no soreness until next day and thats rare
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    On a related note... I often think I feel like I'm on my last good rep, but if I push through it, my body almost always surprises me. My mind things I'm done before my body, so what often seems like the last rep rarely is.

    Don't let your mind tell you what your body can and can't do. Use the safeties and push yourself... if you feel your form suffering drop the weight and call it a set.

    alright now this is obvously describing training to failure... is there really an alternative that is worth trying?
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    The jelly leg thing is pretty normal for me right after a workout.

    In all the years I've lifted, going to failure was never an option because it can lead to overtraining your nervous system, especially when doing heavy training for a competition, so I always wanted to end my main lifts strong. Missing a rep on the last set is ok, but doing burnout sets and stuff like that never benefited me. I also never did a lot of isolation lifts like curls or tricep extensions, everything was compound and benefited one of the big 3 lifts. Things like board presses to help bench, good mornings and box squats to help squats and deadlifts. Training weak points of the lift as accessory work vs isolation lifts.

    Now- 2 days after a heavy squat or deadlift session? I feel like I need a wheelchair sometimes! My wife calls it the cowboy walk.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    ^^ a lifting comp i guess?

    so you guys are talking exclusively strength training?

    or you would say all this applies to hypertorphy goals as well?

    i'll typically do 18 sets a work out, 3 body parts, 2 sets a body part. generally 12-10-8 reps a set... sometimes a lot lower on my last set
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    I generally have a pretty tough time getting those last reps up and usually the last one I think is going to come down on me but I somehow manage to push/pull it. When I leave the gym I feel good and I feel like I could do it all over again...but I know I'm working it because I can barely get those last reps in. You shouldn't have to feel like hammered **** after a good workout...you should feel good.


    This is pretty much me most days. My squats this morning were a real struggle. But after getting out of the shower, I felt fine.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    so you guys are talking exclusively strength training?

    or you would say all this applies to hypertorphy goals as well?

    i'll typically do 18 sets a work out, 3 body parts, 2 sets a body part. generally 12-10-8 reps a set... sometimes a lot lower on my last set

    Are you genuinely asking, or trying to steer the conversation?

    Admittedly... if there is a right answer, I don't know it. Personally, I see no reason to leave reps "in the bag" regardless of why you are lifting (strength, hypertrophy, endurance).
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    ^^ a lifting comp i guess?

    so you guys are talking exclusively strength training?

    or you would say all this applies to hypertorphy goals as well?

    i'll typically do 18 sets a work out, 3 body parts, 2 sets a body part. generally 12-10-8 reps a set... sometimes a lot lower on my last set

    I was talking strength training. Lower reps and heavier weight than what a hypertrophy workout would encompass. It doesn't use body parts as part of the formula- there is no leg day or back day, etc. It's more about training specific lifts and selecting accessory lifts that complement those lifts. Since you are lifting near maximal weights all the time, you have to pay closer attention to your recovery between workouts and your rest time between sets, and pay attention to signs of overtraining. I'm sure that hypertrophy training has similar things to pay attention to as well. I'm not saying that lifting a 3 rep max on squats is any harder than doing 12-10-8, but the difference in weight taxes your body more. I'd only lift 2 days a week while training for a meet. One heavy bench day with accessory work, and then lighter, explosive work for squats and deads. Then the next workout I'd concentrate on heavy squat/deadlift activity, and lighter, explosive bench accessory work.

    The 5x5 workout that people talk about here is a typical powerlifting type of workout for training between meets, then when you have a meet to prep for, you do a 8-10 week plan that lets you peak each lift, by increasing weight and lowering set/rep volume over the course of the program, culminating with the competition day as what you might consider a "max out" day in the gym.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    Are you genuinely asking, or trying to steer the conversation?

    Admittedly... if there is a right answer, I don't know it. Personally, I see no reason to leave reps "in the bag" regardless of why you are lifting (strength, hypertrophy, endurance).

    NO i'm honestly asking. it doesn't make sense to me either to 'leave reps in the bag'. i was just responding to the OP
    Asking more to the linear-progression strength types, rather than the bodybuilder rep-to-failure types.

    So, people on GSLP, SL5x5, SS, etc.

    I have zero experience with the programs mentioned, so i was wondering if there really was some other legitimate approach. I would have assumed these programs wanted to you to pic a weight that you fail at five reps.

    idk what linear progression strength type means lol
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    I am doing 5/3/1 for my strength training. If I was just doing the strength portion on the main lifts the workout would be very short and would not be very taxing. I do a body building style upper/lower split afterwards for accessory work. That when I actually feel muscle fatigue.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    idk what linear progression strength type means lol


    It means that every workout, you increase the weight by the same amount.

    Many of these programs have you start out with a light weight (sometimes the empty bar) and increase 5 lbs for upper body and 10 lbs for lower body each time you do the lift.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Are you genuinely asking, or trying to steer the conversation?

    Admittedly... if there is a right answer, I don't know it. Personally, I see no reason to leave reps "in the bag" regardless of why you are lifting (strength, hypertrophy, endurance).

    NO i'm honestly asking. it doesn't make sense to me either to 'leave reps in the bag'. i was just responding to the OP
    Asking more to the linear-progression strength types, rather than the bodybuilder rep-to-failure types.

    So, people on GSLP, SL5x5, SS, etc.

    I have zero experience with the programs mentioned, so i was wondering if there really was some other legitimate approach. I would have assumed these programs wanted to you to pic a weight that you fail at five reps.

    idk what linear progression strength type means lol

    linear progression is like this:

    3 sets of 5 at 85% your one rep max
    next workout add 5 lbs
    next workout add 5 lbs
    next workout add 5 lbs
    next workout add 5 lbs
    etc etc









    PArt of my curoisity stems from... Well, when I was younger, I did some machine stuff. Not even that heavy. But it ALWAYS wiped me out. But now doing real, compound moves and way heavier. \not so much.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    It means that every workout, you increase the weight by the same amount.

    Many of these programs have you start out with a light weight (sometimes the empty bar) and increase 5 lbs for upper body and 10 lbs for lower body each time you do the lift.

    and you go to failure or no? seems like potentially an awful lot of reps lol
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    [linear progression is like this:

    3 sets of 5 at 85% your one rep max
    next workout add 5 lbs
    next workout add 5 lbs
    next workout add 5 lbs
    next workout add 5 lbs
    etc etc









    PArt of my curoisity stems from... Well, when I was younger, I did some machine stuff. Not even that heavy. But it ALWAYS wiped me out. But now doing real, compound moves and way heavier. \not so much.

    sorry for the dumb question, but, i mean eventually your not going to be able to add 5 lbs right?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    It means that every workout, you increase the weight by the same amount.

    Many of these programs have you start out with a light weight (sometimes the empty bar) and increase 5 lbs for upper body and 10 lbs for lower body each time you do the lift.

    and you go to failure or no? seems like potentially an awful lot of reps lol

    Not at first... but at some point you get there.
  • Ladyiianae
    Ladyiianae Posts: 271 Member
    I feel hungry, skaky and like my arms are noodles.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    [linear progression is like this:

    3 sets of 5 at 85% your one rep max
    next workout add 5 lbs
    next workout add 5 lbs
    next workout add 5 lbs
    next workout add 5 lbs
    etc etc









    PArt of my curoisity stems from... Well, when I was younger, I did some machine stuff. Not even that heavy. But it ALWAYS wiped me out. But now doing real, compound moves and way heavier. \not so much.

    sorry for the dumb question, but, i mean eventually your not going to be able to add 5 lbs right?

    Correct, and that's when most people leave those types of programs. Or at least do some significant tweaking.
  • SunshineKisses_2012
    SunshineKisses_2012 Posts: 471 Member
    I don't know what all everything that has been added here means. I'm new to weight lifting and am using a trainer to assist me, and she's amazing. I'm more posting for my own experience and so i can bump and read more of the posts later.

    After I lift, I generally feel like an over cooked noodle...BUT I also get this insane burst of energy that lasts about 24 hours. Not hard-to-sleep kind of energy, but natural, get better sleep, wake up more refreshed, ready to take on the world kind of energy. I do get DOMS - and it is typically worse the second day after, but I have discovered that a longer cardio session the next day (treadmill, bike, elliptical, swimming) dissipates the lactic acid faster and I am less sore the second day after. I'm currently lifting 2 times a week and will be incorporating a third day after mid-March when my Wednesday night opens up.
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    I never thought you could judge how good a weight training workout is by how wiped out (or not) you feel. Repping out on the tricep pushdown machine might make your arms burn, but doing some heavy close grip incline bench for 5 sets of 3 reps with near max weight is working them harder and more effectively. Repping out 135 on bench for as many reps as you can will wipe you out and make you sore for a few days, but progressively loading over the course of 10-12 weeks, you can push a heavy weight for low reps and not feel sore or wiped out at all, since it's your nervous system that is being trained.

    I never had much success on the % of 1RM workouts that kept the same sets/reps the whole time. I'd usually end up burning out on them 5-6 weeks in because the weight got too heavy, especially if you are using 85% as your week 1 target.

    One that did work for me was a program where the weight increased but the sets and reps changed. Say your max bench is 225
    If you were to add 5lbs a week, something like this.
    week 1 180x 3 sets of 10
    week 2 185x3x8
    week 3 190x3x5
    week 4 195x3x5
    week 5 200x3x4
    week 6 205x3x3
    week 7 210x3x2
    week 8 215x2x2
    week 9 220x2x1
    week 10 test new 1RM
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    Things like board presses to help bench,

    what are board presses?
    you can push a heavy weight for low reps and not feel sore or wiped out at all, since it's your nervous system that is being trained.

    what exactly do you mean by this? i have pretty much never eaten to gain while lifting, always eat at a defeicit because i've always been overwieght. I'm a big believer that you really cant cut mass in the form of fat, while building mass in the form of muscle, because thats what the science says.

    But i've experienced moderate strength gains while cutting fat. I've sort of theorized that this is more because my CNS is able to recruite more of the muscle fibers that i already have rather then build more.
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    Things like board presses to help bench,

    what are board presses?
    you can push a heavy weight for low reps and not feel sore or wiped out at all, since it's your nervous system that is being trained.

    what exactly do you mean by this? i have pretty much never eaten to gain while lifting, always eat at a defeicit because i've always been overwieght. I'm a big believer that you really cant cut mass in the form of fat, while building mass in the form of muscle, because thats what the science says.

    But i've experienced moderate strength gains while cutting fat. I've sort of theorized that this is more because my CNS is able to recruite more of the muscle fibers that i already have rather then build more.

    Board presses, you stack 2 to 5 2x6's on your chest (I duct tape them together, and you have a helper hold them) and press to the boards. It limits the range of motion to concentrate on the upper part of the lift and the lockout. You can use a lot more weight once you get used to them- which in turn lets you get used to holding more weight in your hands so when you go to do a 1RM, you're already used to holding more than your 1RM.

    CNS training is exactly what I'm talking about- firing more muscle fibers by training the CNS lets you lift heavier weight.

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