What is an intense weight training session?

Jamal_Guildford
Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
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
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Replies

  • aledba
    aledba Posts: 564 Member
    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
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    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
    LKM54 Posts: 48 Member
    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
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    When I'm choking back vomit. Usually happens on leg day.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    When you feel like you might fail your last set but you complete it anyway.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
    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
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    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
    Megmo127 Posts: 76 Member
    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
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    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
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    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
    jason_adams Posts: 187 Member
    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
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    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
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    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
    Gwyn1969 Posts: 181 Member
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-rippetoe/exercising-training_b_4597039.html
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Lift more weight than I did last time for the particular rep/set range I am doing that day.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    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_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
    Intense is when I am on the floor at the end.
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
    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
    Taiser Posts: 81 Member
    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! :D
  • spicegeek
    spicegeek Posts: 325 Member
    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
  • dwolfe1985
    dwolfe1985 Posts: 100 Member
    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.

    That's just about every session with me as im on a squat 3x week program :) Intense for me is max weight squats then ramping up to a 5 rep max deadlift straight after it makes you sweat buckets.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    to failure lifting 3 times a week?

    bad news bears for gains me thinks.
  • bryannakay
    bryannakay Posts: 198 Member
    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.

    THANK YOU!! I have always wondered this!! Because when I lift I didn't always feel like I worked hard because I didn't sweat!
  • stephanieharms1290
    stephanieharms1290 Posts: 48 Member
    I sweat sometimes and other times not as much. I feel as if an intense session to me is finishing out the 4th set pushing through when you want to give up so bad!! Also, i have to agree. If i am not STARVING when I leave the gym, something is wrong lol
  • Sha1911
    Sha1911 Posts: 221 Member
    When I struggle to have a shower! Haha
    Seriously though, when the muscle is sore all the way through to it's core, but that doesn't mean if you're not sore, it wasn't a good session. Just be sure to mix it up and shock your body from time to time!
  • ucabucca
    ucabucca Posts: 606 Member
    Wish I knew difference between intense/ good and overtraining but confused on this
    I didn't think I was lifting intense but when my trainer moved i went through hell trying to get it set up with another trainer in gym. They said my workouts were too intense that I shold never be doing this about and I tried there method it was like a warm up and I feel gross so back to old trainers methods and he will help me monitor through conversations etc. I was doing 2 hrs strength training lower was about 75 min rest was upper and stretchng. I was doing 6-7 rounds of 5 exercises leg press, extension, curls, 2 on bosu squats and kicks for balance ( I ski competitively) then 5 exercise 2-3 rounds upper lat pull down tricep dip, pull ups rows, and over head . It has confused me what one thinks and another seems to think are different. If I go home feeling I gave it my all and hungry and somewhat fatigued thats good to me.
  • Sha1911
    Sha1911 Posts: 221 Member
    I sweat sometimes and other times not as much. I feel as if an intense session to me is finishing out the 4th set pushing through when you want to give up so bad!! Also, i have to agree. If i am not STARVING when I leave the gym, something is wrong lol

    I agree haha
    If you're not starving by the end of the session, you didn't work out hard enough!
  • raindawg
    raindawg Posts: 348 Member
    to failure lifting 3 times a week?

    bad news bears for gains me thinks.

    Hi JoRocka, can you elaborate on this? I'm doing a progressive full body three days a week and going to failure on the last set. I have a fourth day that is light cardio. Are you saying this isn't enough to expect gains? My strength is definitely progressing steadily, but doesn't necessarily mean muscle growth I guess.
  • KayBallin
    KayBallin Posts: 111 Member
    I don't sweat much when lifting, but I can tell when I've had a good session when I'm shaky and I'm barely completing my last set.
  • xiamjackie
    xiamjackie Posts: 611 Member
    I didn't sweat during lifting until I started pushing myself up in weight. Now that I push myself every lift, I leave the gym drenched. Even the air conditioned part that's in the basement away from the sunlight. No idea how other people can lift and push themselves to the max and not sweat. Although, I'm a crazy sweaty person anyway.

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