How many days a week is it safe to...

Lift weights and do strength training? My neck and scapula area have been so sore lately but I think it's from using 3-10 lb weights doing 10-15 min. arm workouts pretty much everyday for the past few months. Is this too much? I use fitness blender, tone it up and pop sugar workouts on YouTube. Thanks for any advice.
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Replies

  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 423 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Too much is subjective to the individual.

    3-10 lb weights are usually not enough to tax the nervous system, though rest can be benificial if your drained or hitting the same muscles.

    I don't think it's a nervous system problem. Just sore muscles and I was thinking maybe I've been doing too much because there's a lot of repetitions.

  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 423 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Lots of reps at extreme low weight generally doesn't equate to too much.
    Of course low weights without progression won't make you stronger either.
    If your body needs a break it will tell you. Part of lifting is listening to it.

    It's definitely working as I have tone and definition now so that's a good thing. But you're right. I need to just listen to my body and give some rest days too.

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Lots of reps at extreme low weight generally doesn't equate to too much.
    Of course low weights without progression won't make you stronger either.
    If your body needs a break it will tell you. Part of lifting is listening to it.

    It's definitely working as I have tone and definition now so that's a good thing.

    That's probably from overall fat loss. ;)
  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 423 Member
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Lots of reps at extreme low weight generally doesn't equate to too much.
    Of course low weights without progression won't make you stronger either.
    If your body needs a break it will tell you. Part of lifting is listening to it.

    It's definitely working as I have tone and definition now so that's a good thing.

    That's probably from overall fat loss. ;)

    Tone and definition would be from sculpting the muscles using weights. Fat loss is from diet. Both together definitely help!

  • DTrain351
    DTrain351 Posts: 37 Member
    The human body is an incredible machine and it can handle WAY more than most folks think! Working out every day isn't a problem. The hard part is fueling your body and taking care of its nutritional requirements. The above comment is totally correct! Your body will signal or tell you when you've gone to far. You can either ad more fuel and keep the machine running or give it a break. Depends on the signals your getting.
  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 423 Member
    DTrain351 wrote: »
    The human body is an incredible machine and it can handle WAY more than most folks think! Working out every day isn't a problem. The hard part is fueling your body and taking care of its nutritional requirements. The above comment is totally correct! Your body will signal or tell you when you've gone to far. You can either ad more fuel and keep the machine running or give it a break. Depends on the signals your getting.

    I agree. Typically I do cardio every day and would want to keep that up. It's just the weight lifting I'm not sure about but for now going with some rest days as my neck feels strained a bit.

  • DTrain351
    DTrain351 Posts: 37 Member
    If you're feeling pain Def take a break. If you'received just sore...well, you could chalk that up to a lot of things, ie bad form, to heavy of a weight etc. Twice a month when I see a chiropractic then go for an hour massage then maybe a hot tub soak. Works wonders! You need to figure out if the pain is muscular, skeletal or neurological and then treat accordingly. Sometimes poor nutrition will lead to fatigue which leads to bad form which could lead to pain. Soreness is OK pain is not.
  • Witchdoctor58
    Witchdoctor58 Posts: 226 Member
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Lots of reps at extreme low weight generally doesn't equate to too much.
    Of course low weights without progression won't make you stronger either.
    If your body needs a break it will tell you. Part of lifting is listening to it.

    It's definitely working as I have tone and definition now so that's a good thing.

    That's probably from overall fat loss. ;)

    Tone and definition would be from sculpting the muscles using weights. Fat loss is from diet. Both together definitely help!

  • Witchdoctor58
    Witchdoctor58 Posts: 226 Member
    Take one week of just stretching, yoga, walking or other light activities. Your body needs to recover after months without a break.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited May 2016
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Lots of reps at extreme low weight generally doesn't equate to too much.
    Of course low weights without progression won't make you stronger either.
    If your body needs a break it will tell you. Part of lifting is listening to it.

    It's definitely working as I have tone and definition now so that's a good thing.

    That's probably from overall fat loss. ;)

    Tone and definition would be from sculpting the muscles using weights. Fat loss is from diet. Both together definitely help!

    you can't sculpt your muscles. If you want muscle growth you have to use a progressive overload program. Doing the same thing over and over isn't going to make you stronger or change your muscle size. It's pretty much an endurance exercise.

    ^ This. "Sculpting" the muscles is accomplished by losing the subcutaneous fat covering them, which makes them appear more defined. Strength training makes the muscles stronger and (with adequate calories, protein and training stimulus) can make them larger. Light weights/high reps with inadequate intensity and no progression isn't 'strength training', it's just ineffective/very low intensity cardio. It won't accomplish anything except maybe making you better at waving a small weight around for 10-15 minutes.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Tone and definition would be from sculpting the muscles using weights. Fat loss is from diet.

    Looking "toned" and "defined" is mostly from reducing body fat. ;)

    Not saying not to do strength training, but light weights produce minimal visible changes.

    You do lower body exercises too, right?
  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 423 Member
    I know that the fat loss would be showing the muscle more however what would the point be in all of the exercises that people come up with such as fitness blender, Denise Austin arms, etc. if they didn't work?! I've seen lots of thin people with no muscle definition in their arms and they have 0 fat, so what do you say to that? I'm confused with what you're saying? I do lower strength training as well--
    It's really not pain at all--just sore and tight in my neck and it's relieved with stretching and Motrin.
    Definitely not neuro problems.
  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 423 Member
    And using light weights 3-10 lbs have produced amazing results thank you! :wink:
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    And using light weights 3-10 lbs have produced amazing results thank you! :wink:

    3lbs? I think my water bottle weighs more than that! As others mentioned, 3lbs weights for a million reps will help with endurance, but not muscle building.
  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 423 Member
    And using light weights 3-10 lbs have produced amazing results thank you! :wink:

    3lbs? I think my water bottle weighs more than that! As others mentioned, 3lbs weights for a million reps will help with endurance, but not muscle building.

    Maybe I'm confused with all of this. Sorry. I am not trying to build muscle or be a muscle builder or anything like that lol! Just sculpting and toning and 3 lbs is great for many exercises. Try the fitness blender videos on you tube and tell me they don't work! 3-10 lbs is great for toning arms

  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    And using light weights 3-10 lbs have produced amazing results thank you! :wink:

    Lolz.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    And using light weights 3-10 lbs have produced amazing results thank you! :wink:

    3lbs? I think my water bottle weighs more than that! As others mentioned, 3lbs weights for a million reps will help with endurance, but not muscle building.

    Maybe I'm confused with all of this. Sorry. I am not trying to build muscle or be a muscle builder or anything like that lol! Just sculpting and toning and 3 lbs is great for many exercises. Try the fitness blender videos on you tube and tell me they don't work! 3-10 lbs is great for toning arms

    yes, you are confused, for starters - 'toning' is not a thing!
  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 423 Member
    And using light weights 3-10 lbs have produced amazing results thank you! :wink:

    3lbs? I think my water bottle weighs more than that! As others mentioned, 3lbs weights for a million reps will help with endurance, but not muscle building.

    Maybe I'm confused with all of this. Sorry. I am not trying to build muscle or be a muscle builder or anything like that lol! Just sculpting and toning and 3 lbs is great for many exercises. Try the fitness blender videos on you tube and tell me they don't work! 3-10 lbs is great for toning arms

    yes, you are confused, for starters - 'toning' is not a thing![/http://www.health.com/health/m/gallery/0,,20681364,00.html
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/muscle-tone/ a better source than a women's magazine
  • johnnylakis
    johnnylakis Posts: 812 Member
    One day off, one day on. As an alternative, you can do upper body one day, lower body the next.
  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 423 Member
    And using light weights 3-10 lbs have produced amazing results thank you! :wink:

    3lbs? I think my water bottle weighs more than that! As others mentioned, 3lbs weights for a million reps will help with endurance, but not muscle building.

    Maybe I'm confused with all of this. Sorry. I am not trying to build muscle or be a muscle builder or anything like that lol! Just sculpting and toning and 3 lbs is great for many exercises. Try the fitness blender videos on you tube and tell me they don't work! 3-10 lbs is great for toning arms

    yes, you are confused, for starters - 'toning' is not a thing!

    Muscle + less fat = TONE
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    And using light weights 3-10 lbs have produced amazing results thank you! :wink:

    3lbs? I think my water bottle weighs more than that! As others mentioned, 3lbs weights for a million reps will help with endurance, but not muscle building.

    Maybe I'm confused with all of this. Sorry. I am not trying to build muscle or be a muscle builder or anything like that lol! Just sculpting and toning and 3 lbs is great for many exercises. Try the fitness blender videos on you tube and tell me they don't work! 3-10 lbs is great for toning arms

    yes, you are confused, for starters - 'toning' is not a thing!

    Muscle + less fat = TONE

    No. It's not no matter how much you want it to be.
  • K2up
    K2up Posts: 4 Member
    It has helped me to stick to a weekly whole body schedule. Every day I typically work two different muscle groups which allows the others to rest/recover. Right now I do 2 days of cardio (right now running) and 3 strenghtening. Running in between strengening helps me recover from being sore before doing another session. I do the strengthening exercises for my legs on Fridays so I can recover from being sore from that over the weekend before running again. That way I know I can go all in, without having to worry about it making me miserably sore for the next days exercises.

    It may be helpful to you if you find a weekly whole body plan online. Especially since doing the same exercise over and over, day after day can lead to being weak in areas which may cause injurys. I like to switch things up a lot to keep everything interesting (mentally and physically benefiting).

    Also, completely resting a minimum of 1 day a week is a must. It has been proven that a person can be more productive if they do.

    I have found these tips to be useful for me. Hopefully they will help you out too. Happy exercising!
  • fishaan
    fishaan Posts: 4 Member
    I am a female and have been doing light cardio, by this I mean no more than 30 minutes a day, and the remainder is strength. I lift 10 pound weights as a minimal up to fifteen. My strength is anywhere from 30-60 min. A day 6 days a week. I am not bulky! I have great definition a flat tummy (after two kids)! I have lost 19 lbs in 2 mos on a 1560 cal "diet"! I really just eat healthy, but never tell myself or anyone I'm on a diet because I'm not! I do squats, lunges, plies, (all with weights) strength training is the key! You won't look like a man! Promise!