I can’t lift heavy more than 2 times a week
serapel
Posts: 502 Member
I seem to have longer recovery time. I get nagging body aches if I lift heavy more than two times per week (ie squats, deadlifts, etc). Normal? Even if I add a day just to do bands, I’m over doing it.
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Replies
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What I've heard is 3 days a week is best for people newer to lifting, and 2 days for people who aren't new. If you're lifting heavy, you need recovery time.1
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Is there any particular reason you want to lift heavy more than twice a week? Twice is good for most. Especially if that's how your body is responding.1
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Context is missing.
Age?
Calorie deficit or not?
What your volume is during your two sessions? Duration?
Lifting experience?
Other exercise?
Is this poor recovery a new thing?
When was last time you had a deload or extended recovery?
PS - you need to vet your friend requests more carefully, there's a bunch of hijacked accounts with soft porn profile pictures in your friend list!6 -
Are you running a program? Most will target specific muscle groups once or twice per week, or will run a heavy-medium-light split. If you're lifting heavy multiple times per week, I wouldn't expect more than twice.1
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What does “heavy” mean?
How many reps and sets?
Lifting to failure or leaving some in the tank?0 -
Context is missing.
Age?
Calorie deficit or not?
What your volume is during your two sessions? Duration?
Lifting experience?
Other exercise?
Is this poor recovery a new thing?
When was last time you had a deload or extended recovery?
PS - you need to vet your friend requests more carefully, there's a bunch of hijacked accounts with soft porn profile pictures in your friend list!
50 years old
Eating 2,000 cals a day maintenance
1 hour of hip thrusts, squats, band work, RDLs etc (to failure progressive OL)
Been lifting heavy 5 years overall lifting 30 years
Kick box 2 times week, walking everyday
Poor recovery more so past few years 45+
Took 8 days off very recently to recover bc was very sore all the time lower back and knees
I’ll check my friends lol thanks
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What does “heavy” mean?
How many reps and sets?
Lifting to failure or leaving some in the tank?
Failure:
Hip thrust 300 lbs
Barbell back Squat - 120 lbs
Deadlift - 115 - 120lbs (on hold due to back pain)
Sissy squat - high reps and sets to failure
Band work - abductions, donkey kick, bridge side lying clam etc
Progressive OL every week - time under tension, range of motion, reps etc
I’m pretty advanced in lifting for 50 years old
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I would definitely think lifting to failure is not doing you any favors.
I’ll let the more experienced chime in but it seems the general consensus would be to take some weight off the bar and add sets as required, though you didn’t state specifically number of sets and reps.
Perhaps a statement of your specific goals would be in order here, as that can help pin down appropriate rep ranges.2 -
I would definitely think lifting to failure is not doing you any favors.
please elaborate no what I can do instead. I'm going too hard aren't I.
I live in Toronto and we've been in lockdown and gyms have been closed since November. I've been using exercise as a way to cope mentally. I think I'm developing an obsession with weekly progressive OL and lifting heavy as an outlet to deal with this pandemic.
We are going into Wave 3 and another heavy lockdown on top of already being basically locked down for 5 months. Looooong winter!!!!
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I’ve found this video quite helpful, though I anticipate it may raise more questions for you than it answers:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn0ZmXB2mYQ 0 -
Going to failure is massively fatiguing and should be used sparingly. It's not necessary to go to failure to progress.
Suggest leaving a couple of reps in the tank and going to failure as an occassional test might let you recover better.
Your routine is very leg/lower body focussed.
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I'm an ecto-meso. Wide shoulders and a v-shape with small hips and waist and long lean legs (pancake butt if I don't do legs and glutes). I am 5'8", 129 lbs and about 19% bf. I have very small wrists and long limbs, but a good ability to build muscle - fast metabolism.
For upper, I just do push-ups, and I have a TRX at home that I use for back. I also use 20lb dumbbells for low rows, pull backs, etc. I just train my back for posture and health, not for size bc I have very wide shoulders.
- began by following Strong Curves (Bret Contreras). I have built really nice glutes, hams and quads. I had a PT once a week during the winter/spring lockdown, but he's not available for the next month and I'm on my own.
Now I'm finding at age 50, I'm hitting the overtraining pain and that's not smart training at all if my body is saying "stop doing that to me".
So perhaps try lower weight, higher reps once a week and then go super heavy once a week?
My hip thrust is crazy:
1st set: 190 lbs for 10
2nd set: 240 lbs for 10
3rd set: 290 for 5 pause reps (up 2...3... up 2...3)
4th set: 300 for 5 pause reps
5th set: 240 lbs until failure (maybe 7)
6th set: 190 lbs until failure (maybe 10)
7th set: 120 lbs for 20
Just looking at that makes me tired!!!
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I’ve found this video quite helpful, though I anticipate it may raise more questions for you than it answers:https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn0ZmXB2mYQ
This is very helpful. I've been at a 9 or 10 LOL I go nuts on the hip thrust and it's a small ROM. I'm also going too heavy on DLs. I am hard on myself because I feel I should be able to lift at least 120 lbs for 2 sets of 8 and I force my body to do it.0 -
Perhaps, but “lower weight”, “higher reps”, and “super heavy” could benefit from more specific definitions.So perhaps try lower weight, higher reps once a week and then go super heavy once a week?0 -
Probably a good way to get injured, sounds like you’re already on your way there.I am hard on myself because I feel I should be able to lift at least 120 lbs for 2 sets of 8 and I force my body to do it.1 -
I would definitely recommend researching how to use RPE to manage your intensity and volume.0
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I lift heavy every workout (daily) but I only train one body part a day. I don't train it again till a week later. Lol, plenty of recovery time for me.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Like others have said, going to failure on every exercise every workout and then repeating it all over again is probably the reason why you're not recovering after a day or two. Overtraining or trying to push yourself actually backfires, and you won't progress as quickly as you could if you would back off a bit.
I'm 44 and have had issues with overtraining and am still working on muscle imbalances. I lift heavy 3 days a week. However, only 4 of those are compound lifts (lower/upper) and then some accessory work. I also have been doing a Daily Undulating Periodization program, where I focus on 2 compound lifts per month. I train those 3 days a week and build up by the end of the month to hit PR's on those, but the other lifts are on "maintenance" during that time. Towards the end of the month I may be sore, but typically not to the point where I can't do the 3 times per week normally. actually read about this in Bret Contreras' newer book, Glute Lab. If you like him, he now has a You Tube channel, and he may even have something about this type of program. If not, I know there's a link to DUP at the top of this forum in the weight lifting program sticky.1
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