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Strength training question

K

kei

Senior member
When strength training, what exactly should I be doing?

--working to the burn point?

--working to and through the burn?

--working to "muscle failure"?

and what exactly is muscle fatigue?
right now i'm working past the burn and stopping when %*&@! comes out of my mouth
the body part that i'm working on is usually sore for the next 2 days
am i doing too much?



 
Be careful not to over strain yourself. You don't want to tear a tendon/ligament.

Working to burn out, or just a little past, several times in repitition is what I'd recommend. And make sure you give your muscles ample time (2-3 days) to regenerate.
 
Originally posted by: kei
When strength training, what exactly should I be doing?

--working to the burn point?

--working to and through the burn?

--working to "muscle failure"?

and what exactly is muscle fatigue?
right now i'm working past the burn and stopping when %*&@! comes out of my mouth
the body part that i'm working on is usually sore for the next 2 days
am i doing too much?
Click to expand...

you SHOULD be working to muscle failure, until you cannot move that weight an inch... Those last reps are the ones that really matter...

And the muscle soreness goes away as your body get's used to the iron game, i haven't had a problem with it for years...

Nice to see a woman enjoying the iron game... there are too few...
 
Hmm, I don't like working out till I can't move it any more because I am really sore the next day.
 
Soreness and burning is a good thing.

Actual pain is a bad thing. You should be able to tell the difference. If you feel pain, stop.
 
The first thing you want to do is work up to the point where you're working out hard. Not only should you stretch well before every workout (and i usually do between every set), you should start out with light weights and, over the course of a number of weeks, work up to the point where you're lifting to failure--and you should lift to failure if you have sombody spotting you.

You'll have a hard time doing too much; what you can do is work out too often. You create all sorts of nasty byproducts when you work out, and your body needs time to get rid of 'em so give yourself at least a day out between workouts, and i usually give myself three or so between workouts of the same muscle group.

If you want real strength, your best bet is to do any lift that involves moving more than one joint at a time . . .

That, and vary your workout every couple months; you should be good to go.
 
Originally posted by: Novgrod
The first thing you want to do is work up to the point where you're working out hard. Not only should you stretch well before every workout (and i usually do between every set), you should start out with light weights and, over the course of a number of weeks, work up to the point where you're lifting to failure--and you should lift to failure if you have sombody spotting you.

You'll have a hard time doing too much; what you can do is work out too often. You create all sorts of nasty byproducts when you work out, and your body needs time to get rid of 'em so give yourself at least a day out between workouts, and i usually give myself three or so between workouts of the same muscle group.

If you want real strength, your best bet is to do any lift that involves moving more than one joint at a time . . .

That, and vary your workout every couple months; you should be good to go.
Click to expand...

You stretch between sets? how can you stretch with a pump?

And a day between workouts? heh, i work out five days a week, have been doing so for more than a decade, am i unhealthy? :S

There is a difference between working out and working the same body part, a bodypart should be worked out max twice a week, and not at all if you feel that you have not recovered fully, this has nothing to do with the byproducts you produce (albumin mostly) that is why our kidneys only work halftime in most people, the kidneys can take care of it, working out hard, six days a week if you so please produces less byproducts than a common cold...
 
I've been thinking about doing pushups every day for a couple of weeks strictly for strength gains (not size or definition) is this recommended?
 
Originally posted by: Arkitech
I've been thinking about doing pushups every day for a couple of weeks strictly for strength gains (not size or definition) is this recommended?
Click to expand...

Pushups are a great way to help develop base strength for lifting weights. I do pushups before and after every day I do chest and tris.
 
working for strength you should be hitting 4-6 reps at 4-6 sets.

You shouldn't be working to fatigue all the time. Your training should be systematic and you should record down and noting what you lift.

Your muscles are only sore if you've changed to a harder routine or your muscle isn't use to it. It will go away once you get use to the routine.

You can work out as many times a day but if your training for strength you should give at least a day for that body part to recover. You can't hit the same body part at the same high intensity 5x a week every week.

Stretching is very important. Drinking water throughout your work out is also very important, not enough people drink enough.
 
Originally posted by: Arkitech
I've been thinking about doing pushups every day for a couple of weeks strictly for strength gains (not size or definition) is this recommended?
Click to expand...


Depends what type of strength you want to improve. If its endurance strength then just try a few more push ups each time you do it.

If its strength for like a maximum (like to lift a heavy weight once) then no doing push ups all the time one after each other isn't the best way. Your better off wearing a backpack and adding weight to yourself so you can do 10 push ups with 20kg on your back etc.

Depends on what type of strength your training for.

As for a good base to lifting it depends what type of lifting you do.
 
Originally posted by: Koing
working for strength you should be hitting 4-6 reps at 4-6 sets.

You shouldn't be working to fatigue all the time. Your training should be systematic and you should record down and noting what you lift.

Your muscles are only sore if you've changed to a harder routine or your muscle isn't use to it. It will go away once you get use to the routine.

You can work out as many times a day but if your training for strength you should give at least a day for that body part to recover. You can't hit the same body part at the same high intensity 5x a week every week.

Stretching is very important. Drinking water throughout your work out is also very important, not enough people drink enough.
Click to expand...

listen to the man, he knows what he is talking about... (meaning, he agrees with me 😉
 
Originally posted by: Koing
Originally posted by: Arkitech
I've been thinking about doing pushups every day for a couple of weeks strictly for strength gains (not size or definition) is this recommended?
Click to expand...


Depends what type of strength you want to improve. If its endurance strength then just try a few more push ups each time you do it.

If its strength for like a maximum (like to lift a heavy weight once) then no doing push ups all the time one after each other isn't the best way. Your better off wearing a backpack and adding weight to yourself so you can do 10 push ups with 20kg on your back etc.

Depends on what type of strength your training for.

As for a good base to lifting it depends what type of lifting you do.
Click to expand...

actually, i disagree with you, as doing such a simple workout can make your shoulders shift forward... it does not look all that great...

I would recommend some chins in combination (actually, i would really recommend bent-over reverse flyes, but as he has no weights)...

If you are ever serious about it, join a gym, or if you are really, REALLY rich, buy one... 😀
 
Another question!
I notice a lot of lifters have very developed upper traps. I would like to avoid this as much as possible will probably stay away from shoulder shrugs. Are there any other exercises that I should avoid to prevent muscle bulk in that area?
 
Originally posted by: kei
Another question!
I notice a lot of lifters have very developed upper traps. I would like to avoid this as much as possible will probably stay away from shoulder shrugs. Are there any other exercises that I should avoid to prevent muscle bulk in that area?
Click to expand...
1) i have never seen a girl with over developed traps.
2) don't do shrugs.
 
Originally posted by: kei
Another question!
I notice a lot of lifters have very developed upper traps. I would like to avoid this as much as possible will probably stay away from shoulder shrugs. Are there any other exercises that I should avoid to prevent muscle bulk in that area?
Click to expand...

Trust me, developing any muscle will take YEARS AND YEARS, don't worry about it, if you look in the mirror, look good, be happy...

The very same excersises that develops the back and width of your shoulders (that would be the deltoideus) will also build your traps...

And you do need these excersises or you will get that "hanging" look, when your shoulders are moving forward...

As i said, don't worry about it... the people you are looking at use huge amount of drugs and i have yet to see a woman with an overdeveloped trapezius...
 
You stretch between sets? how can you stretch with a pump?

And a day between workouts? heh, i work out five days a week, have been doing so for more than a decade, am i unhealthy? :S

There is a difference between working out and working the same body part, a bodypart should be worked out max twice a week, and not at all if you feel that you have not recovered fully, this has nothing to do with the byproducts you produce (albumin mostly) that is why our kidneys only work halftime in most people, the kidneys can take care of it, working out hard, six days a week if you so please produces less byproducts than a common cold...

there was a time not long ago when i was working out five times a week, but i got much bigger gains when i started working out three times a week, so that's what i do and that's what i recommend; doesn't mean it applies to everyone 🙂

and i often stretch between the second and third set in particular; just those muscles . . . what's a pump?
 
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