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2004/05/11, 10:39 AM
Hello all,
I began weight training about two weeks ago. Because of my work schedule, I only get to work out late at night just before I go to bed.
When I work out, I lift until I can't lift anymore. I push myself until my arms, etc... collapse. In other words, I'm really trying to keep the intensity up.
However, I've noticed the last couple of times I've worked out I've not experienced any soreness at all. Usually, I feel the soreness two days after a workout, but I haven't felt any in the last several days. Does that mean I'm not making any progress?
Last night I really poured it on in an attempt to make sure I worked out hard enough to be sore. Yet today, I feel a little stiff here and there, but not like I expected. Last night I worked out until I could barely move afterwards. I could barely even pick my little two year old boy afterwards.
Is this normal? Am I not working hard enough? I'm limiting my exercises (upper body) to barbell benchpress, incline press, chest flys, side raises, shoulder shrugs, barbell curls, wrist curls and crunches. I'm doing at least four sets each, with the first set being a light warmup and then adding enough weight so that the next two sets I can barely do 12 reps, and then the final set I add more weight so that I am really pushing it to reach 8 or ten reps, let alone 12.
What am I doing wrong?
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2004/05/11, 10:40 AM
By the way, I am very consciencious of my form, so I know I'm keeping that as it should be as well.
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2004/05/11, 10:50 AM
Hi Welby, how long have you been with your current workout? I would suggest chaging your exercises / training days in order to hit your muscles from different angles / combinations
I've found that I have to switch my workouts every 3 weeks in order to feel the DOMS, because somewhere I read that after a while your muscles get used to the exercises.
Hope this helps,
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2004/05/11, 10:51 AM
Ok I need alittle more info what are you doing for each workout? I mean are you doing chest one night them arms the next etc? Soreness does not mean a good workout has taken place it just means that the muscles are sore LOL. I get sore after almost every workout for every body part except my biceps....does that mean they do not get a good hard workout? I think not! I hit them just as hard or harder. All soreness is (it is actually called DOMS---- Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), is a build up of latic acid. Post you actuall workout schedule (as you do it each time you workout) then I can help more.
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LIFT HEAVY! BECOME STRONG, LIKE BULL!
7707mutt@freetrainers.com
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2004/05/13, 12:30 PM
Sorry it takes me so long to respond. I can't always get respond as quickly as I'd like.
7707mutt, I am doing all my upper body and abdomen at one time. I'm not focusing on my lower body very much as of yet. I workout every other day, and go running the days in between. I take Sunday off.
Actually, two days after that workout I mentioned, I was sore in the muscle groups that I worked. Not overly sore, but I could tell they'd been worked. That was yesterday, as a matter of fact.
Last night I worked out again. I mixed up the order in which I normally do my workout and I could tell that it made a difference overall.
I'm still a beginner at this, so I guess I'm still getting the hang of it. I guess it takes a while to figure out what your doing and how best to make it the most effective.
Right now, I'm most concerned with losing weight and losing this gut. Closely behind that is my goal of gaining strength. When I reach my goal weight, I plan to focus more on developing my shoulders, chest, arms, and back.
Thanks for the replies.
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2004/05/13, 12:37 PM
Well one thing is to allow enough time to recover..you gain muscle at rest so that is important to learn. right now the total body work out is ok, but soon you might want to look at a split, or where you do a large muscle group and smaller one on one day and split the rest up thru the week. another piece of advice that most if not all will tell you is if you can(meaning you have the equipment and are ok to do so)train you legs. That is almost as important as eating in my opinion. squats will help you lose fat and gain strenght. ALso what are you actually doing in each workout? Just name a few exercises is all.....I think that if you feel like it is a chore it is time to swithc things up...
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LIFT HEAVY! BECOME STRONG, LIKE BULL!
7707mutt@freetrainers.com
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