workout intensity?

[ActionJeff]

I've lifted on and off for maybe 5-6 months but have only been going at it consistently for about a month now. I break my lifting into three workouts, legs/lower back, chest/upper back,and shoulders/forearms/upperarms.

When I do legs and lower back I get a great pump going so I am always able to work myself to exhaustion just lifting. I usually feel the effect of the workout for the next few days. My leg muscles are much stronger and more developed than any others.

On my other 2 days my workouts just don't seem to have the same intensity. I can reach failure in a set, move to a higher weight and lift to failure again and seemingly give it my all, and do many exercises per body part usually spending an hour to an hour and a half lifting, but I don't seem to get anywhere near that same pump. At the end of the day I just don't feel like I've worked my muscles enough , and they are basically recooperated within 24 hours.

Is this standard and I am expecting too much out of myself , or do I need to do something different to increase the intensity of my workouts?

thx

-Jeff

[dethgrind]

This is standard. You could try focusing on the bigger exercises for your other two days, eg bench, military press, barbell rows from the floor. Even those won't hit you as hard as heavy squats and deadlifts though.

[SmileyEH]

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the pump doesn't mean anything

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[cbloom]

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Is this standard and I am expecting too much out of myself , or do I need to do something different to increase the intensity of my workouts?


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You need to do something different all right.

[theblackkeys]

great pump? You mean sick pump, right?
so confused.

[Wolfram]

(not to beat a dead horse, but...)

He means cumming.

[theblackkeys]

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Is this standard and I am expecting too much out of myself, or do I need to do something different to increase the intensity of my workouts?

-Jeff

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Jeff, you certainly don't need to go to failure to progress. Soreness also isn't an indicator of the quality of your workout. I am barely sore from my workouts, but somehow I am able to progress.

Also, pump doesn't do anything for you except that feeling everyone likes. While it can mean that you blasted your muscles good, you can also get a pump lifting light weights for a ton of reps. It is not the indicator of a quality workout.

[Thremp]

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I've lifted on and off for maybe 5-6 months but have only been going at it consistently for about a month now. I break my lifting into three workouts, legs/lower back, chest/upper back,and shoulders/forearms/upperarms.

When I do legs and lower back I get a great pump going so I am always able to work myself to exhaustion just lifting. I usually feel the effect of the workout for the next few days. My leg muscles are much stronger and more developed than any others.

On my other 2 days my workouts just don't seem to have the same intensity. I can reach failure in a set, move to a higher weight and lift to failure again and seemingly give it my all, and do many exercises per body part usually spending an hour to an hour and a half lifting, but I don't seem to get anywhere near that same pump. At the end of the day I just don't feel like I've worked my muscles enough , and they are basically recooperated within 24 hours.

Is this standard and I am expecting too much out of myself , or do I need to do something different to increase the intensity of my workouts?

thx

-Jeff

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Learn WTF intensity means. Thx.

[Blarg]

Having a day just for arms and forearms is kinda goofy. It's better to arrange things where the large muscles doing most of the work get worked at the same time as the little support muscles. Examples: do chest shoulders, and triceps all one day -- all pushing movements where you extend the upper limbs away from the body. Commonly called doing "push" exercises. Or, do a day where all your upper body movements are about bringing the limbs inward, a "pull" day -- chin-ups, rows, whatever for triceps if you still have any gas left. And do another day for legs/lower back.

That will let you work very hard every single session, because the big muscles on the torso will be getting involved. You won't have a single work-out where you feel you aren't getting the most out of your time or are doodling around uselessly.

Note that if you need more work on your arms, you're better off just doing more pressing or pulling movements. Get your arms used to being able to handle the weight your trunk muscles can. That will make you a more coordinated athlete better able to get the most from what muscle you do have. If your biceps aren't tired, forget curls -- go do some pull-ups. If your triceps feel neglected, do some military presses, etc. Your arms should be giving out before your back, chest, or shoulders do. If they don't, you could be lifting heavier and getting stronger.

[mwalsh2020]

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I can reach failure in a set, move to a higher weight and lift to failure again and seemingly give it my all, and do many exercises per body part usually spending an hour to an hour and a half lifting, but I don't seem to get anywhere near that same pump.
-Jeff

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This may be really obvious but I think that you should just lift heavier to start off, after being fully warmed up. If you pick a weight that you TRULY cannot do more than 5 times in 3 sets you will, by definition, not be able to do any more than that... no one is able to, for example, curl 50 pound dumbbells for 4 sets, 5 reps, without being able to do 3 sets using 52.5