How Much?

twoton

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How much is enough? Time? Effort?

I’ve always thought I exercised enough.
I lifted 4 or five days a week for about an hour at a time (total time, including changing and showering). I took it easy otherwise.

Over the past couple weeks I’m thinking that I’m not pushing myself hard enough.

I started reading about the value of volume in lifting, and then that volume doesn’t count until you’re hitting the point of exhaustion. And then I started doing cardio, which I’d ignored for a long, long time.

So—how much is enough?
 
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3063031

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It would depend upon what is your goal.
Are you looking to bulk up, define your body or lose weight ?
 

Gj816

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If your total time includes workout, showering, and changing, in one hour. I'd guess you are spending 35 to 40 minutes total working out.

I workout weights and cardio for an hour before I hit the showers. Generally give myself one hour and a half for workout, showering, and getting ready for work.

You are correct in that you should be lifting until exhausted. I do two sets of ten reps on each muscle group. I do full body every workout. By the seventh rep on the second set I am straining to complete that set. By the time I am finished with my workout my muscles are screaming , tight and a little sore. Of course you know that in order to build muscle you have to tear the tissue. Don't forget to change up your workout too. Your body gets used to the same routine quickly. Changing it up keeps the body from getting stagnant (for lack of a better word).

I take a little longer in the shower and let the hot water relax my muscles. Generally 15 - 20 minutes in the shower.

Just on the surface I'd say you should allow yourself a good 45 minutes for your workout. Just my opinion though, and I'm not where I want to be body wise either. Keep us updated on what you decide.
 

socalfreak

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Largely because of my daily work schedule, (I work 12+/- hrs a day) I've had to make adjustments to my workouts to make them shorter.
Turns out, I found that the changes worked better for me than the traditional way I was doing.
I do 15 sets per body part. All sets to failure. I don't count reps, unless I'm finishing with a 50 or 100 rep set.
I keep the rest periods in between sets to under one minute. That's where all time gets added to most people's workout.... Picking a song, checking email, answering a text, posting on their retarded social media accounts....
I don't do cardio. So, can't really help you there.
Work days, I'm in the gym for about 30-35 minutes.
On my off days, @Snarky_succubus & I workout together & we're there for about an hour.
 
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deleted972421

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How much is enough? Time? Effort?

I’ve always thought I exercised enough.
I lifted 4 or five days a week for about an hour at a time (total time, including changing and showering). I took it easy otherwise.

Over the past couple weeks I’m thinking that I’m not pushing myself hard enough.

I started reading about the value of volume in lifting, and then that volume doesn’t count until you’re hitting the point of exhaustion. And then I started doing cardio, which I’d ignored for a long, long time.

So—how much is enough?

I've been reading about volume as well (weight x sets x reps), but that formula does not include time which plays an important role as well. For example, if you do a bicep curl in two seconds (one second up, one second down) that's far different than if you did that curl in 10 seconds (five seconds up, five seconds down). Thoughts?
 

Snarky_succubus

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How much is enough? Time? Effort?

I’ve always thought I exercised enough.
I lifted 4 or five days a week for about an hour at a time (total time, including changing and showering). I took it easy otherwise.

Over the past couple weeks I’m thinking that I’m not pushing myself hard enough.

I started reading about the value of volume in lifting, and then that volume doesn’t count until you’re hitting the point of exhaustion. And then I started doing cardio, which I’d ignored for a long, long time.

So—how much is enough?
How much is enough?

That’s not a useful question until you’ve established what you’re doing it to accomplish. Are you moving closer to your goals? At a rate you’re happy with? If yes... it’s enough If no... well... there you go.
 

twoton

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How much is enough?

That’s not a useful question until you’ve established what you’re doing it to accomplish. Are you moving closer to your goals? At a rate you’re happy with? If yes... it’s enough If no... well... there you go.

Basically, I’m stalled out. Plateaued. Not progressing. I thought whatever I had been doing was adequate, but clearly it’s not.
I’m not even sure what my goals could be, realistically. Nothing seems to work as well as it should.
 

Snarky_succubus

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Basically, I’m stalled out. Plateaued. Not progressing. I thought whatever I had been doing was adequate, but clearly it’s not.
I’m not even sure what my goals could be, realistically. Nothing seems to work as well as it should.
Have you tried just switching up your routine? Or diet?
Never mind about your goals being realistic. Realistic doesn’t mean anything without defining the variables. It only really matters that you have a goal enough to know if you’re getting any closer to it or further from it. How can you know it’s not working as well as it should if you don’t even know what you’re trying to do? Gain muscle? Gain strength? Lose fat?