Weight lifting endurance

[Easty-5]

Whats the average ammount of time you should spend doing weights? I can only last about 45mins before the lactic acid build up is just too much and I can't lift anymore.

For example yesterday I done:

5 x 10 Bench Press
3 x 10 Close grip bench press
3 x 12 Skulls
4 x 10 Chest Press (Machine)
4 x 10 Incline chest press (Machine)
3 x 10 Flat bench DB Flyes
3 x 10 Tricep Pull downs
3 X 10 Pec Dec

By the time I was on the last set I could barely even push out 5 reps. I went and did a 5K run and after it I was able to do some more weights for about 30mins. Is this normal, or am I lacking endurance?

[markh1]

I'm not surprised you are getting lactic acid build up! You are massively over training your chest!!! Not even pro body builders on gear would train that much for chest.

Edited to add:

Less is often more when it comes to weight training. If you are wanting to improve your bench/chest strength train it once maybe twice a week but try just doing 3 very hard sets of bench and nothing else. Try it for a month and see how you get on, you might be surprised how much you improve just by keeping it simple.

Edited by markh1 on Wednesday 15th December 12:53

[CHIEF]

3 exercises per bodypart max and i'm in for 40 minutes.

Less is certain more. Train brief but train hard rest and eat well.

[ShadownINja]

Just throwing a question into the mix. I only know weight lifting basics so bear with me.

If you do say 60% load, 3 sets, then wait an hour or two, do some more, then repeat in a couple of hours until you cannot do any more, how would this affect endurance?

[GMJ]

As always the first question has to be what are you trying to achieve with your exercise program?

[Easty-5]

Thanks for the replies folks. I suspected that I may be over training. How many times a week do you guys go to the gym. I am going mon-fri normally and having the weekend off.

GMJ said:

As always the first question has to be what are you trying to achieve with your exercise program?

Well my ultimate goal is purely just to gain mass, strength and bulk up, but at the same time stay toned. However, my diet isn't the greatest for bulking up. I literally cannot eat enough. I am 21, about 5ft 9/10" and 66-67KGs. Im not sure on measurements as haven't done any yet.

[okgo]

The massive misconception...

You only need to be in the gym three times for 40 mins a time to get big/strong. Just make sure you're eating right.

Look at Frankies NY Mass program. Works.

[Smashed]

I tend to work out for 45mins to an hour sticking to sets of 8 reps so moderately high weights and tend to only do 2 workouts per musclegroup.

ETA: 3 sets of 8 reps generally or 12 10 8 6 depends on the exercise.

Edited by Smashed on Thursday 16th December 13:17

[markh1]

I train once a week, maybe twice. But in those one or two sessions I train for probably no more than 50 minutes. I am thinking what I am going to do in the gym and building myself up for it days in advance so when I get in there I am incredibly focused and train as hard as I possibly can.

I have not put on huge amounts of muscle but have got very strong for my weight. Thus to put on muscle you might need to train differently to how I do. What I would say though is don't waste time on lots of single joint exercises, cables etc. They are for refining a physique not building. You can't build a great statue out of a pebble, you need a boulder and to get that boulder you need old school hard compound lifts.

The biggest hurdle you will have as a skinny 21 year old is getting enough calories in you. You need to be leaving no more than 3 hours between meals.

Most of all stay motivated, be that through having posters of guys that have achieved what you want on your wall, look at them first thing in the morning and last thing at night, listening to motivational speeches, music etc Before you train watch some vid's on youtube to get you fired up and when you can't be bothered to eat properly. These are quite good...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE5nYyU88is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kf6r0D3SEA&fea...

[Morba]

Eat eat and eat more. Sleep lots. Train less.

I'd be amazed if you are doing anything effective for your chest or tris when coming to the last couple of exercises.

Less sets, less exercises, more intensity

[Lost_BMW]

Easty-5 said:

Whats the average ammount of time you should spend doing weights? I can only last about 45mins before the lactic acid build up is just too much and I can't lift anymore.

For example yesterday I done:

5 x 10 Bench Press
3 x 10 Close grip bench press
3 x 12 Skulls
4 x 10 Chest Press (Machine)
4 x 10 Incline chest press (Machine)
3 x 10 Flat bench DB Flyes
3 x 10 Tricep Pull downs
3 X 10 Pec Dec

By the time I was on the last set I could barely even push out 5 reps. I went and did a 5K run and after it I was able to do some more weights for about 30mins. Is this normal, or am I lacking endurance?

FWIW - after 30 years training, I'd echo the comments above and, suggest as a far more sensible compromise, the above modification.

I'd also reduce the sets to failure on the bench to 3 or 4 and wonder even about the flyes until you have some considerable time and gains under your belt.

If it doesn't seem enough for some reason then maybe add dips as a substitute for both the extra chest work from flyes and the triceps pushdowns I'd delete?

Rep range is another story altogether but there's nothing magical about 10 for either mass or, especially, strength, certainly for all workouts all the time.

It's easy when you start to feel like you have to do more to succeed and feel guilty doing less but it's quality that definitely counts. There were times when I used to manage to drive myself really hard on multiple sets, just didn't get the gains from it. Too much work not enough quality.

[gareth h]

As has been said above that routine is misdirected for what you are trying to achieve, what routine do you do on the other 4 days?
Routines for building bulk concentrate on lower reps / more weight. I would also get an instructor to check your form (I've lost count of the number of youngsters who come into the gym to build bulk, load the bar up and then "cheat" so don't work the muscles the exercise should be targeting)