Not enough, not hurting enough

[witkowsd]

Most of the tme when I leave the gym, I always feel that I haven't done enough and if I'm not hurting the next day, I really feel that I didn't do enough. I am always increasing my weights and changing stuff around, but I feel like I'm not intense enough. Does anyone else feel like this. I also feel like I'm not making any gains. Is there anything that I can take to help me along (as a begineer).

 

[newgirl-chargeback]

Well firstly let me say you do not have to hurt everytime you workout in order to get something from it. From my experience, "no pain no gain" while a good theory is not always dead on.

As for helping beginner along..if you are referring to help from steriods, I would steer you clear of that.

Are you enlisting a spotter to help you push pass your comfort zone during lifts? How is your form? Are you working out with machines -- perhaps you need to use free weights or do exercises such as deadlifts and squats which employ other muscle groups. Do you work the muscle until you cannot do one more rep?

There are so many helpful people here....if you could post your training routine that would help them help you. As well, it would be wise to include what it is you eat on the average day. (The first year I lifted, my diet did not consist of enough protein nor enough calories to ever build anything!)

 

[witkowsd]

OK - here's my routine:
Mon. Chest/Tris, abs
Tues Back/Bis
Wed. Legs, calves
Thursd Shoulders, wrist curls, abs

I do about 4 exercises per bp - 3 sets 10 reps (legs 3 sets 12 reps)

I weigh 130, 5'3" - I take in about 214 g of protein, 27 g of fat, 115 g of carbs, with a total of around 2167 calories per day.

Supplements: Creatine, glutamine, protein powder, MRP, Flaxseed oil, chicken, yams for lunch and dinner and a protein shake before I go to bed (6 meals a day) I'm pretty much on the same routine when it comes to food - also a multi-vitamin (animal pak).
Any help would be appreciated.

Unfortunately, the gym I go to is a nice gym but it is an aerobic gym - it does have all the weights but I am the only weight lifting bodybuilding girl - and not many guys lift heavy. I use free weights 95% of the time.

 

[vinylgroover]

At 5'3 130 pounds is pretty good going. I'm assuming that there is some muscle there.

You need to think of each workout, or even each exercise as a challenge each time you go into the gym. The biggest mistake i see most women make, is that they will go into the gym week after week and use the same weight, regardless of whether they are getting stronger or not.

Each time you go in there, increase the weight on each exercise, even if it's by 1 pound increments. Muscle overload is what will lead to growth. Forget about supersets, negatives and all tHat ther fancy rubbish.......just go in there and concntrate on increasing the weight in steady increments.

Don't be afraid to drop down to 6 reps on selected exercises with good form to really overload your muscles and give them a new stimulus.

 

[SteelWeaver]

When you say you feel like you're not making gains, do you mean you FEEL LIKE that, or you actually aren't making gains? I assume this is just a feeling, since you say you are increasing your weights, yes? Do you mean size gains? Theoretically, size gains should come along with strength gains (insert disclaimers, addendums etc here). If you're consistently adding weight to your lifts, you are gaining, progressing, achieving, growing, whatever you want to call it.

You may want to consider lowering the reps on the big moves, and use the higher rep range for the assistance moves - I've found that to be very effective. But anything that's different will probably be effective. You can play with the number of total sets too.

A spotter can be useful even if you're not aiming to go beyond concentric failure - their presence will give you the confidence to push hard without worrying if you're gonna get squished by a heavy barbell.

 

[newgirl-chargeback]

I agree with the suggestions here about making your weights heavier....if you can do 10-12 reps -- you are not really challenging your muscles.

You need to fatigue the muscle and challenge it. If your gym cannot provide weights or equipment where it makes it possible for you to lift so heavy that 6 reps is tough and you cannot get to 8 reps without a spotter, than i would say you have outgrown your gym and need to find another.

As for Steel's thoughts on do you "feel" that way.... that becomes a very important issue was well. The mind can do some terrible things!

 

[witkowsd]

Very good advice and thank you all very much. Yes, there is muscle - of course, we are our worst critics - I can't see muscle but people do tell me its there - but I am always setting very high standards for myself. What I do is lay out a workout plan putting down my weights and I do increase but I believe I can go heavier - just dropping the reps - my problem is that I always have these certain numbers in my head (10 reps). I'll now end with a higher weight and less reps and see how that works. I am also a very impatient person and I know it does take time. Thanxs again for all your advise.