when to stop

[nextsean]

If you are working on a specific muscle, when is the best time to stop?
For example, if you are working your chest, when do you stop? I do:

incline 3 sets
flat 4 sets
Dips 3 sets
Flies 3 sets

But by the time I get done, I want to do more, but I hear a lot of people saying it's not good to completely burn it out. Anyone know scientific reason for this?

If you refrain from doing more sets, how do you know when to stop when your mind tells you keep going?

 

[the People's Champ]

if your body allows you to go relatively heavy, then when you get exhausted from tha particular exercise, you should stop. the next exercise should not hit the same part of the muscle, thus being redundant. if you want to do more reps, I believe you arent going heavy enough on your sets. correct me if I am wrong members...

 

[SoCo4Fun]

when I leave the gym I can barely use the muscle group I worked that day. I do 4 - 6 exercises 4 sets per exercise. My last couple of reps for the day generally have me screaming.

 

[nextsean]

forgot to mention important piece to the question.
I am trying to gain size, not cut. Some may say it's a lot of set for trying to get size, but my chest doesn't hurt the day afer if I do any less.

 

[Enock]

Hell I do alot, I don't worry about over training a muscle by doing too much for it in one day if it isn't tired then I havn't worked it hard enough yet. Beside I don't feel it hurts anything to train it beyond what you need to its just wasting time. Better to thrash it harder than need be than to not do enough I say.

 

[the People's Champ]

true