Knowing your limits-Heavy Lifting

[BrooklynBB]

There are times when you feel like God in the gym and everything just feels light, you're getting pumps in the right places, and the weights have either increased or your blowing away your previous rep ranges. Great!

Next time you work out you figure you'll stay with the same weight and you've actually managed to lift the same weight - but for less reps. So you push it, lose your form, and feel good just to have gotten the same rep range you hit last time, but in sloppy form.

I've been guilty of this over the years and it's hard to know when to say STOP or to allow your CNS to recover fully before attempting that heavy weight again. It's funny, you can't ever really predict when you're going to have a good day at the gym a week in advance. It kind of just happens. You wake up one day, get to the gym, and you're just in that zone.

My curls have been shooting through the roof recently, but when I tried the same weight again, the form just sucked.. but I did it anyway... ego sucks. (Ignoring the fact that the good form on the heavier compound movements allowed me to handle that type of weight in curls in the first place)

My point in posting this is to find out who here knows when to accept the fact that they've blown through a plateau and lifted more in perfect form and not try to push it again immedaitely afterwards? It's a diffcult balance... But how do you manage it and learn how to back off?

 

[n4dmoney]

This is always a tough one. You almost have to have the crappier workout to realize that you need to let up a bit. That's pretty much what I do. I shoot for the big weight and if it ain't feelin right then I ease up over the next couple of workouts then hit it hard again.

 

[Sesshomaru]

Since Im a strength athlete, I have to know when to peak and when to leave reps in the hole. Currently I dont have any meets coming up so my training is largely based on hitting my weaknesses but also based on how I feel.

I see it this way: if something is not working, I can either try to plow through it, get injured, and really regress, or I can try something else and see if that works better.

Some of my best PRs were made on days where I didnt even have the intention of making one, I just saw how it felt and kept going. I know that maximal strength doesnt diminish quickly so if I have to take a week off from that particular lift, then so be it. That gives me time to try other things and develop other areas.

The biggest key in strength training is leaving your ego at the door and knowing how to listen to your body.

 

[JustWannaBeHuge]

The biggest key in strength training is leaving your ego at the door and knowing how to listen to your body.

couldnt have said it better myself. if I had done this years ago, I wouldnt have two f'ed up disc in my back from being an idiot and kept doing deads when my body was screaming for me to stop.

listen to your body, not your ego!

JW

 

[terryd5150]

I just say f_ck it and push the needle with even more tren than before.

LOL.

But seriously, I usually alternate between heavy and moderate workouts so when the heavy days roll around I'm ready for them.

I found doing it this way helps me avoid the "shitty" workouts.

 

[IslandGirl]

I'm guilty as well. I have to be careful and leave my ego at the door or I can be in some serious trouble. lol!

 

[Vander_V]

There are times when you feel like God in the gym and everything just feels light, you're getting pumps in the right places, and the weights have either increased or your blowing away your previous rep ranges. Great!

Next time you work out you figure you'll stay with the same weight and you've actually managed to lift the same weight - but for less reps. So you push it, lose your form, and feel good just to have gotten the same rep range you hit last time, but in sloppy form.

I've been guilty of this over the years and it's hard to know when to say STOP or to allow your CNS to recover fully before attempting that heavy weight again. It's funny, you can't ever really predict when you're going to have a good day at the gym a week in advance. It kind of just happens. You wake up one day, get to the gym, and you're just in that zone.

My curls have been shooting through the roof recently, but when I tried the same weight again, the form just sucked.. but I did it anyway... ego sucks. (Ignoring the fact that the good form on the heavier compound movements allowed me to handle that type of weight in curls in the first place)

My point in posting this is to find out who here knows when to accept the fact that they've blown through a plateau and lifted more in perfect form and not try to push it again immedaitely afterwards? It's a diffcult balance... But how do you manage it and learn how to back off?

Your right about sometimes pushing yourself to where the form could get sloppy that can happen but its your own fault.

Your wrong about the fact that I cant predict what kind of chest day Im going to have the next week , I will have the chest day I plan for with huge pumps swole chest and strength thro the roof, this goes for any muscle group. Do I have bad days in the gym well the answer is NO. I prepare myself with various methods/tactics to insure Im going to have a awesome workout without question.

You say back off and I can understand what you mean only from my past experiences yrs back, I learned thro trial and error, once learned my workouts have been nothing but good ones simply speeding up muscle growth.

 

[RazorCuts]

Back offs should be worked into the routine for this reason. The best i have found is to train all out every 3rd wk. So build up over a period then hit your heavy intensity wk. Then back off and build up again. You do not need to kill yourself every workout.