How can you up the intensity of your current routine in the gym?? I used to sweat like a beast and be totally exhausted after a workout, but I just don’t get that anymore. Any suggestions or help you can give me??
increase weight, increase reps, increase sets, decrease pause between sets, decrease time needed to complete a rep
i think the best way would be to completely change your routine, do some new exercises you’ve never done before, like complexes or some bodyweight stuff, were you doing a split before ? try TBW, try doing everything you did with barbells before with dumbbells instead or vice versa, try innovative rep schemes like wave loading or pyramiding (not really a word) if you were using machines before try free weights, try lifting odd objects strongmen-like routines, write down 6 routines on cards, label each one with a number and roll a dice before you workout, something like that
keep your body guessing
[quote]Petrichor wrote:
increase weight, increase reps, increase sets, decrease pause between sets, decrease time needed to complete a rep
i think the best way would be to completely change your routine, do some new exercises you’ve never done before, like complexes or some bodyweight stuff, were you doing a split before ? try TBW, try doing everything you did with barbells before with dumbbells instead or vice versa, try innovative rep schemes like wave loading or pyramiding (not really a word) if you were using machines before try free weights, try lifting odd objects strongmen-like routines, write down 6 routines on cards, label each one with a number and roll a dice before you workout, something like that
keep your body guessing :)[/quote]
very. well. said.
I agree with Petrichor…There’s a guy at my gym that works out like a beast, he uses all light weights, but he’s fairly big and pretty ripped. He does a whole lot of stuff like dumbell swings with pushups in between sets, or dumbell snatches with calf-raises between sets, if you want to sweat, just keep working.
Lower the weights, and increase the time you spend working. It’s nice to change it up every now and then, I think everyone could probably benefit from throwing a week like this into their routine every now and then.
Squats and milk.
How do you think you are going to get intensity from posting on the internet?
Write down your training weights and reps, next time that workout comes around plan on an all out assault on that book. Dream about it the night before and talk shit to it on the way to the gym. Take chances with your training, if you add 2.5s a side to a squat weight you cruised to 10 reps last time and get 10 easily again you are taking the easy road, which is a short one. Slap 10-25 on each side and be aggressive, be an animal. Do this once, do it again next time, do it the next 30 times that session comes up. Make that book(and really “yourself from 3-10 days ago”) the enemy and you won’t go down without a hell of a fight. What do you think you will look like if you added 50-100 lbs on all your big lifts over the course of a few months? How strong would you be in 6 months if you beat that logbook every single time the lift came up in training?
If you have gone to war and added 100 lbs to your squats I guess it’s time to take it easy right? WRONG, pick a new exercise and try to destroy that one now. The wuss would pick a leg extension, someone who wants monster legs would pick a front squat or hack or leg press.
Try going 8-10 weeks hardcore beating the book and then take 1-2 weeks of down time training to get your wits about you again.
Intensity won’t come from switching it up or doing X technique, it will come from you and the attitude you bring to the gym each and every time. You give me a person with a caged animal mindset and I can put him on a 3x8-12 workout that he will bring his ungodly intensity with him(because it’s HIS). Give me a person who isn’t quite sure about what hard training is and he can try out drop sets x reps max ot supersets till he drops but that doesn’t mean he’s intense. Get it yourself, no one can give it to you.
[quote]scottiscool wrote:
Slap 10-25 on each side and be aggressive, be an animal.[/quote]
Damn straight. That’s what safety bars are for on a power rack!
I use 'em every week! Screw the pussies laughing over in the smith machine.
Here is an article about the things Petrichore wrote http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1776965
But I must say that Scottiscool has the best approach, be a beast!
good luck with your training!