What is longest amount of time a person can workout and continue making gains in one session. 45 minutes? 1 hr? 2 hr? I started at about 45 minutes and now I am around 1 hour 15 minutes. Some of the biggest guys at my gym (competetive bodybuilders) are working out when I get there and are still working out when I get done.
I always thought there was diminishing returns after about 45 minutes. From what I can see, people doing longer weight training sessions are making more progress. Thoughts?
[quote]guel0013 wrote:
What is longest amount of time a person can workout and continue making gains in one session. 45 minutes? 1 hr? 2 hr? I started at about 45 minutes and now I am around 1 hour 15 minutes. Some of the biggest guys at my gym (competetive bodybuilders) are working out when I get there and are still working out when I get done.
I always thought there was diminishing returns after about 45 minutes. From what I can see, people doing longer weight training sessions are making more progress. Thoughts?[/quote]
You’re going to get different answers. I personally believe its a case of preference and preparedness. Seeing as how i have a training partner, and like to be thorough in my work, i can spend a length of 3 hrs in the gym when dealing with a vast amount of muscles like on a Shoulders and back day. Having a during workout drink is what allows me to stay in the gym longer. Its the main reason i continuously use Anaconda/Surge.
Depends on the kind of workout - training with partners or not, kind of exercises, type of exercise.
I don’t know where the 45 to 60 minute rule came from. If you get what you have to get done in that time frame, then good! If it takes two hours to do what needs to be done, then good! And so on and so on.
Elite athletes train up to 30 hours per week or 4 to 6 hours per day. Michael Phelps trains 36 hours per week.
[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
I don’t know where the 45 to 60 minute rule came from. If you get what you have to get done in that time frame, then good! If it takes two hours to do what needs to be done, then good! And so on and so on.
[/quote]
Amen!
Im not nearly as experienced but usually about an hour to an hour to a half, If i did 3 hours id be asleep in my bed for 4 after that but that’s just me. I feel the best when i do 30-40 mins in the am and 20-30 in the pm because i have a shorter attention span and just remain a lot more focused. And that rule came from the idea that testosterone drops after 45 mins and cortisol starts up and your only wasting your time basically after 45 min if i remember right but i don’t subscribe to that theory especially if you have your workout nutrition down.
Yea, if my workouts were only 45 minutes, i wouldnt get a whole lot done. generally takes 1.5 hours to 2 hours. and hey, if you’re seeing results, who cares what the “legal limit” on workouts is.
[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
Depends on the kind of workout - training with partners or not, kind of exercises, type of exercise.
I don’t know where the 45 to 60 minute rule came from. If you get what you have to get done in that time frame, then good! If it takes two hours to do what needs to be done, then good! And so on and so on.
Elite athletes train up to 30 hours per week or 4 to 6 hours per day. Michael Phelps trains 36 hours per week.[/quote]
Declining testosterone levels in bulgarian weightlifters after 45-60 minutes.
That being said, how much and how much that drop affects muscle tissue hasn’t been researched.
When I go balls to the wall, I can rarely go above 70 minutes without long rests between sets, and prefer to do 2 1 hour sessions rather than 1 2 hour session.
But really, try, test your limits, and don’t let others opinions take precedence over how your body functions.
Do this stuff long enough and make enough progress and you’ll learn the only answer that matters. The answer that applies to your body, specifically, at any given time.
[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
I don’t know where the 45 to 60 minute rule came from.[/quote]
I think I can make a good guess: It came from people reading some research that they didn’t have the knowledge to correctly interpret and so they jumped to a load of bullshit conclusions.
Science can be dangerous in the hands of people who don’t understand it.
[quote]Amonero wrote:
Declining testosterone levels in bulgarian weightlifters after 45-60 minutes.
That being said, how much and how much that drop affects muscle tissue hasn’t been researched.
When I go balls to the wall, I can rarely go above 70 minutes without long rests between sets, and prefer to do 2 1 hour sessions rather than 1 2 hour session.
But really, try, test your limits, and don’t let others opinions take precedence over how your body functions.
[/quote]
And bulgarian weightlifters still spend more time training than pretty much anyone else, right? Seems like they don’t consider those declining t-levels much of a problem. 
Yea, when i read things like “you can only absorb 1.5g-2gprotein per hour” and “the average male athlete only needs 70g of protein a day” I say piss on these supposed researchers and their data.
Man Akuma 3 hours?? On my back/legs day after 60min I’m fried and that’s probably my longest workout. Also my hardest.
I can see powerlifters training 2 hours or so because of 2-3 workout partners, long ass rest periods, etc… but definitely not training alone and keeping rest to around 2 minutes (not timed, but generally around there).
[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Man Akuma 3 hours?? On my back/legs day after 60min I’m fried and that’s probably my longest workout. Also my hardest.
I can see powerlifters training 2 hours or so because of 2-3 workout partners, long ass rest periods, etc… but definitely not training alone and keeping rest to around 2 minutes (not timed, but generally around there). [/quote]
Shoulders/back Bro, thats a large group of muscles that i do a lot of isolation work for. Legs is probably the next closest in time, comes close to 3 hrs too lol.
[quote]Akuma01 wrote:
[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Man Akuma 3 hours?? On my back/legs day after 60min I’m fried and that’s probably my longest workout. Also my hardest.
I can see powerlifters training 2 hours or so because of 2-3 workout partners, long ass rest periods, etc… but definitely not training alone and keeping rest to around 2 minutes (not timed, but generally around there). [/quote]
Shoulders/back Bro, thats a large group of muscles that i do a lot of isolation work for. Legs is probably the next closest in time, comes close to 3 hrs too lol.[/quote]
Don’t get me wrong, it obviously works for you, but that just seems like so damn long. You did say you have a training partner though so obviously it’s going to be longer with talking and waiting between sets. Mind posting up the shoulders and back workout (exercises and sets)?
I’m with Akuma on working out for long periods of time. I will always prefer to take a few minutes rest b/w exercises or sets so that I can lift more weight and push myself harder that way. When I’m going for a PR I dont even look at the clock. If I need 5 or 10 minutes I take it. Simple as that. Everyone is always tootin their horns about training economy but they never stop to think about what ‘training economy’ means to each individual lifter.
Workout as long as you want if you feel like you aren’t dragging ass or wasting time towards the end. I always get to that point about 60-75 mins in, and that’s when I cut it.
[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Mind posting up the shoulders and back workout (exercises and sets)?[/quote]
lol not at all, wonder what kind of shit ill get for this tho hah:
Exercise- Reps/weight.
Military Press Barbell- 15/95, 8/135, 8/225, 8/275, 8/315
Front DB Kai raises(movement i took from Kai, hence name)- 8/25, 8/35, 8/45, 8/55
Incline bench lateral Kai raises- 8/20, 8/25, 8/30, 8/30
Cable Laterals behind back- 8/20, 8/30, 8/40, 8/50
Rear Dealt high Cable X’s- 10/25, 10/35, 10/45, 10/50
Bent over Rear DB raises(done with Hands pronated through entire movement)- 8/20, 8/30, 8/35, 8/35
Pullups- 12/Bodyweight, 8/+25lbs, 8/+45lbs, 8/+45lbs
BB rows- 8/135, 8/225, 8/315, 8/405
Isolateral HS machine rows(extreme focus on pinching and negative rep)- 8/180, 8/270, 8/360, 8/360
BB shrugs- 15/135, 15/225, 12/315, 12/405
1hand Smith shrug(done with bar at my side)- 10/65, 10/95, 10/135, 10/135
I generally creep over the hour, I useually rest for more like 3 mins though. When I cut that rest a bit shorter I get out in under an our on arm day and shoulder day.
Leg day is my longest usually takes me 1 and a 1/2 hours.
I agree that if I am keeping those rest periods short and doing supersets/compound sets I burn out and loose focus and intensity after an hour or so. But to be honest that style of training hasn’t been as effective for me as taking a longer rest and lifting heavier weights.
[quote]Akuma01 wrote:
[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Mind posting up the shoulders and back workout (exercises and sets)?[/quote]
lol not at all, wonder what kind of shit ill get for this tho hah:
Exercise- Reps/weight.
Military Press Barbell- 15/95, 8/135, 8/225, 8/275, 8/315
Front DB Kai raises(movement i took from Kai, hence name)- 8/25, 8/35, 8/45, 8/55
Incline bench lateral Kai raises- 8/20, 8/25, 8/30, 8/30
Cable Laterals behind back- 8/20, 8/30, 8/40, 8/50
Rear Dealt high Cable X’s- 10/25, 10/35, 10/45, 10/50
Bent over Rear DB raises(done with Hands pronated through entire movement)- 8/20, 8/30, 8/35, 8/35
Pullups- 12/Bodyweight, 8/+25lbs, 8/+45lbs, 8/+45lbs
BB rows- 8/135, 8/225, 8/315, 8/405
Isolateral HS machine rows(extreme focus on pinching and negative rep)- 8/180, 8/270, 8/360, 8/360
BB shrugs- 15/135, 15/225, 12/315, 12/405
1hand Smith shrug(done with bar at my side)- 10/65, 10/95, 10/135, 10/135
[/quote]
man, your in good shape. i would probably die after that workout.
[quote]Elite0423 wrote:
[quote]Akuma01 wrote:
[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Mind posting up the shoulders and back workout (exercises and sets)?[/quote]
lol not at all, wonder what kind of shit ill get for this tho hah:
Exercise- Reps/weight.
Military Press Barbell- 15/95, 8/135, 8/225, 8/275, 8/315
Front DB Kai raises(movement i took from Kai, hence name)- 8/25, 8/35, 8/45, 8/55
Incline bench lateral Kai raises- 8/20, 8/25, 8/30, 8/30
Cable Laterals behind back- 8/20, 8/30, 8/40, 8/50
Rear Dealt high Cable X’s- 10/25, 10/35, 10/45, 10/50
Bent over Rear DB raises(done with Hands pronated through entire movement)- 8/20, 8/30, 8/35, 8/35
Pullups- 12/Bodyweight, 8/+25lbs, 8/+45lbs, 8/+45lbs
BB rows- 8/135, 8/225, 8/315, 8/405
Isolateral HS machine rows(extreme focus on pinching and negative rep)- 8/180, 8/270, 8/360, 8/360
BB shrugs- 15/135, 15/225, 12/315, 12/405
1hand Smith shrug(done with bar at my side)- 10/65, 10/95, 10/135, 10/135
[/quote]
man, your in good shape. i would probably die after that workout.
[/quote]
you do what you gotta do.
Hah, like everyone else said, as long as you need to until you feel that the work you’re doing is unproductive.
I myself find things going to the scrap heap between 75-90 minutes, but I can be done in 45 depending on the rest time in between sets and an adequate amount of sleep. I’ve only trained for three hours with a partner and well, those workouts were either legs or should have ended 30 minutes earlier.