Are you "working out", or TRAINING?

[xAEMxRACERx]

excellent post! couldnt agree more, you need instensity and that kind of animal drive if you want to actually train hard- ive been asking people for exercises, but only because i have added sets and added weight to my entire routine....i think adding, with dedication, new and different exercises to a stacked routine can have its purposes, but i never "replace or ease up" on all of the routines I already do....and every once in a while ill switch everything for a couple days to "keep the body guessing" but in general, excellent post and excellent points....lol, makes me wanna hit it even harder now

[acai75]

I was planning to have a workout to trim my weight but I'm having a second because I heard that when you did sustain your work out, it will only your weight.

[JOOOST]

Great topic. Definitely gave me a little boost to push myself further when in the gym. Thanks!

[KashInferno]

this topic is really inspiring. there's really no other way to train: do what you do best and don't stop until you're spent. then do some more.

i'm never satisfied until i'm convinced that i can't do anymore. and i'm proud to say that i TRAIN.

[400Lb Gorilla]

Originally Posted by KashInferno

this topic is really inspiring. there's really no other way to train: do what you do best and don't stop until you're spent. then do some more.

i'm never satisfied until i'm convinced that i can't do anymore. and i'm proud to say that i TRAIN.

once again depends on what you are training for......

[nitrotxtt]

Gotta feel sore the next day. Gotta feel like you're muscles are going to explode. Every serious athlete knows that feeling. You wake up in the morning and your chest hurts, your legs hurt, your abs hurt. Yeah, its painful. But its a feeling of satisfaction for a job well done. A feeling that you've really pushed yourself. You really had a workout.

[Paulie1986]

Reminds me of the time when I was doing lateral pulldowns when I last went to the gym. I finished 3 sets, but something kicked in, telling me to go heavier and do another load..and so I finished 3 sets and decided to do 1 final gruelling set.. so I got a bit more heavier on the weight stack and grinded out as many reps as possible, before I just could not simply pull anymore. My lats were burning and pumped to the max so much my arms were forced away from my body because of that great pump.

Next day...that great pain, a feeling that's worth that extra effort. If you train like that all the time and don't injure yourself then your body will grow because it will be scared of you haha.

Oh and something that really gets on my nerves is when you see 2 people on the treadmill, talking while they 'workout'...ahhhh get some intensity about yourself, like Lou Ferrigno in Pumping Iron grunting 'arnold!, arnold!' after each rep...that's what it's all about.

[jethro9191]

Only time I have worked out is when I have been sick and whatnot, and just had to go to the gym, if nothing else just to get a pump.

People may think I am weird because I don't socialize with anyone, stare at women, get psyched up for sets, etc.

I think the weirdos are those who spend money to go there and talk, walk on the treadmill, do 3 sets of bench presses, 3 sets of bicep curls, and call it a "workout."

[lastlieutenant]

This is a great post.

I've had my 'workout' days before. Going through the motions, not giving it my all. But 95% of the time I'm busting my ass because I know that the extra 2-3 sets that you push past failure makes that much of a difference next time you train and in the long run as well.

[jasraj_k]

nicee!

[okdee]

Originally Posted by The_Animal11

this is a good thing to ask yourself every day!

Am I gunna work out today, or am i gunna TRAIN??

good nice

[Xirez]

I'm training to get stronger and bigger, I need it for football (soccer to americans) I train my legs harder than the rest to be honest.

[HealthXpert]

Why do you think the old stories tell of men who set out on great journeys to impress the gods? Because trying to impress people just isn't worth the time and effort.

-H. Rollins

[Rene152005]

Originally Posted by JOHN GARGANI

going back to the Wikipedia quote: don't "DABBLE"....don't do 3 sets of everything all neat and pretty....do what you HAVE TO DO to get the job done......improve your capability and capacity and performance....in a word: TRAIN!!!!!!

I definitely agree with the above quote. It's all about doing things the right way. Having a pre-routine organized before hitting the gym is always good, yet it's not necessarily what's gonna yield to the best results.

For example, if you knew that on a certain day you were going to work out your biceps and you had written down the following:
A) Concentration curls with DB 3sets x 8reps
B) Standing Barbell lifts 3sets x 8reps
C) Preacher curls 3sets x 8reps

Yet, when you were doing your routine you felt that you could go for a 4th set on your exercise B. And you could have gone to the 10th rep on that Preacher Curl. THEN GO FOR IT!!!

As long as your body is up for it and you keep your poise and proper range of movement, DO IT!

Nothing is written down in stone. Just keep your "ears" wide open for what your body is trying to tell you... please don't except any yelling... LOL!

Good luck!

[ENW]

Nice post!

[dieseldru]

Like Kai Greene said, there's a difference between working out and training. Just like you said, working out is simply going to the gym and "throwing a few sets of a few exercises together." Training has a distinct purpose.
Great post.

[NeverFallinDown]

my dream pahysique that i have almost attained is cam gigandet in never back down

[Dennis71]

this thread reminds me of two things my HS coach used to say all the time...

1. U either get better everyday, or u get worse. Your decision.

2. Only the person u see when u look at the mirror knows if u put 100%

[Ggsavage]

I have worked out for many years, now that I train, I have noticed amazing results. I will save the workouts for my down days now!!

[jdogg772000]

This morning when I got back from the gym, my 4 year old noticed my sweaty shirt and said, "Daddy, did you go to training?"

Got to start 'em young...

[rpv900]

Great read!!
lol i hate it when my friends say o your goint to go work out. i laugh na amma go TRAIN!!!!!!! = )

[powhippie]

great article bro. Repped

[evedder08]

Wow. That was great!

Always have to listen to your body!

Can't just get into one routine, have to spice it up from time to time.
Add more weight, more reps, more sets.
I completely agree that if there is one work out that works well for you, keep it and stick with it, but like you said, add reps and sets.

That was fun to read!

[nobodyhome]

The irony here is that this advice goes squarely against the "HEY NEWBIE PICK ONE OF THESE COOKIE CUTTER ROUTINES AND STICK WITH IT AND DON'T ADD ANY EXERCISES" advice that is so prevalent on the "workout programs" forum. That forum seems to be overrun with guys that used to be on 5 day splits, are now on starting strength, and feeling their bicep strength wasting away... followed by oldbies who are like "NO STFU NOOB DON'T DO YOUR CURLS YOU'LL BE FINE WITH THIS ONLY NOOBS DO CURLS" even though the "noob"'s bodies are clearly crying out for more direct arm attention (or whatever muscle group might be the case).

Good to hear that not everyone thinks this way though.

[applet3typod]

This is the inspiration that is needed today!!! I don't go into the gym saying I'll do whats on my paper and then leave... I go to train, and what happens happens...

The code (my lifting plan) is more like guidelines than actual rules.

[Honey86]

Lately I've been trying to do the maximum possible in terms of actual training. But here is a question, how much is too much and how much is too little? I'm one of those that counts the sets and reps with each set because I like to have a basis of knowing what I did. I'm not looking to get big, just leaner and more defined. If you can't describe the too much or too little within numbers of sets or reps, describe what I should be feeling when I've done too much or too little.

[MrSbS]

How about if the goal is only to loose weight, get normal figure, not to make muscles grow? Should gym be like ?working out?, or only training?

[Scottus]

I liked your post and agree as you have to go with the flow of your work out and listen to your body not drone on and on mindlessly but I am one to stay within the confines of a routine normally I will adjust my workout before or after my work out if I am doing my "final" set and I am still going strong I wil do another and up the weight...etc but staying disciplined enough to maintain the course as I need to keep track of how I got there and see what works for me, I will adjust and then add that aspect to my routine so I can consistantly hit that everytime... sometimes your emotions can get the better of you....

SCott

[karenPolawk]

It really does make a difference to go out there and train yourself...But I always enjoy doing it at home.

[JOHN GARGANI]

Originally Posted by Honey86

Lately I've been trying to do the maximum possible in terms of actual training. But here is a question, how much is too much and how much is too little? I'm one of those that counts the sets and reps with each set because I like to have a basis of knowing what I did. I'm not looking to get big, just leaner and more defined. If you can't describe the too much or too little within numbers of sets or reps, describe what I should be feeling when I've done too much or too little.

you have different objectives than to what I am referring in my opening post....

however, I salute your progress:


from this:



to this:



where you not only got slimmer, but you look like a living doll! congrats......