is consistency and longevity better than intensity?

[RachetsRevenge]

Beginner here, would it be wiser overall to do weaker exercises for a longer period of time than to do harder exercises for a shorter period of time?

[DCSpartan]

You need to learn to lift with good form and make progress over time. Light weights along wont get you there.

[TolerantLactose]

Beginner here, would it be wiser overall to do weaker exercises for a longer period of time than to do harder exercises for a shorter period of time?

What do you mean by longer and shorter period of time? If you're already thinking about when to stop, you may as well not begin.

[rdf1988]

Are we talking in terms of seconds or years?

[goodworkouts]

Beginner here, would it be wiser overall to do weaker exercises for a longer period of time than to do harder exercises for a shorter period of time?

In the beginning you can start at a much lower intensity because your body will adapt to pretty much anything. Consider your current training stimulus 0 and the training stimulus at full intensity to be a 10. So as long as you give yourself a training stimulus of more than zero, you will start getting somewhere.

Training at a lower intensity in the beginning is also good so that you can practice correct form on the exercises. Make sure to do a lot of research on YouTube to learn how to do every exercise correctly. The more you know what you're doing, the more you will be able to stick with it. That's because your workouts will feel more effective.

Eventually, you will reach a point where you actually want to increase your intensity. So then you can go up to 70% effort, 80, 90 and eventually 100% effort. But it's okay if you stay around 20 to 50% effort in the beginning.

So you are right that longevity is most important. A lot of people start off way too intense and they fizzle out because they get too sore or they just learn to associate exercise with unwanted pain. So try to gradually get into it, so that you create a more enjoyable association with exercise.

[ncsuLuke]

Consistency, longevity, intensity, and progression are all key aspects of lifting if you want to see meaningful results.

[waknickm]

For a beginner, intensity is not near as important as trying to do too much will lengthen your recovery time. A beginner does not take much work to get them building muscle and it is more productive to do it more often than longer more intense sessions. Almost all good beginner programs are limited volume, full body workouts that you can do every other day, but may be tailored for your time needs. They start with easy amounts and progress to harder amounts as your body adjusts. There are no shortcuts and pushing too hard to start can only get you hurt.

[SuffolkPunch]

Longevity comes from intelligent exercise balance, use of full ROM, good form

Intensity is required to push beyond a mediocre level, you will find. This doesn't necessarily mean you compromise longevity or form.

[RachetsRevenge]

What do you mean by longer and shorter period of time? If you're already thinking about when to stop, you may as well not begin.

You didn't get me. I meant shorter/longer period of time per workout

E.g, would it be better do 4 sets of 20lb dumbell curls or would it be better to do 8 sets of 10lb dumbell curls?

[SuffolkPunch]

So you are talking about weight used vs. number of sets vs. level of exertion in each set...

1. Weight used = anything from about 30% to 85% of your one rep maximum lift. Higher weight emphasises strength improvement but muscle gain can be achieved anywhere in that range.

2. Exertion levels. Generally speaking, take every set to within 1-3 reps of failure (rarely to total failure, especially in major compounds)

3. Number of sets per bodypart per week - this is thing you have to tune over time... Start with about 8-10, increase as you get more experienced or you experience plateaus in performance.

[TolerantLactose]

You didn't get me. I meant shorter/longer period of time per workout

E.g, would it be better do 4 sets of 20lb dumbell curls or would it be better to do 8 sets of 10lb dumbell curls?

Then you have worded your question poorly and misapplied a number of terms.

[keepitfit2010]

Beginner here, would it be wiser overall to do weaker exercises for a longer period of time than to do harder exercises for a shorter period of time?

Starting out with simple exercises and understanding your limits in the beginning is important. As your body builds more muscle and strength over time, then that is when you can start taking it up a notch with the intensity of your workouts or lifts. Switching up the routine is important over time too so you do not hit a plateau. It is is not always easy to avoid, but is important to know. Learning the correct form with lifts is important so you can put focus into the muscle groups that need it most.

Consistency is key. Remember there will be days you do not want to do your workouts, but you will always feel better after finishing them. Setting goals is always a good thing to keep doing over time until you eventually reach your goal.

[GeneralSerpant]

Everything has its branch in the tree of life.

[BenMcLeodNZ]

Intensity is absolutely necessary, you can stay low intensity your whole life and only make marginal gains. The largest muscle fibers will not fire at all if you have low intensity. Don't confuse intensity with dangerous form though.

[BenMcLeodNZ]

I always found that when i had intense workouts I saw the most growth but it was too hard to keep up all the time. So I take it in turns sometimes i will go intense and others i will take a slower pace. That makes working out more sustainable for me.

But by intense do you mean brief maximal intensity, or an intense amount of volume?

[RachetsRevenge]

Then you have worded your question poorly and misapplied a number of terms.

Of course I misapplied a number of terms. I made it clear that I am a beginner striving to learn. I don't know as much as any of you. You knew that but decided to act like a pompous stooge instead of offering any valuable contribution anyway.

[TolerantLactose]

I meant shorter/longer period of time per workout

Notice how no one answered on this basis? That's why clear communication is so important. I'm the bad guy for calling you out on your lack of clarity. So be it.

Stay weak, my friend.

[EliKoehn]

Of course I misapplied a number of terms. I made it clear that I am a beginner striving to learn. I don't know as much as any of you. You knew that but decided to act like a pompous stooge instead of offering any valuable contribution anyway.

How's your progress over the past year and a half OP?

[kharneth]

The amount of time your workout lasts isn't as important as the quality of the exercises, but typically you're going to need at least 30 minutes or so and probably shouldn't be lifting for more than an hour.

In this context, intensity is more important than longevity. If you spend 5 hours in the gym barely lifting anything substantial you aren't going to make nearly as much progress as you would spending 45 minutes lifting weights appropriately heavy for your strength level.

That said, for a beginner, the single most important factor you should be considering is proper form, including full range of motion, lifting speed (tempo), coordinating your breath with your movements, etc.

You ought to find a beginner program to follow. Don't worry about the time or intensity of your workout, if you find and follow a good program all of those factors will be sorted out organically and you can trust that you're doing it right because it's well designed, tried and true.

[Ghawk21]

Of course I misapplied a number of terms. I made it clear that I am a beginner striving to learn. I don't know as much as any of you. You knew that but decided to act like a pompous stooge instead of offering any valuable contribution anyway.

You had 1.5 years to sit on this, did you make any progress? Where are you at currently? Are you back to learn and ask questions or just had to get this off your chest?

[GeneralSerpant]

We waited here 18 months for this?