You Know You Had a Good Workout When...

[bulkybud]

Today was chest day and I was determined to go (sensibly) heavier on everything. "More reps or more weight" is my current mantra in the gym.
So I did.
At my last rep on the pec deck I was absolutely out of gas. Pecs were pumped and sore and it's almost two hours later and anytime I move my arm over my chest I'm reminded that it was a good workout.
Tomorrow morning should be interesting. My morning check is when I reach up to turn on the light on the night stand and my pec goes "Ow..."
So it was a good workout.

When do you know that you've had a good training session?

bulkybud

[toby182]

I would really like to know myself... I am a beginner, and I always go till I'm out of gas, and just can't move another rep. I hope whatever I'm doing is right. I won't be able to flex my muscles after a workout, coz they're sort of in a flexed state, in other words, they're numb. The next two days, I'll feel them tense. I only get aches from muscles I usually don't work much... But those feelings are kinda awesome.

[bulkybud]

Originally Posted by toby182

I would really like to know myself... I am a beginner, and I always go till I'm out of gas, and just can't move another rep. I hope whatever I'm doing is right. I won't be able to flex my muscles after a workout, coz they're sort of in a flexed state, in other words, they're numb. The next two days, I'll feel them tense. I only get aches from muscles I usually don't work much... But those feelings are kinda awesome.

First off, those feelings ARE awesome. Secondly, while I get sore easier than most it seems, a conclusion on Bodybuilding.com was that you know you are making progress when you can lift more weight- it's not related to soreness. Every time you change a workout you generally get sore, at least for a while.

My personal opinion is when you are sore AND you have lifted more weight it's a win-win. That's one reason today's workout is seeming like a good one for me.

bulkybud

[inm]

Heh, this just: go to the gym, change into the training shirt. It is chest and back day. Heavy benching, then pump-reps incline bench, start back exercises, superset with dumbell flies, then half an hour of pull pull pull and more pull movements, done! Time to go home.. whaaat? is this the same shirt? cant get my shoulders and arms in.. So Pumped love it!

[Mdlftr]

I know I've had a good leg workout when I got to pull up my dress pants/street pants after changing out of my gym shorts and I have trouble pulling it up over my pumped butt and legs! I have to stop and (carefully) tuck things in "in front" before I can sort of work the pants up in the back!

What a rush!

Mdlftr

[Ragetiger]

Did a rather short leg workout day. Standing calf, leg extension, leg curl. Ran out of steam, but was nearly impossible to bend the knees for a few minutes upper legs really were pumped up. glad I didn't do seated calf after that. Have to find time later in the day to go back and complete my leg workout.

[stronguns]

When I can barely move because the muscles are pumped so much that they restrict my range of movement. Sometimes I can't even comb my hair cause the biceps are hitting my forearms.

[theunknown]

After leg day, not being able to walk properly. Or unable to reach your back in the shower after doing shoulders/arms.

[The Magus]

Leg day: when my legs are wobbly on my walk home, but also when I can feel my jeans are tighter in the thighs than they were when I put them on. I've lost a lot of fat, so it's a rush to put on pants and have them be loose in the waist but skin-tight on the thighs and calves.

upper body day: My personal trainer has me sign off after each session, and I know it's a good upper body day when I can barely hold the pen and can't recognise my signature. Also, lately I've been feeling the pump a lot more, especially on the chest, so it's a good day when my chest is swole. We're gonna be splitting up chest and back days soon, so it's gonna be even better.

Arm day: it's always a good workout on arm day. But I LOVE when I'm able to increase the weight on something, because it means I'm getting stronger and my arms are getting bigger.

But any day I get to the gym is a good day....I love working out and I think the gym is my favourite place to be right now. I know when I get there I can just take a break from any stress and focus on lifting heavy things for an hour or so.

[theunknown]

Agreed. I had not gone to the gym in about 4 weeks because I was "busy". Turns out I feel much better and therefore think much better when I workout than when I don't.

Guess to some extent I'm redefining the term muscle-head.

Originally Posted by The Magus

Leg day: when my legs are wobbly on my walk home, but also when I can feel my jeans are tighter in the thighs than they were when I put them on. I've lost a lot of fat, so it's a rush to put on pants and have them be loose in the waist but skin-tight on the thighs and calves.

upper body day: My personal trainer has me sign off after each session, and I know it's a good upper body day when I can barely hold the pen and can't recognise my signature. Also, lately I've been feeling the pump a lot more, especially on the chest, so it's a good day when my chest is swole. We're gonna be splitting up chest and back days soon, so it's gonna be even better.

Arm day: it's always a good workout on arm day. But I LOVE when I'm able to increase the weight on something, because it means I'm getting stronger and my arms are getting bigger.

But any day I get to the gym is a good day....I love working out and I think the gym is my favourite place to be right now. I know when I get there I can just take a break from any stress and focus on lifting heavy things for an hour or so.