My girlfriend will be leaving for around a month or so... and I've been continuing my mild exercise routine for a while now but mostly very slow gains. My body though is in decent shape overall.

While she is gone I plan to focus on two things, my normal every day life stuff (no biggy there) as well as exercising and getting in fit the best I can to an extreme.

However, I'm really not sure about how to maximize my work out in regards to pushing my muscles to the limit, knowing when they are spent and how long to wait.

I've heard the general story about rest of about 48 hours or more for a muscle to recover enough. However, I don't know how to tell if I've worked out a muscle enough. Is there a "feeling?" Is there a general way to tell when you have worked it out just right? Is there a way to tell when your muscles are ready to work out again?

I don't want to be stupid about this but I don't feel I am really working out very efficiently either.

Thanks for any help or tips:bb:

I go until I cant go anymore.

There's no real feeling, no. Sometimes you'll get delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) a day or two later, but the soreness doesn't actually indicate anything. It doesn't mean you worked hard enough, nor does the absence of soreness mean you didn't.

Sometimes you might get a pump where your muscles feel really tight and full. It's a really satisfying feeling, to be honest, but doesn't mean too much.

All you can do is get in there and hit your muscles hard. Don't cheat, don't hold back.

Seriously? That almost seems extremely dangerous and risking exhaustion... I could probably go for much longer, maybe 2 hours, as long as I give the muscles a short break between sets. I want to try to get the most out of everything the next few weeks, but I don't want to hurt myself either with over doing things...

Seriously? That almost seems extremely dangerous and risking exhaustion... I could probably go for much longer, maybe 2 hours, as long as I give the muscles a short break between sets. I want to try to get the most out of everything the next few weeks, but I don't want to hurt myself either with over doing things...

If you feel like you can go on for 2 hours then theres a simple solution - increase the weight you are lifting. The ideal weight is heavy enough to challenge you and make you really fight for those last few reps, but light enough so that you are performing the lift safely, with good technique. :tu:

My girlfriend will be leaving for around a month or so... and I've been continuing my mild exercise routine for a while now but mostly very slow gains. My body though is in decent shape overall.

While she is gone I plan to focus on two things, my normal every day life stuff (no biggy there) as well as exercising and getting in fit the best I can to an extreme.

However, I'm really not sure about how to maximize my work out in regards to pushing my muscles to the limit, knowing when they are spent and how long to wait.

I've heard the general story about rest of about 48 hours or more for a muscle to recover enough. However, I don't know how to tell if I've worked out a muscle enough. Is there a "feeling?" Is there a general way to tell when you have worked it out just right? Is there a way to tell when your muscles are ready to work out again?

I don't want to be stupid about this but I don't feel I am really working out very efficiently either.

Thanks for any help or tips:bb:

Post your routine. Sets, reps, exercises, days lifting, etc.

Recovery is maximized through getting in the proper nutrition and sleep.

Giving us your personal stats and goals would also be helpful.

If you are looking for a short term solution, there is none. Consistant and progressive training, coupled with a good diet will eventually yield long term results.

Give the stickies in the beginners section a good read to get a feel for what has to be done.

Seriously? That almost seems extremely dangerous and risking exhaustion... I could probably go for much longer, maybe 2 hours, as long as I give the muscles a short break between sets. I want to try to get the most out of everything the next few weeks, but I don't want to hurt myself either with over doing things...

You should be lifting heavier and maybe not resting for too long. If you push hard and are in good shape? 90 minutes is not that big a deal. Two hours starts to really sink in even if you are in good shape even if you are taking dextrose along the way.