Hey everyone
I am participating in the 3FC Biggest Loser challenge and I was told that I should post here

I am doing 20-30 minutes of cardio 6 days per week and lifting weights for 15 minutes 4 times per week.

I do 3 sets of 10 for most of the exercises. When I get to the #25 I get this really bad burning sensation in the muscle. I do make it to the 30th, but my muscle hurts at that point. Am I pushing myself too much or is that a good type of burn? I am not to the point that I want to just drop down....just to the point that I KNOW I couldn't do many more.

I drink plenty of water per day 64+ oz.

Thanks!
Angela

The burning sensation is lactic acid buildup in your muscle. It just means that you are working. Are you resting between sets? To build muscle you should be using a weight that makes it difficult to complete the last few reps of the set because of muscle fatigue- not because of lactic acid buildup. That kind of burn goes away after a few minutes. You want to really fatigue your muscles.

I just re-read my answer and it was clear as mud- yes, the burn is good. But you need more than burn. You can achieve burn with 30 non-stop repetitions with light weights. That won't do much for you other than make your muscles burn. Pick a weight where you can JUST do 10-12 repetitions. Rest about 30 seconds, do it again, etc.

Mel

It sounds like a buildup of lactic acid. Lactate is a byproduct of anaerobic glycolosis, that is the energy system used when lifting. It is a buffer between the muscle and the acidosis that is created when the muscle reaches its work limit. This is only produced during resistance training. If the lactate is not used as fuel for cardio training after the resistance session, it is stored through the metabolic system, to be used later.

In cardio, the lactate then gets used as fuel. If you push your limit, little by little, you are increasing your body's ability to use the lactate as fuel, thereby strengthening your cardio vascular system. This was shown in a study done about 2-3 years ago, don't have the reference. You can find it on drlenkravitz.com.

To continue to lift after the burn to finish the set will do no harm. The harm comes if you continue to the point where the lactate cannot buffer the acidosis. I think that point is way outside our league of exercising.

Hope this helps...

I'm only lifting a 5 lb weight. I do 10, stop for about 5 seconds, do 10 more, stop for 5 seconds, do 10 more. Maybe I should buy a 8 lb or 10 lb weight so I can do 10-15 then. From 0-10 and 10-20 I don't feel anything. It's when I hit 25 that I feel the burn.

You are definitely only getting lactic actid burn, then. You need a weight that is heavier. You should be WORKING HARD on the last rep of each set and need more than 10 seconds to recover.

Mel

BG, since I'm the one who told you to come here I'll also tell you what I do. My routine is 3 sets. Set 1: 15 reps on my lowest rate (this would be 8 lbs for you). Set 2: 12 reps on 10 lbs for you; Set 3: 10 reps on 15 lbs for you. The last half will be really hard; you may have to stop and rest extra breaths before you can do rep 9 & 10 too. But you are making huge strides here to increase strength (and metabolism!) and challenge your body.