Sometimes my muscles don't ache although I follow the rules!

[Stebeds]

I lift weights like so: 6 reps, 3 sets.

6 reps because I can only lift the weight 6 times and 3 reps because I just heard thats all you need to do, like the optimum.

Problem is, the first time I lifted weights since a long break, my muscles were shot to hell for a week, aching the whole week, I just stuffed myself with food all that week and got way dstronger off that first one where I really shocked my muscles.

Problem is, I am adding weight etc, I can only lift the weight 6 times still but its heavier now so thats proof of strength gains... but my muscles sometimes just don't ache!

I WANT MY MUSCLES TO ACHE LIKE SHIT -NO PAIN NO GAIN.

So does anyone have any suggestions where 6 reps x 3 sets isn't doing it.

Should I make the weight lighter and lift more reps (a silly idea I think since the weight is all lost then)

OR

Should I just do more sets? like try doing 4 sets, then the next time try 5 etc and see if I can make mu muscles ache again like that first time? That is whan i made crazy gains in strength! I think perhaps even leaving it for a month then suddenly working out could be more beneficial than people think... unless its just me but I can't screw myself up at all if I am remotely "used to" it.

Sounds funny, but yes I want my muscles to ache like shit the next morning and they don't.

I always struggled to gain weight but is it possible theres another factor here thats often, generally, ignored? I mean - perhaps some body types adapt TOO FAST to lifting weights? I mean, you don't do weight for an entire month... then do a gruelling workout, you'll know about it! But if you do the same muscles every 48 hours... it seems silly to me, its far too much of a set routine and I think even once a week could even be "too much" perhaps, for me personally, if i have some sort of odd metabolism where my muscles adapt fast to changes/stress and thats it - its then VERY tough indeed to really rip the muscles, unless the muscle becomes again "not used to" it.

Would you lose any bulk or strength if you left a muscle group alone for a whole month?

I say no because just cycling (pushbike not Stebeds) years ago (like 10 years ago) my muscles are still defined from than and I wasn't even trying to get bigger back then, knew zero about how people got bigger, I just naively thought they were born that way or worked out 18 hours a day, LMAO.

[_bruce_]

 

[MCWAY]

I lift weights like so: 6 reps, 3 sets.

6 reps because I can only lift the weight 6 times and 3 reps because I just heard thats all you need to do, like the optimum.

Problem is, the first time I lifted weights since a long break, my muscles were shot to hell for a week, aching the whole week, I just stuffed myself with food all that week and got way dstronger off that first one where I really shocked my muscles.

Problem is, I am adding weight etc, I can only lift the weight 6 times still but its heavier now so thats proof of strength gains... but my muscles sometimes just don't ache!

I WANT MY MUSCLES TO ACHE LIKE SHIT -NO PAIN NO GAIN.

So does anyone have any suggestions where 6 reps x 3 sets isn't doing it.

Should I make the weight lighter and lift more reps (a silly idea I think since the weight is all lost then)

OR

Should I just do more sets? like try doing 4 sets, then the next time try 5 etc and see if I can make mu muscles ache again like that first time? That is whan i made crazy gains in strength! I think perhaps even leaving it for a month then suddenly working out could be more beneficial than people think... unless its just me but I can't screw myself up at all if I am remotely "used to" it.

Sounds funny, but yes I want my muscles to ache like shit the next morning and they don't.

I always struggled to gain weight but is it possible theres another factor here thats often, generally, ignored? I mean - perhaps some body types adapt TOO FAST to lifting weights? I mean, you don't do weight for an entire month... then do a gruelling workout, you'll know about it! But if you do the same muscles every 48 hours... it seems silly to me, its far too much of a set routine and I think even once a week could even be "too much" perhaps, for me personally, if i have some sort of odd metabolism where my muscles adapt fast to changes/stress and thats it - its then VERY tough indeed to really rip the muscles, unless the muscle becomes again "not used to" it.

Would you lose any bulk or strength if you left a muscle group alone for a whole month?

I say no because just cycling (pushbike not Stebeds) years ago (like 10 years ago) my muscles are still defined from than and I wasn't even trying to get bigger back then, knew zero about how people got bigger, I just naively thought they were born that way or worked out 18 hours a day, LMAO.

Why do you want your muscles to ache? If you're really putting them to work, the fact that they are NOT aching is a great thing. That means that they are RECOVERING from the beating you put on them. Muscles don't grow (and strength doesn't increase) unless the muscles recover fully from the stress you place upon them.

In other words, you grow when you rest, NOT when you train.

[Montague]

Delayed onset muscle soreness is not the only indication of a good workout. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t always experience it.

If you’re worried about staleness, change your workouts regularly.
That can mean changing set & rep schemes, the order of exercises, etc.
Experiment with different protocols to determine which methods work best for you.

Changing up your training keeps your body trying to figure out what the hell’s going on, which will ensure that your pituitary gland is releasing GH.

In addition, eat good food, get plenty of rest, and you will grow.

[Tombo]

I've found the biggest strength and size increases i've ever had is when i've occasionally had a week or 7+ days off from a long time at the gym, my exercises usually shoot up to 110% to 120% stronger, usually absolute strength though, not endurance really (then again i suppose the actual mass variable changes so if it was kept the same then my strength endurance would be increased)