How hard is hard training supposed to be? After all these years I'm still lost

Over the years I grew and grew stronger but I'm STILL confused at what I should DEFINITIVELY be doing to grow. I've changed my routine so often over the years that I have no idea how I got here. And even though I got much stronger and bigger, the fact is now I don't how know to streamline it.

I currently lift heavy, but when I'm done after 5 sets of heavy lifts, I just don't feel exhausted, I don't feel like Ieft it all in the gym. At the same time, I don't want to train like I used to, the volume was excruciating.

So I suppose the question is: If I am lifting heavy, and within the reps/sets that are always recommended, but I don't feel exhausted or I feel like my muscles could still do more, should I stop? Or should I do more?

In the old days, after a pec day, later that night I wouldn't be able to do a single pushup. This would be after a 22 set workout, something like 10 x 4 /45s rest, then 5x 10 /1min rest and 5x6+6 drop setting, /90 second rest.

THAT was a workout for me. But now my workout is 5 x 1-4 heavy , then 5 x 8-10 middle weight and that's it? I don't feel wrecked, you know?

Should I feel fucking devastasted every time I leave the gym? Like I left it all in there?

My stats:

Height 6`1, 186cm
Weight 225, 102kgs
Bench 290lbs, 135kgs
Deadlift 380lbs, 172kgs
Bent Rows: 270lbs, 122kgs
Squat 220lbs, 100kgs ( I dont do more than this, just more reps)
OHP 187lbs, 85kgs
BF% 22

I've tried everything over the years. I've found the exercises that work for me, now I want to maximize my effort :results ratio without necessarily being lazy.

>If I am lifting heavy, and within the reps/sets that are always recommended, but I don't feel exhausted or I feel like my muscles could still do more, should I stop? Or should I do more?
are you progressing? if yes then you are doing enough.

you are sabotaging yourself by not increasing the best compound movement out of them all. heavy squats will literally destroy you and make you feel like shit after you are done with them.

don't confuse strength progress vs exhausting the muscles via volume work

I dont confuse them, but I'm very close to my strength goals , which are bodyweight overhead press for reps and 300lbs bench for reps.

My goal is to gain mass and build my body, the strength is just for ego.

What I'm wondering is this kind of 10-12 set workout, half low rep and half high rep, all compound lifts with a bit of accessory, will give me the body I want EVEN if I don't feel exhausted after it's over.

So, you are 102kg, but bench 135, dead 172 and OHP 85 (I won't count squats).

I'm 65kg, I bench 85, dead 145 and OHP 65.

Apply yourself.

>whatever manlet

I'm a girl, weaklet.

post pics. i don't believe you that you can ohp your bw

>implying I'd show my body on a nigerian basket weaving forum

Im not entirely sure how this addresses the issue I brought up, but congrats on your strength

why not? if you cut out the face it doesn't matter

Basically, you're not going hard enough.
You should be able to lift a bit more than those stats, if you don't feel winded. Even if you don't think you're able to.

Being able to do the heaviest you can do and still feeling refreshed is exactly what the top strong men of the past, the men who have remarkable bodies for their time and ridiculous strength goals sought when they trained.
It's what many russian men who concern themselves with absolute strength and aren't on gear do.

You guys realize that the last two comments are diametrically opposite... this makes me even more confused :D

Perhaps I can, but fom will fail. When it comes to compound lifts, being able to do them repeatedly has a lot more to do with mental focus and coordination than being tired or not. The mind breaks far before the body. There's also the danger, for instance in pushing overhead presses too far, or deadlifts.

Overall my question is primarily about VOLUME, as when it comes to intensity, I believe training is adequate.

>row 270
>dead 380

how is your dead such weak shit?

My guess is that my legs are too weak, due to my squats, which ends up putting too much pressure on my lower back. I could conceivably deadlift more, but I'm not concerned with that and once again that doesn't address the issue of how much volume is enough to get good results without diminishing returns in effort.

>Over the years I grew and grew stronger but I'm STILL confused at what I should DEFINITIVELY be doing to grow.
More weight. Definitively the only answer to this question.

>I currently lift heavy, but when I'm done after 5 sets of heavy lifts, I just don't feel exhausted
Your numbers are very low, that's hardly surprising.

>So I suppose the question is: If I am lifting heavy, and within the reps/sets that are always recommended, but I don't feel exhausted or I feel like my muscles could still do more, should I stop? Or should I do more?
Whichever you prefer. If you want to grow, lift more weight.

I've been lifting a year and I'm squatting 60% more than you and close on the other numbers. Not pushing yourself hard is fine but don't complain about it if your goal is strength

No "girl" OHPs lmao1pl8, let alone more

> and once again that doesn't address the issue of how much volume is enough to get good results without diminishing returns in effort.
No such thing. There will always be diminishing returns for any amount of volume. What you're trying to identify is where you feel comfortable with.

You're squatting less than your bodyweight. No wonder you're not getting exhausted.
You're not lifting that heavy relative to your body weight. I'd go on a cut and try to maintain strength.

All people can't lift the same no matter what you've been told.

Never said they did, learn to read instead of being antagonistic

I dont want to do 20 set per body part workouts twice per week with 5 rep , 10 rep and drop sets..

likewise Im just not feeling it recently with 10-12 set workouts either.

I can go heavier, but form and repts WILL fail.

Here's my latest workouts:

Shoulder -

Overhead presses : 7 sets ( 3, 8 , 6,5,8,7,6 reps)

Power cleans: 3 sets (8,6,6)

Dumbbell upright rows: 3 sets ( 10,9,9)

Resistance band work comes next, 9 sets total of 3x10 front, 3x10 lat delt and 3x10 rear delt)

This is my shoulder workout. By the rep range, especially the OHP you can see that I'm lifting heavy, but at the end of my workout I still feel like... Im missing the volume, the drop sets, the absolute "cant lift my shoulders anymore even to drink my shake" level of tiredness.

But is it necessary? Did I do enough? Should I be able to shower after a workout like this and then have a long sex session or a game of volleyball, thigns that require plenty of shoulder activation? Cause in the old days after a workout I'd just lie down for like an hour, tummy fool of food, and rest cause I'm wrecked.

Im on a cut and desperate to maintain strength. trying to cut to 205, which is the weight I want to carry. My goal BF is 12% and to stay that way. I have a neurotic aversion to being below 200lbs.

>I'm 65kg, I bench 85, dead 145 and OHP 65.
>I'm a girl

A girl overhead pressing her bodyweight. Video, or it didn't happen.

OP here, maybe she is and maybe she does. The arrogance is certainly characteristic of the more extreme powerlifters. People with that kind of focus seem to think that things are are simple ( not easy, just simple as a matter of will) for others as it is for them.

though this is the internet, so probably a liar.

Plenty of videos on youtube of women doing exactly that.

This thread reminds me of that "bread" .jpg posted in the humor threads. The conversation went everywhere except to answer the question