DOES LESS SWEAT LIFTING WEIGHTS MEAN LESS EFFECTIVE?

​A spin class might cause someone to sweat profusely, but after lifting weights, there might not be much sweat at all. Was the spin class a superior workout due to the amount of sweat? Are you still getting a good workout if you don’t sweat as much while lifting weights?

​Sweat is not an accurate gauge of a workout’s effectiveness. Weightlifting is not typically a form of aerobic exercise. Compound lifts like squats and deadlifts can be aerobic, but generally the benefits of weight training are to build muscle and strength, not to increase your heart rate and sweat buckets.
 
Whether a workout is effective or not depends on the desired outcome. Sweat really has nothing to do with it. Some people generally perspire more than others. Sometimes the room is hotter. This is not the way to grade your workout. There are other variables that are much more important than sweat.
 
Intensity
 
Technically, intensity refers to the amount of weight lifted. For the sake of not getting too technical, I am referring to intensity as how hard you work in the gym; what the reps FEEL like. Are you coming close to failure with your reps? Or do you stay in a range that feels comfortable? Change happens when you get uncomfortable. 
 
 
Weight
 
Have you been lifting the same dumbbells for months? You probably need to add weight to all of your lifts. Let’s look at a Dumbbell Chest Press. If you are getting 3 sets of 10 reps and you feel like you can do 2-3 more reps with good form, you absolutely need to increase weight. 2.5-5 lbs is a great place to start.
 
Frequency
 
Inconsistency is the problem I see most often. People start out very motivated and hit the gym 4 or maybe even 5 times a week. They do this for a couple of weeks. Then it’s 2 times a week. Then zero gym visits for a week. They wonder why they don’t see results. You don’t have to live in the gym, but you do need to be consistent. 2-3 strength training sessions per week is perfect for most people. 

Exercise selection
 
What do you think will happen if you do 100 Jumping Jacks? The heart rate goes up, breath is heavier, you start to feel hot, and you might start sweating. Should you just do exercises that leave you breathless, hot, and sweaty? No way. While you are exercising and burning calories, you are not placing any mechanical tension on your muscles and bones. A strength training routine that includes squats, deadlifts, pressing, and pulling exercises will better serve you.

A new approach
 
If you are determined to get a good sweat when you lift weights, try a new approach. You don’t need to do all of these in the same workout.
 
Shorter rest periods: Take a 30 second rest after your last rep and then get right back to it. Keep in mind, that you might need to decrease the weight though. 30 seconds goes by REAL fast. You don’t want your form to break down.
 
Supersets: A superset is usually 2 exercises performed back-to-back with little to no rest in between. For an antagonist superset, think chest and back, or biceps and triceps. This will feel a little easier since these are opposing muscle groups. An agonist superset is working the same muscle group, such as back and biceps, or chest and triceps. It will feel more difficult because you are using some of the same muscles groups in both exercises.
 
Add reps: Simply doing more reps can increase the difficulty. If you have been working in a low rep range, say 4-6 reps, and you switch to 10-12, you will undoubtedly feel challenged. You will need to decrease the amount of weight. 
 
Add weight: If you always shoot for higher reps (10-15 reps) then go the opposite way and add some weight. Working in a lower rep range can feel extremely new and challenging. 
 
Final thoughts
 
If you try all of the new approaches and don’t break a sweat, don’t you dare buy a sauna suit. You know when you’re working hard and when you’re not. Stay on track with workouts, eat a well-balanced diet, get good sleep, and be patient. Sweat or no sweat, you will get results.