question on strength-training (& swimming)

[figsNolives]

Let's say you do 30-40 mins at the gym of strength training workouts mostly using dumbbells for upper body or machines for lower body and you feel a little fatigued at the end of the workout, however, you really don't feel "anything" the next day i.e. little to no soreness.

Does this mean you need to up the intensity/reps/weights ?
Should you always feel something the next day ?
Also, are you supposed to break out into a sweat? (sometimes i do, sometimes i don't)

Also does anyone know if swimming will tone legs (inner thighs) ?

Thanks

[Earthly Delight]

I'm usually pouring with sweat, but that might just me. What you should feel is when you're finishing each set is that your last few reps are near to impossible. Your very last should end in you trying and literally failing. At least, thats what my PT said... Another good rule of thumb; if you can do more, you should do more. If you can do 12 reps of 20kg then why in the world are you training at 15kg? Training takes pushing.

As for swimming--its great for your entire body I hear.. my inner thighs lost their fat when I simply lost enough weight in general... any cardio is great for that.

Best of luck and hope other people correct me where they can--I'm no weightlifting pro!

[greensgood]

depends on what kind of results you want and your fitness goals.
if you are trying to increase your muscle mass, up the resistance i.e. heavier weights.
if you are trying to burn fat and slim down, do more cardio and moderate weights
if you are trying to increase strength but not mass, do longer sets with lighter weights.

you should be sweaty at the end of a work out.

[Dirty Martini]

you won't always get DOMS after a workout. Especially if you've been doing the same routine for a while. Additionally, the absence of DOMS doesn't mean that you didn't work out hard enough. Sometimes you'll get it, sometimes you won't.

To tone your legs, you have to lose body fat. It doesn't matter if you swim, run, ride a bike, lift weights, etc - you have to lose fat. (and your diet is more important than what your exercise is for fat loss.) If you're female, the thigh is probably the HARDEST place to lean out regardless of your body shape (apple/pear).

If you're asking whether you should sweat during a workout, that tells me you think you could work out harder. Therefore, you should.

[Dirty Martini]

I'm usually pouring with sweat, but that might just me. What you should feel is when you're finishing each set is that your last few reps are near to impossible. Your very last should end in you trying and literally failing.

I agree to the extent that form isn't being sacrificed. You shouldn't be able to do more than 2 additional reps with good form with the weight you're lifting. If you feel like you could do 3 or 4 more reps with good form, you aren't lifting enough and need to lift heavier.

[Earthly Delight]

sorry, yes I meant literally failing to do it correctly.. though I was told it's to failure--not to two away from failure. But that sounds like something that each personal trainer would have their own advice for!

[cstadt]

Depends on what you swim. You can use a kickboard and only tone your legs. If you do heavy duty freestyle, you'll bulk up your shoulders in the process

[Dirty Martini]

sorry, yes I meant literally failing to do it correctly.. though I was told it's to failure--not to two away from failure. But that sounds like something that each personal trainer would have their own advice for!

Yeah, I'm sure that varies between PTs :)