Absolutely! One time, after an incredible squat session, the soreness and fatigue felt just like the intense relief after a long dry spell. Honestly, it was that satisfying!
Haha, I get that orgasmic feeling on shoulder day for some reason. Those side lateral raises…
I just heard Arnold Schwarzenegger mention the same thing about the orgasmic feeling on a podcast!!
You might feel sore afterward, especially if you have unintentionally neglected that muscle group for a bit. As long as you are reaching failure or coming close to it in your working sets, you’re doing well.
I also run and seek that high, but weight lifting doesn’t usually provide it. If you feel weaker after each exercise and can’t lift as heavy by the end, you are likely training hard enough.
I do 50 minutes of heavy lifting, followed by 25-30 minutes of HIIT or sprints. This way, I get both my strength and muscle gains, as well as an endorphin boost. I do the cardio at the end when I’m too fatigued to push hard but still have enough endurance for lighter work.
I am the same way; I start with cardio because if I leave it for the end, I tend to skip it or don’t put much effort in. I do 20-30 minutes of running or stair climbing first, followed by about 30 minutes of weight training. If I only do weights or just cardio, I don’t feel or look as good.
How much volume are you doing, like the number of exercises, sets, or reps? And how long have you been training without seeing results? I usually get that “pumped” or satisfied feeling (and sometimes soreness) from compound lifts like deadlifts, bent-over rows, and bench presses. Or by doing high-rep, lower-weight sets of isolation exercises like lateral raises and curls. Each lifting session includes at least one compound lift and a couple of isolation exercises.
But yeah, while lifting is rewarding in its way, it’s definitely not the same as a runner’s high.
I think this is it! Heavy weights, low reps, and compound lifts! Those definitely give me the biggest rush too!
Yeah, you will not experience a runner’s high after heavy lifting, but I do a 20-minute sauna session afterward, and it relaxes me. It’s almost like a prolonged version of a runner’s high.