I just came off a bulking cycle. Every time I go on one I seem to be exhausted and lethargic throughout the three or four weeks I do it. I usually can not make it 4 weeks; after week 3 I’m burnt out. Granted I’m getting the results I want, but damn if I don’t suffer physically and emotionally every time I do it.
I know its due to the amount of food I’m ingesting and the sheer physical effort I pour into my gym sessions. I sleep like 9 to 10 hours a night and still feel I could use another nap every day. Is it just me or does anyone else go through this who is seriously trying to put on mass?
Now that I am into my 3rd rest day of a 5 day layoff, I feel much more “normal”. Rested, chipper, alert. What a difference.
No, I smell what you’re steppin’ in. I am in my 4th week of bulking and can relate. Although I feel good, I still feel a little groggy throughout the day - especially after my workout and after my last P&C meal before I go to bed. I have taken more time off from the gym - a day here or a day there and that has helped. I think it’s getting better as my body gets used to eating SOOO much more - around 4500 kcals a day.
I’m 49. When I used to do 4-5 week bulking cycles, with or w/o anabolic stuff I got physically wasted. I had to nap on in between days to catch up. My sleep requirements increased drastically. Now that I don’t bulk anymore (it’s an old,long story)I never feel burnt out. I can get motivated to work out even if I didn’t get a good night’s sleep the night before. I’m still working out with 3-rep max weights occasionally and my strength hasn’t suffered much if at all.It is an amazing difference. I wish I could offer you more in the way of advice, but I’m not sure why this occurs, either. From what I’ve experienced, stuffing myself with protein made me much more tired…
Rest is as important to muscle growth as nutrition or working out. If you are aggressively seeking increases in muscle mass (i.e. bulking), it would stand to reason that your body would scream out for above normal rest. Personally, I can sleep anywhere at anytime.
-----EDIT-----
Sorry, Randman I thought you were talking about being sleepy, not being run down and tired. So disregard my sleep any where, anytime schpeal. But I think that it is still true that you need more rest/recovery if you are bulking.
I worked out in the morning and I schedualed a 2hr nap post workout. This allowed for a normal 1 1/2 hr sleep cycle. I then had 6 to 8 hrs normal sleep at night.
My understanding is that the 1st sleep cycle produces the most GH. By doing this I got 2 doses a day. I was gaining 1 lb a week.
I know exactly how you feel. I had been bulking for four months (I was a really skinny bastard and actually am now just a skinny bastard) and was feeling great. However, even though I was getting plenty of sleep (at least 8 hours with a nap during the day), I would feel like going to bed within an hour of eating breakfast. I honestly think that a lot of it was due to my aggressive diet causing a small blood sugar crash to a certain extent, even though I was eating clean foods. Also (and I think this may actually be my main point), even though I was putting on some mass, the fat eventually started adding up. When I got into the 13-14% range was when I really started to feel lethargic. Since I started cutting and have gotten into single digits, I have felt more energized and have actually needed less sleep (7 hours has been my average). I must also note that I have actually gained a little strength while dieting, so my training is still just as intense. But I will say that the sessions are much shorter (30-45 minute range).
Sorry I’ve been rambling, but here are the lessons I took from the letdown I experienced on my bulking cycle:
-Utilize shorter training sessions. I have actually been on ABBH I since I started dieting and have loved the brief but intense sessions. I just designed my own CW inspired program (4 total-body workouts in an 8-10 day microcycle) that will take no more than 45 minutes. The only thing that will change will be my diet when I start bulking. Shorter training sessions have kept my CNS incredibly fresh and allowed me to train harder than I ever have.
-When I get over 12%, I’ll start cutting. I’m sure I’ll get flamed for this, but after I get above 12% I pretty much start putting on fat and become fairly unproductive in a number of facets of my life. I haven’t lost any muscle at all since I started cutting, so I’m not worried about losing any gains I’ve made at all. Besides, the leaner a person is, the more muscle he will initially put on when he starts bulking. However long it takes me to get above 12% will be based on how tuned in I get with my diet.
Once again, sorry this took so long, but this is what I’ve learned through my own experiences.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
Rest is as important to muscle growth as nutrition or working out. If you are aggressively seeking increases in muscle mass (i.e. bulking), it would stand to reason that your body would scream out for above normal rest. Personally, I can sleep anywhere at anytime.
-----EDIT-----
Sorry, Randman I thought you were talking about being sleepy, not being run down and tired. So disregard my sleep any where, anytime schpeal. But I think that it is still true that you need more rest/recovery if you are bulking.
Have you tried taking an extra day off per week? [/quote]
This is a logical recommendation. It is the one thing that has worked for me somewhat. When I’m midway through the bulking cycle and I’m starting to feel the burnout and I’m scheduled for my 2nd day of legs that week I’ll take the extra day and it seems to help some.
Trust me. If I had that luxury, I would take full advantage of it. Married with one little guy and working full time just doesn’t allow for this nap. I work out in the mornings before work, it’s the only time I can get them in.
When I go on one of these bulking cycles, I could literally check myself into a bodybuilding monastery where my only responsbility would be to lift, eat, and sleep, sleep, sleep all day.
I have resigned myself to the fact that the only way I can put on quality mass is to take the fat gain that inevitably comes with it. That means I usually end up at 15-16% towards the end of my last bulking cycle. There is simply no way I could get the results I’m getting and stay at 12% or under. I wish this was the case for me but it is not.
After a couple of weeks of solidifying my muscle gains, I’m going to give the old velociy diet a try to shave my bf% back down to the 10-12% range. Then I will bulk again. Hopefully I will really minimize my muscle loss this time while resetting my insulin sensitivity.
On another note, I’m through getting down to 8% or less bf after bulking; I’m spinning my wheels. Until I get to my size goals, no more getting to 6-8% bf and sacrificing some of the muscle I worked so hard to get.
One really basic suggestion. Do you take a backoff week (low-volume, low-intensity) immediately before you start your bulking cycle? If you don’t, you should.
If your getting that tired, what is the length of your w/o? How often per week do you train?
I work out for ~75 min, depending on how busy the gym is.
I certainly noticed the difference in my energy level at the end of a session after I started using creatine.
A major impact was also regularity of sleep i.e. rountine was better than just getting 8 hrs from going to bed.
Mind you I eat plenty and train twice per week in the gym. I do COC 3 days/week (~20min at home.
Dax
My workouts rarely last more than 45-50 minutes and even on a bulking cycle I rarely go more than 4 days per week. I’m just determined to beat my muscles into submission during my workout sessions if I’m in a “bulking cycle” and taking in excess calories. High volume, multiple 20 rep puking squats, 10 sets of 10 reps on chest day, multiple drop sets, etc. Keep in mind that I only do this for 3 to 4 weeks at a time. Right now I feel great.
My sleep is very regular during this time. I don’t have a choice when I’m bulking, by the time 8:30 or 9:00 pm rolls around I am comatose and in bed.
I simply think it is the price you pay when you are going through focused bulking cycles trying to pack on mass. I guess I’m just bitching about it and commiserating with others who experience the same thing.
No I don’t. Most of the the year my work outs consist of low rep, heavy weight (> 80% rm) compound movements (squats, deadlifts, chins, bench, dips, etc.). The last couple of bulking cycles I’ve decided to take advantage of a different protocol than I usually follow which included higher reps and more sets of them. This led to some additional hypertrophy that I was pleased with. I will now switch gears back to 10X3 or 5X5 protocol training.
The one word that defines my bulking cycles is intensity, not volume. Intensity may mean more volume (higher reps and/or sets) for one bulking cycle, it may mean banging out one and only one compound exercise near my one rep max each training day for the next bulking cycle. It is definitely about pushing myself further than I would normally when I’m not bulking.
My focus is almost always with one muscle group and that is my legs. Typically 2 days a week of quad-dominant and hip-dominant exercises whether I’m bulking or not. It’s just when I’m bulking I up the intensity. I’ve built my legs from twigs to one of my more respectable muscle groups. Really working my legs is the most draining to me but I’ve also noticed the more I build my legs, the bigger the rest of my body gets.
I’ve read on here from the coaches that you don’t necessarily have to beat yourself up to gain muscle. Pain doesn’t necessarily mean progress; I understand this.
However, intensity is the name of the game when my bulking cycles commence. I’ve noticed that when I apply enough intensity plus enough calories plus enough rest is when I make the most progress. It’s unfortunately when I get the most drained as well.
If I can come up with a way to make just as much progress (or more) without the physcially draining aspect of the the bulking cycle, I’m all ears.
[quote]randman wrote:
The one word that defines my bulking cycles is intensity, not volume. Intensity may mean more volume (higher reps and/or sets) for one bulking cycle, it may mean banging out one and only one compound exercise near my one rep max each training day for the next bulking cycle. It is definitely about pushing myself further than I would normally when I’m not bulking.
[/quote]
I’m not sure that you understand what the true definition of “intensity” is as it applies to resistance training. I’ve got quite a bit to add, but I’m strapped for time. I’ll jump in on this tomorrow. If I should forget, drop me an email to remind me.
Randman, still sounds like you’re over doing the “intensity techniques” e.g drop sets. A lot of times these get overdone because you think- Hey I’m working out really hard I must be doing good! But in reallity you’re only undermining your recovery ability. Try backing off on the fancy stuff and use the extra time gained for extra rest between the heavy sets (like about 3 min at the top weight sets). See how you get on,
Dax
I’m definitely interested in any input you can give. After 4 years of reading every article and most of the training posts on this site and applying concepts I have learned I thought I had a pretty good understanding of intensity as it relates to resistance training but maybe I missing something.
I’m constantly in learning mode and applying things I’ve learned to see what works and doesn’t work. I’ve by no means exhausted every prinicpal through trial and error in regards to my training however so I hope my best gains are still in front of me.
Either way, I will reach a lean 230 lbs eventually. That is the goal. I will be large, muscular and lean. Period.