No Energy When Working Out

Nutrition
1

Hey, for the past yr or so I would say that about 70% of my workouts have just been horrible. I got no energy, no real concentration, and I just want to leave. I used to be able to think of people I wanna beat the shit out of for motivation to stay in the gym, but lately I’m worn out. I force myself to stay a little while but I’m not seeing great results because I’m not pushing my muscles enough.

I feel like I’ve tried everything: Redline works for a little but usually makes me nauseous, NO Explode does nothing for me, Alot of Coffee helps a little but doesn’t seem healthy, Anadrox Pump and Burn helps me with Cardio but not lifting, and I also took something similar to NO Explode but it did nothing. That 5 hr energy shot also does nothing for me.

Honestly if I pop an Adderall before I go to the gym it has helped more than anything. I go to school and also have work M-F but I feel like alot of people do and I should have more energy.

My Diet def does not help-my usual day goes like this-

7:30- 2 pieces wheat bread, 2 eggs, canadian bacon, milk/water
11:30- Protein bar, bottle of water
1:45- Muscle Milk Light Shake, banana, some chicken
2:30- Protein bar, sometimes coffee
Lots of water during work
6:30- Usually good dinners- chicken/fish/pasta/steak (sweet potatoes, green beans, or salad)
7:30-take some supplement b/c I think I’ll do worse w/o it(NO, Redline)
8:00- a bad workout.
9:00-Another Protein Shake.

I guess I know there is no magical potion out there to give me great workouts, but I would appreciate any advice on food or supplements that you guys use for a boost of energy.

And please keep in mind that during the day I have no time for any real meals, just something to eat real quick. Cost for supps aren’t a big issue right now since I have given up drinking recently. Thanks alot, I appreciate it.

2

EAT MORE! Seriously.

For energy, try Spike which is sold here - it works great for me.

3

I had the same problem when I was low carbing. So try upping the carbs in your pre and post workout meals.

4

you said yourself your nutrition sucks. start there.

as for time to eat. the harsh way is to say that we all have time for things that we value, so make it a priority in your life to make time to eat. Why does everything in life take importance over that?

On another note, if that still is too much, check into MRP’s, or some of Berardi’s recipes (his gourmet nutrition cookbook) there are several shakes you can make yourself

and if you used “imagining beating the shit out of people in the gym” as motivation before, that kind of worries me, seriously. Anger issues much?

how much sleep do you get per night?
water intake?

5

I appreciate the input so far. I’ll have to give Spike a try. I’ll try more cards after the workout also.

Jehova thanks also for the info. I agree that nutrition should be valued but in reality I have class from 8:30-1:30 with some 10 minute breaks thrown in and start my drive to work at about 2. I’ll give those recipes and shakes a try and perhaps prepare them the night before everyday.

And I guess I have some anger issues haha. But I just use them for motivation instead of carrying out my actions, so I think that it’s good for me. My sleep is the best it’s ever been in my life, I get about 8 hrs a night.

Water intake not really sure, id say about 80 oz.

6

Are you kidding, I wouldn’t make it past noon on what you eat. Get some food in you, I eat over 1200 calories for breakfast alone and I’m only 175lbs.

7

MMMM, breakfast.

Yeah buddy how bout you quit taking pills loaded with caffeine all the time and give your noramal energy systems a chance to recover. If you are experienceing constant drag then you might ahve encountered some adrenal fatigue.

Also living on food you find on the floor is not ideal. Eat more animals and get those lipid in order. If you don’t have good dietary fat you will have shitty hormones which are the catalyst for any and all things that occur in your body including energy levels.

Also if training isn’t rewarding in and of itself and you aren’t looking forward to training then you should either change how you train so it is challenging and fun or take up a sport of something to keep you motivated. Try getting an o-lifting coach.

But yeah it seems like you are downing almost any thing that is small and pill shaped. Likely you have addapted to the caffeine agents in that shit and all they do is caff crash you. No boost just the crash. Go off all caffeine for about a month and one cup of coffee will get you moving just like it did back in the day. If you really need energy then grab some taurine but know that you can get adapted to that too.

You have to find the primal energy of your far tougher forefathers from within your sack…

That or start cutting hair and maybe someone will hold your purse when you take your golf swing.

-chris

8

[quote]streamline wrote:
Are you kidding, I wouldn’t make it past noon on what you eat. Get some food in you, I eat over 1200 calories for breakfast alone and I’m only 175lbs.[/quote]

Look there we agree. It never ceases to amaze how some of these guys post diets that are literally smaller than my 12 year old daughters and are wondering why they’re having problems.

9

1200 cals for breakfast? wow, about 700 cals is my limit for breakfast. Wish I could stomach eating more than 2-3 eggs at a time

that’s one reason i have to eat every 2 hrs, the only way i can fit my caloric needs in to gain weight.

my meals tend to avg mid 700s

10

I usually get a 7-800 cal breakfast/pwo, my lunch and dinner are around 5-600 and i throw in 2 snacks or so usually between 150-300 depending on hunger at the time.

I get around 2500, + or - 2-300 since i dont make counting cals a priority a day but im also 6’ 165 and just maintaining.

11

Intake depends on output. Personally I burn more than 1500 cal in a ninety minute cardio. I also don’t eat because I’m hungry. I eat to maintain my daily workouts and try to get to 180lbs without putting on any body fat.

Seriously OP you need a lot more intake, if you don’t have an appetite make smoothies, it’s much easier to drink than eat. Don’t waste volume either, if it doesn’t have calories it doesn’t belong in a smoothie, ie no ice, use frozen fruit. Add ground nuts and seeds, pack it with all the goodies your body needs. After all one of the perks of working out is eating. Best of luck!

12

Damn 90 min of cardio, thats crazy. My entire workout is usually 40-50 min, but i workout upon waking in the a.m. taking 1/2 scoop whey+water as soon as i wake, then workout.

I would shrivel up if i tried to go too much longer with just water+whey in me lol

13

Tribulus I’m glad that u never cease to be amazed, but why take the time out to write a post that has no value at all? I don’t understand it.

Basically I’m asking for help on my diet such as quick meals that are good and pre-workout meals. I realize my diet sucks, what are the main things that I need to eat more in?

14

Well protein bars suck in my opinion. I also would have to say that real solid foods are supreme except pwo.

Any real clean foods are better than a protein bar

15

[quote]ballzdeep34 wrote:
Tribulus I’m glad that u never cease to be amazed, but why take the time out to write a post that has no value at all? I don’t understand it.

Basically I’m asking for help on my diet such as quick meals that are good and pre-workout meals. I realize my diet sucks, what are the main things that I need to eat more in?[/quote]

OK, nuthin personal. Here’s my tip then which is along the lines of what has been said. Unless there is no other way I agree, whole foods should make up most of your intake and the one thing I bet you lack more than anything else is a plan. I know every day what I’ll be eating the next and have that ready the night before. Actually I pretty much know what I’ll be eating from now on.

It isn’t a blast, but unless you plan ahead you will never have your nutrition where it should be if serious progress is in your future. Also I never go anywhere without food so I don’t get caught either missing a meal or having to buy something which narrows the good choices right about down to zero usually.

16

Take natty peanut butter and honey sandwiches with you to class. You can eat them with one hand, loaded with good energy and if you use a tupperware container, it will not be noisy and distract the class. I did this through college. I do this during the three hour course I teach. In college I ate two of these and two meat sandwiches split between two classes.

Tuna comes in easy to eat packages.

Keep adding food every week until you have the energy to workout and you are putting on some extra fat. Then you know you are finally getting enough to grow.