I have been consistently sluggish in the gym for the last couple months. The part that confuses me is that I am tired from the moment I walk in the gym. It is coming to the point where I have trouble finishing the workout. Strength gains are excellent, but its a push to finish the workout. Normally I wouldn’t complain since it is pretty normal to be tired while lifting, but yawning even before the session is rather depressing.
Is there possibly a good pre workout meal that wouldn’t leave me to tired? I eat crackers and cheese along with some protein before I hit the gym, and drink powerade while lifting.
Is there possibly a good pre workout meal that wouldn’t leave me to tired? I eat crackers and cheese along with some protein before I hit the gym, and drink powerade while lifting. [/quote]
Crackers and cheese? Seriously? Your pre-workout meal is crackers and fucking cheese? I’m sorry, I just don’t think I can get past this.
Being tired before you even get to the gym could be a symptom of a bigger problem. Have you ever had comprehensive bloodwork done by a competent doc? It’s possible that there are hormonal issues there. Just something to think about. Stimulants (DMAA if you can find it, caffeine if you can’t) can give you a significant boost pre-workout, but it’s better to get to the root of the problem than to mask it with supplements, assuming there is indeed a problem.
I have had blood work done a year ago due to equlibrium problems and the doctor concluded it was from allergies (texas sucks). Since then I got on Claritin and saw a huge improvement. I was thinking that all the pollen in the air could be affecting my body since there is high pollen count at the moment down here.
I’ll try the no carb thing Thursday.
Your pre workout meal is cheese and crackers and you’re tired in the gym. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the problem here.
No carbs? Where do muscles get their energy from? Oh yeah, carbs. Your cheese and crackers might as well be no carbs. You need some legit carbs before you train as well as simple carbohydrate intake during exercise and there is hard science backing this. I eat a bowl of multigrain pasta with some sort of protienz like an hour before I train and I’m good to go + Power Carb in my pre/post workout shakes.
[quote]1 Man Island wrote:
No one stated the obvious, but how’s your sleep?[/quote]
Its really good actually. This is one reason Im so pissed. I slept for 26 combined hours the three nights before I dead lifted, with ZMA two nights. Plus last week was my deload week, so I wasn’t fatigued from lifting. But I was tired even before i touched the bar.
Honestly…and this is going to sound weird, my alertness increased when I went down to 7 hours of sleep. Although we all love to say 8 hours or die, you have to find what works best for you. You might be one of those guys that needs 9 hours for all we know.
How heavy are your workouts and are you sprinting? If I train one body part heavy per day I feel more alert than if I do two in one day. And after a day where I sprint, I am fucked if I don’t get enough sleep. Some days you might need more sleep than others depending on your lifting schedule.
And obviously, make sure you are eating enough period. If you are on this site, you had best be eating over 3000 calories a day, unless you are dieting for a competition. This is usually the culprit for low energy at the end of the day. If you are under 200lbs at least 3600 calories a day until you are 200lbs of man.
And obviously, make sure you are eating enough period. If you are on this site, you had best be eating over 3000 calories a day, unless you are dieting for a competition. This is usually the culprit for low energy at the end of the day. If you are under 200lbs at least 3600 calories a day until you are 200lbs of man.
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… really? Everyone on this site should be working towards being 200 lbs, no matter what their height is? That’s insane. I weigh 175, and it’s unlikely that, as a natural, I could be as lean as I am over 200. At the very least, I’m years away from that point. Do you think I would trade physiques with you? You’re out of your damn mind. But then again, what else should I expect from a guy who blew out his back because he flexed his abs too hard? LOL.
OP, I generally drink a protein shake throughout the day (80g protein), and finish it around 4:00. I mix a Plazma shake at 5:30, drink about half of it, and start my workout shortly after. I rarely have solid food within an hour of starting my workout. I consider Plazma to be invaluable.