Starting Back From Anxiety Attacks

Training
562

Hey man - finally catching up with you!

Sounds like a new therapist might be in order. It’s great that you’re not just settling for someone because they’re available. Not all therapists are created equal. A lot of people try therapy once and get put off, but you wouldn’t have one bad dating experience and decide dating is totally pointless right? So good on ya for thinking about finding someone who meshes with you.

How’s the whole spirituality thing progressing? Sounds like you’ve been pretty overwhelmed by finances and stuff. Have you been meditating regularly? I never really got into it but I should…

563

[quote]Jinx Me wrote:
Hey man - finally catching up with you!

Sounds like a new therapist might be in order. It’s great that you’re not just settling for someone because they’re available. Not all therapists are created equal. A lot of people try therapy once and get put off, but you wouldn’t have one bad dating experience and decide dating is totally pointless right? So good on ya for thinking about finding someone who meshes with you.

How’s the whole spirituality thing progressing? Sounds like you’ve been pretty overwhelmed by finances and stuff. Have you been meditating regularly? I never really got into it but I should…[/quote]

Hey Jinx,
Thanks for the note…good to hear from you.

The spirituality thing is going well. I feel like I learn a litle more about myself each day and what I need to do to live a more spirtual life. My wife and I found a good community church that’s not too preachy, but not to corny, either.

As for the meditating, I’ve been doing it but not every day. Sometimes it’s hard with my schedule but I figure if I can at least do it a few times a week that’s better than nothing.

564

Hey everyone,
Man, I just had a friggin awesome workout. Funny thing is, I wasn’t really motivated to go this morning but I remembered a message that when you want to do something the least, that’s when you need it most. Or, something to that effect.

Anyway, I pushed myself to get in the gym and guess what? I friggin’ nailed a new PR on my DL, hitting 305x3 (sumo style) with relative ease. Next week, 3 plates for reps!

Here’s the stats from today:
1A. Jumping Box Squat, 5x3: BW
1B. Clap Push-ups, 5x3: BW
2. Max. Reps Sumo DL Rack Pulls: 335x3
3. Max. Reps Sumo DL: 305x3 (hell yeah!)
4A. Bulgarian Split Squat, 3x3: BW + 80
4B. Machine Shoulder Press, 3x3: 180
5. Suitcase DL’s, 3x3: 105 (these are harder than they look)
6. Dips, 3x3: BW + 65
7A. External Rotations, 2x12: 10
7B. Reverse Wrist Curls, 2x12: 50

Did some light stretching afterwards.

Going to Muay Thai tomorrow and am looking forward to it. Had a really good home boxing workout yesterday, too.

Take care,
Dan

565

Dan,
That’s SO awesome that you turned a “meh” into a YEH! That’s a sweet pull and nice job on the clapping pushups… I can only do 2!

I had a similar thing today and I was glad I went because I ran into my best guy friend there who I haven’t talked in way too long and he definitely relieved me of my chronic lonelieness of late with just a fun PWO grocery store visit and some parking lot chit chat. Glad I worked out, but even more glad I ran into him.

Hope you have a great weekend, too :slight_smile:

566

[quote]proxy wrote:
Dan,
That’s SO awesome that you turned a “meh” into a YEH! That’s a sweet pull and nice job on the clapping pushups… I can only do 2!

I had a similar thing today and I was glad I went because I ran into my best guy friend there who I haven’t talked in way too long and he definitely relieved me of my chronic lonelieness of late with just a fun PWO grocery store visit and some parking lot chit chat. Glad I worked out, but even more glad I ran into him.

Hope you have a great weekend, too :)[/quote]

Thanks Proxy, and you do the same.

567

Hey everyone,
Just got back from the gym and had a good workout. My numbers didn’t fluctuate too much from last week, but that’s OK, since I was a bit sore from Saturday’s Muay Thai class.

Here’s the stats:

  1. Max. Hold Squat: 285
  2. Max. Reps 90% Squat: 235x3
  3. Max. Hold BB Decline: 265
  4. Max. Reps 90% BB Decline: 225x4
    5A. Overhead Squat, 3x3: 75
    5B. Pull-ups, 3x3: BW + 37.5
    6A. 1-arm DB Rows, 3x3: 90
    6B. Push-ups (narrow), 3x15: BW
    7A. Hand Crawls, 3x4: BW
    7B. Power Cleans, 3x4: skipped
  5. Plate Pinchers, 3 sets: 25

Went back to church yesterday…looks like my wife and I are going to be settling in there. It’s a comfortable place and the messages have been tangible and not too preachy.

After being stuck in a rut I’ve become re-motivated at work and am excited about several new projects and changes I’m going to be making to my sports sections. I was admittedly a little burned out after state football and a little bummed after not getting a couple of jobs I applied for, but everything happens for a reason. Now I’m ready to make this job I have as fun as possible, without over-working myself in the process.

Take care,
Dan

568

Hey everyone,
Sorry I’ve been MIA lately. Had some crazy days with work and we also had another round of below zero weather, so I took a couple of days off from the gym and also skipped Muay Thai on Saturday to let some small injuries rest. I did do a home boxing workout last Thursday, though. Did make it back to the gym today and had a good workout. Here’s the stats:

  1. Max. Hold Squat: 295
  2. Max. Reps 90% Squat: 235x4
  3. Max. Hold BB Decline: 270
  4. Max. Reps 90% BB Decline: 225x5
    5A. Overhead Squat, 3x3: 75
    5B. Pull-ups, 3x3: BW + 37.5
  5. 1-arm DB Rows, 3x3: 95
    7A. Hand Crawls, 3x4: BW
    7B. Power Cleans, 3x4: 115
  6. Reverse Wrist Curls, 3x5: 50 (did sets of 8, 7, 7).

Mentally I’m doing well. My renewed faith has really been a blessing lately and it’s given me a lot of peace of mind regarding several situations. In addition to that, I’ve also met several nice people at the church, so I’m happy about that, too.

Health-wise I’m doing good. Have a couple of blisters on my feet from Muay Thai 2 weeks ago (that’s why I skipped Saturday) but they’re just about 100 percent healed up. Noticed I’ve had some sinus drainage issues as I’ve got that constant feeling of needing to swallow. But, those are very minor things and nothing I haven’t dealt with before.

Tomorrow I’m going to get in a home boxing workout.

Take care,
Dan

569

hey man, kudos to you, i mean i dont think i can possibly relate to what your feeling exactly. But i think it’s brilliant you aren’t ending your training. Now THATS hardcore! My dad has clinical depression and one of the things thats helps him most is training with me, not BBing or anything just some good heavy weights.

Yeh the big three sounds like a plan, i mean it will tax you when you back. But worth it!

Good luck man!

Maybe try a little HIT? (People will threaten me for this…)

  1. Squats 8-12 or 15-20 reps
  2. Bench Press 8-12
  3. T-row 8-12
  4. Shoulder/Military Press 8-12 (even a machine is good for this)
  5. Bicep Curl (i find single db on a bench just below 90 works well)
  6. Overhead Tricep Rop Ext 8-12 (quite a mouth-full!)

Good luck and lift heavy!

570

Hey everyone,
Just finished a really good home boxing workout. Workout was 40 minutes. Started off with some jumping jacks (6 min.), followed by 5 min. of shadowboxing. Then did 6 rounds of heavy bag work, first working punch combos, then incorporating some knees into that. Finished off with some stretching.

Going to get in an endurance workout tomorrow.

Squat this, thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it.

Take care,
Dan

571

Dan,

I wanted to say congratulations on your hard work and not giving up in the face of an anxiety disorder. I also wanted to thank you for starting this thread as it is inspirational to me because I have had panic disorder for 19 years now. I've been on meds most of my life because of the severity of it but I too have chosen to keep as fit and strong as I can through it. It's comforting to know many others may suffer from it but are successfully fighting it.

The greater the battle, the sweeter the victory, right?

Cheers and thanks,
Kaleb.

572

I just realized I posted here before, back in 2006 when I actually stopped working out for almost a year and a 1/2(which is the first time in my life I’ve ever stopped for that kind of time.)
I’m still fighting it but I’m glad to see the thread is still going. I guess I’ll catch up on my reading starting at page 5…

Cheers,
Kaleb.

573

[quote]muscleintraining wrote:
First…DJ…thanks for having the courage to start this thread and for all the guys who shared their stories. It has really helped me. It is cool to hear from strong guys who have had to deal with this issue. We are not wimps!

I’ve suffered with panic/anxiety for almost 3 years. Tried a lot of meds with mixed results. Taking Wellbutrin and Xanax now…working OK. I think the solution is more than meds. Also, during the medication trials, it was discovered that my T was really low. I’m on Androgel and Arimidex to correct this. I have to wonder if there is a connection between the low T and the anxiety.

I’m curious how/where you found your therapist. I met one who really didn’t help much. I’m trying an audio tape program now, but think I might need more. The relaxation exercises are really helping.

Also, I’d be great to hear from guys who have taken time away from the gym due to panic setting in during a workout. Everytime I try to do some cardio, here it comes again. I know that working out would help, but I can’t seem to get beyond this feeling of panic setting in at the beginning of a workout.

Sorry for so many questions in one post. Thanks guys. Keep up the good fight. [/quote]

Just wanted to mention that after 19 years of battling panic/anxiety disorder and depression, I too was just diagnosed as having abnormally low T levels. I’ve been on TRT since October of this year (IM injections and recently Androgel) and things MAY be slowly starting to change.

I’ve really been wondering about a connection between these conditions and low T levels.
Interestingly, 3 different doctors have told me that most anti-depressants and even anti-anxiety meds work poorly or not at all with low T levels.

The proper neurotransmitters cannot be manipulated with a compromised/dysfunctional endocrine system.
Hopefully further research may show ties between these elements.

On a similar note, studies have shown that giving panic/anxiety sufferers a shot of sodium lactate will induce a panic attack. The interesting part being several people posting here find the higher rep ranges(10-15) tend to aggravate their anxiety. Higher lactate levels are generally associated with those rep ranges…
Coincidence?

One of the panic/anxiety theories/models is based on abnormal or retarded lactate metabolism in the brain based on my readings.
Anyone with similar findings/experiences or info?

Cheers,
Kaleb.

574

Kaleb,
Good to hear from you. I sent you a more detailed reply via PM.

As to the high rep and anxiety, I personally haven’t noticed an issue and I’m OK when taking kickboxing and doing cardio. I think listening to music and in regards to kickboxing, a combo of music and focusing on your form and technique, helps distract from paying attention to your heart rate.

Only time I notice something being off with me in regards to training is when I do a lot of sprints, other than that, I’m OK with everything else.

Take care,
Dan

575

Hey everyone,
Had a busy day at work today but still managed to get to the gym and get in an endurance workout. Did 2 rounds of barbell complex and 3 rounds of a bodyweight circuit, along with some rope skipping an a 1-mile run.

The barbell complex was 6 reps of:
Deadlift
Hang Cleans
Front Squat
Overhead Press
Bent-over Barbell Row
Romanian Deadlift

Did this with just 20 lbs. added to the Olympic bar and it kicked by butt big time.

The bodyweight circuit was:
10 squats
10 lunges (each leg)
10 push-ups
10 mountain climbers
10 jumping jacks

Workout itself was around 25 minutes but it was brutal with very little rest.

Likely taking tomorrow off and then Friday it’s back in the gym when I will hit my goal of 315x2-3 reps in the DL.

Take care,
Dan

576

315, 315, 315! F-yeah! I’m so pumped right now. I FINALLY hit 315 for multiple reps in the DL (sumo style).

Felt good and strong on all 3 reps. Felt a bit shaky afterwards and my heart was thumping a bit, but I think part of that was the excitement of the moment.

I know 315 isn’t a big deal to a lot of people, but for me it is, especially after what I’ve been through the past year or so and basically losing 20 pounds and having to dramatically drop my weights in all my lifts when I first started back in the gym.

Rest of the workout today was a breeze after the DLs. Oh, and more good news…my publisher called me this morning and not only complimented me on my work, but, gave me 2 FREE tickets to the Denver Nuggets Monday night against Golden State! It’s turning out to be a really good day and tonight I’ve got the guy’s night function at my church, so I’m looking forward to that.

Here’s the stats from today’s workout:
1A. Jumping Box Squat, 5x3: BW
1B. Clap Push-ups, 5x3: BW
2. Max. Reps Sumo DL Rack Pulls: 345x3
3. Max. Reps Sumo DL: 315x3 (new PR)
4A. Bulgarian Split Squat, 3x3: BW + 85
4B. Machine Shoulder Press, 3x3: 200, 200, 210
5. Suitcase DL’s, 3x3: 105 (these are harder than they look)
6. Dips, 3x3: BW + 65
7A. External Rotations, 2x12: 10
7B. Reverse Wrist Curls, 2x12: 55

Take care,
Dan

577

Hey everyone,
A little later than usual, but I just got back from the gym and had a really good workout. Very happy with my max. hold squat, which went above the 300 mark, and very pleased with my flat bench of 225x3. I haven’t done flat BB bench presses in several months, so I was pleasantly surprised with the ease the weight went up.

Going to the Nuggets-Warriors game in a couple of hours, so looking forward to that.

Also, very pumped that I got my shipment of ZMA from Biotest today! I ordered a 2-month supply. I’m combining that with Melatonin to take in place of Ambien, which I am now out of and will not refill. I know that I’ll likely have a one, two or even three nights of not-so-great sleep while my body adjusts, but I think in the long run it’s really going to be fine. I’ll keep you guys posted on the results.

Here’s the stats from today’s workout:

  1. Max. Hold Squat: 305
  2. Max. Reps 90% Squat: 235x4
  3. Max. Hold BB Bench Press: 265
  4. Max. Reps 90% BB Bench Press: 225x3
    5A. Overhead Squat, 3x3: 75
    5B. Pull-ups, 3x3: BW + 40
  5. 1-arm DB Rows, 3x3: 95
    7A. Hand Crawls, 3x4: BW
    7B. Power Cleans, 3x4: 125
  6. BB Reverse Wrist Curls, 3x5: 60

Did a 1-mile run afterwards and finished up with some stretching.

Tomorrow’s a home boxing workout.

Take care,
Dan

578

awesome work on your deads! I have seen some of my numbers fall a bit, so I can appreciate how much MENTAL effort it takes to get back up there. Nice work.

I also wish you the best in your pursuit for Ambien-free dreams. ZMA, Melatonin and Valerian root seem to be my most successful cocktail so far. I hope you get the rest you need… it can make ALL the difference!

Have a great time at the game and take care! :slight_smile:

579

[quote]proxy wrote:
awesome work on your deads! I have seen some of my numbers fall a bit, so I can appreciate how much MENTAL effort it takes to get back up there. Nice work.

I also wish you the best in your pursuit for Ambien-free dreams. ZMA, Melatonin and Valerian root seem to be my most successful cocktail so far. I hope you get the rest you need… it can make ALL the difference!

Have a great time at the game and take care! :)[/quote]

Proxy,
Thanks as always, for the kind words. Hope you are doing well.

First night with my ZMA-Melatonin combo went pretty well. I still had some trouble falling asleep, but once I nodded off, I stayed asleep for the rest of the night. I got somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 hours. Not great but not bad, either. I was actually pretty pleased with that number considering it’s been so long since I’ve slept without Ambien.

Take care,
Dan

580

Hey everyone,
Just finished my home boxing workout. Had good stamina and good focus through the 40-minute workout. Did 5-minute rounds, just kind of free-forming it and throwing whatever combos came to mind.

Tomorrow I’m back in the gym for an endurance workout.

Trying to ignore this frog in my throat. I hate that feeling of having to swallow every few seconds. Going to get some extra tea in today and pop some Vitamin C drops to see if that helps.

Oh, and forgot to mention that with the ZMA-Melatonin, I woke up feeling “fresh” as opposed to when I’d wake up after taking Ambien I’d be sluggish and a bit sleepy for 30-60 minutes after waking.

Take care,
Dan

581

Hey everyone,
Just got back from the gym and had a really good endurance workout. Did some rope skipping, medicine ball throws (which I love b/c people in the gym always stop and stare wondering what the heck I’m doing), a bodyweight circuit of hindu squats-pushups-mountain climbers (10 reps of each) and finished up with 5 rounds of sprints. Workout was around 25 minutes.

Had a great night of sleep last night. Actually fell asleep on the couch before going to bed. I did wake up briefly at 3:30, but quickly dozed back off before waking up for good at 7 a.m. Definitely liking the feeling of being refreshed and not sluggish, as I was when I was on Ambien.

Now, the next goal is try and start weening off my Xanax. For anyone out there that went through it, any tips or strategies? I’m taking .5 mg of the control-release. Still looking for a new therapist to help with this, but any tips for me to start weening off on my own before I find one would be great.

Not sure about getting to the gym tomorrow. I have to cover state wrestling and that’s an all-day thing. I should be fine for Muay Thai on Saturday, though.

Take care,
Dan