Weakness during workout?

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Fantasyfan882017
Fantasyfan882017 Posts: 26 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone know what causes you to feel weak during a workout ?

I did a boogie bounce workout video this morning which lasts about 28 mins. Afterwards I did squats, arm exercises with dumbells and physio exercises I was told to do for weak hips and glutes.

I did the same workout video 4 days ago and felt fine. Today I felt really weak and like I didn't have the energy even though I had breakfast and had a 4 day rest from the last time I did that workout x

Replies

  • Justin_7272
    Justin_7272 Posts: 341 Member
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    When is your weakness kicking in? You should wait ~30-45 minutes before waking to exercise. You should also do any weightlifting before cardio, so best to do boogie bounce (whatever that is) before your squats and dumbbells. If your weakness is during weight training, it's likely attributed to cardio beforehand.
  • Fantasyfan882017
    Fantasyfan882017 Posts: 26 Member
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    I had been up for an hour and a half before doing my workout and had a cup of tea and a shake for breakfast about 45mins before I started.It happend straight away at the start of my workout video. I just felt weak and like it took a lot of energy just to bounce and lift my arms.

    Boogie bounce is an aerobic workout done on a mini trampoline.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 889 Member
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    Did you eat less in the couple days before this? It's super hard to say what might make you feel less energetic....bc it could be a lot of things.

    I often note that I'm not properly hydrated when I feel like that...I run - outside if I can - and if I'm not hydrated, I def feel like *kitten*. I sometimes also go back and look at what I ate the previous day(s) to see if I under-ate or something. I've done that really more on days I felt like I had a great run and often find that I over-ate the previous day (which is a clue that I need to up my calorie goal)....so maybe it has to do with that?

    Or maybe it's something else entirely.....really hard to tell.
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,568 Member
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    Was going to suggest the same as @westrich20940
    Having too steep a caloric deficit can easily make a person run out of gas after a short amount of physical effort.
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,568 Member
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    goal06082021 wrote: »
    Justin_7272 wrote: »
    When is your weakness kicking in? You should wait ~30-45 minutes before waking to exercise. You should also do any weightlifting before cardio, so best to do boogie bounce (whatever that is) before your squats and dumbbells. If your weakness is during weight training, it's likely attributed to cardio beforehand.

    Please tell me more about how I can work out thirty to forty-five minutes before I wake up, that sounds efficient as hell.

    Ambien?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,436 Member
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    Under-recovery can do it, too. If you're new to a fitness routine, repeating the same fitness routine daily, you could be under-recovered.

    Sometimes bodies are just weird, too. If it's a one-off event, I wouldn't much worry about it.

    To be only slightly more specific: Sometimes a random day of underperformance is the result of cumulative stresses from the day(s) before. For example, maybe no one big deal, but calories or nutrition a little under par the day before, had a stressful/fatiguing day at work, under-hydrated just a little in summer heat, didn't sleep very well that night, got a distressing phone call or heard something alarming on TV before the workout, maybe seasonal allergy or some minor ailment kicking up a bit . . . little stuff can add up, be depleting in total effect, lead to a seemingly random under-performance.

    It happens. If it's not a pattern, go with easy pace or shorter workout that day, pay attention to "topping up the tank" in other ways: Stress reduction, good nutrition, good hydration, maybe a few extra calories, go to bed a little early, etc.
    Justin_7272 wrote: »
    When is your weakness kicking in? You should wait ~30-45 minutes before waking to exercise. You should also do any weightlifting before cardio, so best to do boogie bounce (whatever that is) before your squats and dumbbells. If your weakness is during weight training, it's likely attributed to cardio beforehand.

    Others mentioned the unusual phrasing about working out before waking.

    The cardio/weights thing is kind of similarly oddly phrased, too: Says to do weights before cardio but boogie bounce (which sounds like cardio) before squats and dumbbells (which sound like weights). Maybe English not first language, a thing it would not be nice to make jokes of? Don't know: I think we know what the post meant, even if not strictly phrased.

    I disagree with the substance, though, too: It's weights before cardio if weights are the priority, cardio before weights if the cardio is the priority. As a rower, I prefer to row before weights if I do both on the same day, because rowing is my priority for best performance. Weights before cardio can impair cardio performance, just like cardio can impair strength performance. I don't know whether anyone prioritizes boogie bounce over weights for performance reasons, but I'm open minded.

  • Justin_7272
    Justin_7272 Posts: 341 Member
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    Sorry guys, I mistyped. Work fatigue. I do wish I could do workouts "before waking," but I also hear RSL is not fun.
    I meant to type "you should wait ~30-45 minutes after waking" to do workouts." And do boogie bounce after squats and dumbbells.
    The reason I say weights before cardio (to address @AnnPT77's disagreement) is because if someone is weightlifting properly, a person should be lifting on a progressive-overload program, and cardio can fatigue the muscles and prevent lifting progression. Cardio is not usually progression-based as the primary driver of cardio is typically weight loss (I say usually because if a person is training for a specific goal-for example achieving a 6 minute mile-then it should be progression-based)-and cardio fatigue can usually be pushed-through (at a novice level) mentally.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited August 2021
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    Justin_7272 wrote: »
    When is your weakness kicking in? You should wait ~30-45 minutes before waking to exercise. You should also do any weightlifting before cardio, so best to do boogie bounce (whatever that is) before your squats and dumbbells. If your weakness is during weight training, it's likely attributed to cardio beforehand.

    There are many many possibilities and though it could contribute, I wouldn't be confident with the info given.

    OP is there a reason your programming has four day rest between resistance training sessions?

    Can you give us details on your training history, programming, diet goal?

  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited August 2021
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    Fantasyfan882017 wrote: »
    Hi sorry didn't realise I had some more replies.

    I only had a 4 day rest because I had sore muscles from my previous workout.
    I am trying to build up to being able to do my workout 3-4 times a week.

    I am trying to lose weight but also to tone up as I still have a lot of weight to lose and don't want to end up with lose skin.
    I am currently 285.8lbs and was 328.8lbs when I started tracking in December. I want to get down to at least 12st and so I know it will take me a few years. I was having issues with sore hips and the doctors put it down to weakness in my hips and glutes, so the strength training I am doing is also to strengthen these muscles x

    I see. You are doing very well losing weight 👍.

    For your training session is it the same lift selection, weight, reps, sets, etc...or does it vary on anything I mentioned?
  • Fantasyfan882017
    Fantasyfan882017 Posts: 26 Member
    edited August 2021
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    At the moment I have been using 2kg dumbells. I have been doing 3 sets of 12 of mixed exercises for my arms and shoulders. I have 3kg dumbells as well which I plan to start using once my body gets used to me using the 2kg ones. I also do 3 sets of 15 squats and some squat walks using a resistance band. Also some other exercises with the resistance band to strengthen my hips x
  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
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    The weakness might just be a one-off. Did it last through the whole workout or did you start to feel more energised as you went? If it lasted the whole workout then it would probably have been better for you not to have pushed through the whole thing. If I am feeling a bit off but not obviously ill then I will have a go to see if the workout helps, but if after 15 minutes I feel no better, or feel worse, then I will stop. You do yourself no favours by pushing through if, for example, you might be coming down with an illness.

    How did you feel after the workout?

    Generally speaking, it should not be necessary to rest for 4 days due to sore muscles (unless they are ridiculously painful, in which case you have overdone it). Movement gets the blood flowing through them and generally speeds up recovery. If you are at the stage where you can feel the soreness when you move but not at a level where you might wince a bit then I would suggest you get on and exercise if that is what you had planned to do that day. Or at least do the physio exercises.

    Well done on the weight loss so far, and on building the exercise habit. Good for you.
  • Fantasyfan882017
    Fantasyfan882017 Posts: 26 Member
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    Thank you.It persisted through out but I pushed through. I've had a busy few days so am planning on doing it again tomorrow. Hopefully it was a one off and tomorrow's workout will be OK 🙂 x
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,370 Member
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    I've read where being 1% dehydrated can lead to a 10% decrease in performance. Anecdotally, I believe this to be true, as my workouts are almost always better if I've been diligent about drinking enough water BETWEEN workouts.

    Some days, you just aren't up to normal; other days you start a workout, and you just smash through it like it's a breeze. That's why my personal standard is to never increase the intensity of a workout (longer duration, heavier weight, faster speed, etc) until you feel like you can do more in multiple workouts in a row. This way I don't have one super workout, increase the weight for next time, just in time for a down-cycle day to hit at the same time I'm trying to lift heavier...double whammy. In order to know if it's safe to increase, you need to accurately remember what you did last time and how it felt, so keeping a journal can be crucial.

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