Spinning much?

NadiaMayl
NadiaMayl Posts: 496 Member
edited December 1 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,
So, I've been at this for about 40 days, 4-5 weeks in serious tracking and working out mode. Tracking via weighing as much as I can and using measuring cups -- I think accurately as much as 98-99% of my food (I don't eat out much).
I have also been working out seriously. 3-5x per week spinning (mostly 4x per week) burning 450-600 cals, and when I don't spin I 'run' (My running is not very fast) on the treadmill for a burn of about 300 cals -I incorporate a few kettlebells and squat/lunges/planks type exercises those days. I wear a heart rate monitor which was setup after a metabolic test at the gym (VO2 and Heart rate levels are 'pretty' accurate). I'm 39, 5'6' and weigh 160 (I did lose 6 lbs. since I started).
So after the long intro, here is the issue, the last week to 10 days have been dreadful. I put my workout in but I've been feeling sluggish, slow, super tired and I even feel like I'm pudgier. Is it possible that I'm spinning too much and not giving my body enough of a recovery time? At my 'athletic level' I didn't think that was possible, but maybe it is? I want to continue to feel pumped about working out, rather than feeling this muffled feeling throughout the day, and of course, continue to lose more weight... I know, not to expect BIG number, since I don't have too much more to go, but still, a steady decline would be nice.
Suggestions? THANKS!

Replies

  • HealthierRayne
    HealthierRayne Posts: 268 Member
    edited May 2016
    I used to spin twice a week and hit 750+ on the bike and my fitbit hr, I was busting my butt each hour long class.

    I know that if I wasn't fueling properly and eating back at least half of my exercise calories those days then I would be extremely fatigued the next day and any workout I attempted would feel lackluster.

    Just make sure you aren't in a huge deficit when you are working out hard, you need energy to sustain those awesome workouts and food is energy :smiley:
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    NadiaMayl wrote: »
    So after the long intro, here is the issue, the last week to 10 days have been dreadful. I put my workout in but I've been feeling sluggish, slow, super tired and I even feel like I'm pudgier. Is it possible that I'm spinning too much and not giving my body enough of a recovery time?

    That's the first thing that comes to mind based on everything you've told us. Have you ever heard the saying (about training) "most people go too hard on their easy days and too easy on their hard days?"
    NadiaMayl wrote: »
    At my 'athletic level' I didn't think that was possible, but maybe it is?

    What do you mean?
  • NadiaMayl
    NadiaMayl Posts: 496 Member
    NadiaMayl wrote: »
    At my 'athletic level' I didn't think that was possible, but maybe it is?

    What do you mean?[/quote]

    That my 'athletic level' is not ttthhhaaaattt athletic and there is MUCH room for improvement and increase in strength and cardio... :blush:
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    You do give lots of info but you leave out one important one - what is your calorie intake? Is that total or net?
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
    You said on days you don't spin, you run, does that mean you're not having a rest day at all? If so, you should rest one day per week.

    Try the 80/20 rule where 80% of your workout time should genuinely be EASY and only 20% should be HARD, but really hard. Avoid the 'moderate' in between. This should improve your fitness and hopefully give you more energy for the hard sessions whilst also reducing your chance of injury.

    Plus remember all the other reasons you might feel sluggish; lack of sleep, dehydration, lack of nutrition, bad diet/erratic blood sugar levels, stress, overall mood, TOM, temperature, etc. Maybe just a change in routine or a new goal is what's called for.
  • NadiaMayl
    NadiaMayl Posts: 496 Member
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    You do give lots of info but you leave out one important one - what is your calorie intake? Is that total or net?

    I have the 1200 calories that MFP sets up and I eat about half or a bit more of my workout calories. So, I usually eat about 1300-1450 on the days that my workouts are tough.
    sarabushby wrote: »
    You said on days you don't spin, you run, does that mean you're not having a rest day at all? If so, you should rest one day per week.

    I try to rest one day per week, I admit, I panic if I don't see any workouts on that day; Sundays are usually my days off, and I'll go for a walk just so I can enjoy my glass of wine in the afternoons.
    Sleep and hydration are fairly good. Nutrition, I think I could do better with vegetables and maybe reduce a bit on the carb side; and I have no idea what the right balance for my body is on the Macro thing... still haven't educated myself well on that.

    I think a change in routine is what my body may be needing right now. Maybe cut back on the spinning to 2x week, add 2x strength training and 1x yoga... leave the weekends alone, except for a leisure walk or something light.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    edited May 2016
    NadiaMayl wrote: »
    That my 'athletic level' is not ttthhhaaaattt athletic and there is MUCH room for improvement and increase in strength and cardio... :blush:

    It actually works kind of the opposite of how most people expect it to.

    Quick refresher: when you exercise, you're damaging your muscles, and that tells them to grow back stronger. Great! But so far we just have damage, what about the growing back stronger? That happens when you rest.

    If you never get enough rest, you're not getting as "stronger" as you should, which is going to leave you feeling sluggish. If you aren't that athletic, the exercise you're doing is maybe causing more muscle damage (this is fine!) and requiring more recovery time. If you feel like you have lots of room for improvement, you might need lots of rest to achieve that improvement. Running and spinning both tax the cardiovascular system and legs mostly, I wouldn't count one as rest from the other. Maybe alternate between one of these and an upper body workout?
  • memo1974
    memo1974 Posts: 57 Member
    Sounds like you are overtraining, take 4-5 days off completely from working out. Then begin to incorporate exercise again slowly, you want to have room to progress each week, if you go "all out" all the time, there is no room to progress in your rutine. Intensity is good, but consistency is best!
    And, for what's worth, you are relying too much on cardio, too much cardio lowers your natural testosterone levels, which will inhibit your recovery ability. Include some heavy weight training and alternate cardio and resistance training. Cheers.
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
    Changing up is good.

    But, FWIW, I am about your height/weight and activity level (I alternate spinning w/mixed cardio, mostly rowing and take one day off, but even then I walk) and eating around the same amount. I'm not feeling "sluggish, slow, super tired, pudgier". I'm getting bored though as I've been at this routine awhile now.

    It may well be that changing up your exercise is the perfect fix for you. Just sharing in case maybe it isn't, so might be worth considering if anything else has changed that may be affecting how you feel.
  • NadiaMayl
    NadiaMayl Posts: 496 Member
    @ilex70 , thanks.... I've been trying to figure out if there was anything else affecting mood, but can't really pinpoint anything. Changing it up a bit might be what my body responds to.

    Thank you all for your responses!
    I'm going to slow down a bit and maybe do some yoga for the rest of the week and then restart next week with more recovery in between.
    I started back on this journey trying to go back to basics, eat less, exercise more, lose fat... And then I got too obsessed with the amounts of calories burning at spin that I ended up going too much... Plus I like that sort of workout! I get bored easily, spinning keeps me engaged!
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
    Another FWIW, I too workout 6 days a week usually, sometimes twice a day, but I try and fit swimming or a 'recovery run' after a hard run or bike session. I do double-spin classes (and actually sometimes it's double spin with a quick brick run in between then Pilates after), but my point being maybe you could try instead of doing 1 spin class 4 days a week, what about a double session on two days a week, then two full rest days? Just another idea.
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