Fatigue in the gym

Tkb1331
Tkb1331 Posts: 22 Member
edited December 4 in Fitness and Exercise
I've been feeling fatigued lately at the gym, can't lift as much, I'm doing upper/lower 4 days a week, cardio 6 days a week. Am I just hitting some sort of wall, should I lessen the cardio? Caffeine? Any suggestions would help, I'm also eating approx 1400 calories a day, I'm 180lbs lost 10lbs so far have another 10 to go. Thanks for your input!
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Replies

  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    Maybe you're not recovering enough and need to take a few rest days?
  • Tkb1331
    Tkb1331 Posts: 22 Member
    Yea maybe it's the cardio, I think I'll try 5 days a week instead, thanks!
  • Acrawford01
    Acrawford01 Posts: 29 Member
    When do you eat?? I find that if I eat a protein bar a half hour before working out, I have enough energy to get through my workout. Also, I chug water through my cardio. Then when I get home I have a protein shake. I don't know how tough your workouts are but maybe you just don't have enough nutrients in you close enough to your workouts to get through them.
    Lastly, I eat a substantial meal two hours before. I work out in the evening so I eat my dinner.. something like chicken and veggies at like 4pm or so and workout at like 630pm or so and have my protein bar at 6.
    This has all helped me. I had the same problem and it was due to not eating enough and not at the right time.
    Hope this helps!
  • Tkb1331
    Tkb1331 Posts: 22 Member
    You know what you're absolutely right, I usually don't eat anything before I go to the gym, it's hard trying to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time! Thanks, that was a big help
  • Acrawford01
    Acrawford01 Posts: 29 Member
    No problem! For so long I wasn't eating anything and felt like poop at the gym. All the sudden, I changed my eating and hit my spinning class and rocked it! Amazing how that works!
  • Tkb1331
    Tkb1331 Posts: 22 Member
    I'll let you know how it goes
  • dillmilk
    dillmilk Posts: 88 Member
    1400 calories is very low. I would up calories to 1900 and since you're lifting weights also, I would only do cardio on off days.
  • jasonsunlee
    jasonsunlee Posts: 48 Member
    Yikes! 1400 calories a day is not enough if you do that much cardio and strength training. The fatigue is more than likely due to your body's need to recover. Try upping your intake for the next few weeks.

    With the amount of working out you do it should have minimal impact on your weight gain. Gains will likely be muscle mass slowly building.
  • jolive7
    jolive7 Posts: 283 Member
    1400 calories is not enough for the training you are doing. Experiement: up it to 2000 and see how your sessions improve! Consume carbs approx 1 hour before your session
  • Habiteer
    Habiteer Posts: 190 Member
    tbaker1331 wrote: »
    can't lift as much
    approx 1400 calories a day
    have another 10 to go

    Losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously usually doesn't happen... If you're doing cardio 6 times a week then yeah you're losing a lot of fat... but you're probably losing some muscle as well.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    tbaker1331 wrote: »
    I've been feeling fatigued lately at the gym, can't lift as much, I'm doing upper/lower 4 days a week, cardio 6 days a week. Am I just hitting some sort of wall, should I lessen the cardio? Caffeine? Any suggestions would help, I'm also eating approx 1400 calories a day, I'm 180lbs lost 10lbs so far have another 10 to go. Thanks for your input!

    that's your problem

    Eat to fuel your body, rest to allow your body time to repair
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    why on earth are you only eating 1400 cals?! :huh: :noway:
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
    In case you missed the previous 10 answers, you need to eat a lot more. I'm 5'11 180 and am losing fairly rapidly on 2000 calories/day with a similar routine.
    If you're only 10 lbs from your goal, there's absolutely no reason to restrict that much.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    Extreme weight loss, or
    Energy/gains.

    Pick one. You can't have them both.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Yeah echoing everyone... 1400 calories for a guy is extremely too low.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    well I can see you're answer is quite clear.

    1400 calories?

    I eat more than that as a grown adult woman.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Eat more, lessen the cardio.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    edited September 2016
    Instead of being focused on the just the number of calories, take a look at the types of foods you're eating to fuel your workouts. Eat to perform. Cardio, I always get a little jump start with a half a banana, an apple, maybe a little bit of black coffee... something to give me the energy I need without making me full. A good BCAA Energy drink will do the trick as well. Then eat your recovery food after (Protein/Carbs) don't really need the fats after cardio. Same with lifting. I lift heavy and have to go with protein and carbs before a session, but I also like to work out fasted so.. my pre workout for lifting is usually a shake with fruit/veggie carbs, protein and limited sugars. Then replace again with real food. Stick with nutrient dense foods. You can build and/or maintain muscle while losing fat, you just have to be super strict and meticulous with your nutrition plan. When I enter a cut cycle I go on a CRON plan (Calorie restrict optimal nutrition). In other words, I can eat very few calories but meet all of my nutritional needs as long as I'm eating all whole nutrient dense foods.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    cushman5279 wrote: »
    Instead of being focused on the just the number of calories, take a look at the types of foods you're eating to fuel your workouts. Eat to perform. Cardio, I always get a little jump start with a half a banana, an apple, maybe a little bit of black coffee... something to give me the energy I need without making me full. A good BCAA Energy drink will do the trick as well. Then eat your recovery food after (Protein/Carbs) don't really need the fats after cardio. Same with lifting. I lift heavy and have to go with protein and carbs before a session, but I also like to work out fasted so.. my pre workout for lifting is usually a shake with fruit/veggie carbs, protein and limited sugars. Then replace again with real food. Stick with nutrient dense foods. You can build and/or maintain muscle while losing fat, you just have to be super strict and meticulous with your nutrition plan. When I enter a cut cycle I go on a CRON plan (Calorie restrict optimal nutrition). In other words, I can eat very few calories but meet all of my nutritional needs as long as I'm eating all whole nutrient dense foods.

    the thing is eating less than is recommended, he is not getting the nutrients he needs,nor is he getting enough calories to fuel his workouts which is why he is having issues in the gym.. its not going to matter what foods he eats really if hes not eating enough to fuel his body/workouts. thats like you telling people that if they fill their cars up to a 1/4 of a tank with premium gas instead of the cheaper kind they will get more gas mileage. you still only have a 1/4 of a tank and you will run out eventually. sure the types will help with the cars"health" but otherwise its not going to last long.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    Honestly, you might need to eat a little bit more, or spread those calories out more evenly throughout the day to keep your energy up. I'm 4' 11" and 115 lbs. and at 1,400 I'm at a slight deficit (if I don't eat back exercise calories). Right now, my CI is set to 1,400 and I eat back all of, if not more of my exercise calories (hitting about 1,600 calories a day) for muscle gain. I strength train 5-6 days a week (let's be honest, usually 5) and do cardio 3 x a week. At one point when I was eating only 1,400 cals x day and doing cardio 5-6 days a week on top of lifting, I was exhausted. Mentally, physically, all the time. I was losing strength, not maintaining. That's as a very petite female. So I have no clue how your body could keep pushing through with that minimal amount of calories. It's a tricky thing, but you just have to find your "sweet spot" of CI vs. exercise. I'd suggest cutting down the cardio a little. Have a designated rest day. Eat a protein bar before going to the gym (and after) and drink BCAA's.
  • jolive7
    jolive7 Posts: 283 Member
    Drawoc wrote: »
    tbaker1331 wrote: »
    can't lift as much
    approx 1400 calories a day
    have another 10 to go

    Losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously usually doesn't happen... If you're doing cardio 6 times a week then yeah you're losing a lot of fat... but you're probably losing some muscle as well.

    This is so not true
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Why would you go straight from 1400 to 2200 calories? This is a recipe for disaster. Jump up 500 cals then taper up if you feel like you need to. Adding in an addition 5600 calories in a week will have a huge affect.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited September 2016
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    Why would you go straight from 1400 to 2200 calories? This is a recipe for disaster. Jump up 500 cals then taper up if you feel like you need to. Adding in an addition 5600 calories in a week will have a huge affect.

    It will settle after a few weeks though.

    OP he's kind of right ..do not panic about scale weight swings it's water and food in digestive tract..could easily get a 5-10lb upswing almost overnight ..but keep on doing what you do and after a few weeks, 4-6, you'll stabilise down again

    ...it's a psychological kicker and you may want to cycle up 100 a day for a week at a time until you hit your target (it will still give you scale fluctuations)
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »

    It will settle after a few weeks though.

    OP he's kind of right ..do not panic about scale weight swings it's water and food in digestive tract..could easily get a 5-10lb upswing almost overnight ..but keep on doing what you do and after a few weeks, 4-6, you'll stabilise down again

    ...it's a psychological kicker and you may want to cycle up 100 a day for a week at a time until you hit your target (it will still give you scale fluctuations)

    Unless he lost the 10lbs over a very short period of time it would seem that he is in a small deficit, such a big jump in calories might swing the other way. Obviously water weight will occur but I would stay go slow with the "reverse" diet for want of a better phrase.
  • mgalovic01
    mgalovic01 Posts: 388 Member
    I'd cut back on the caffeine too. Ideally, eliminating it altogether.
  • grob49
    grob49 Posts: 125 Member
    You are just about the same as I am I am 185lb started at 189. I workout 7 days a week with a HITT workout every 3rd day I am on a 1650 cal intake with as close to 166g of protein a day. Your intake can not support your calorie burn. The whole reason I joined My fitness was to track my calories and so far it has been working for me. If you still need a body before your workout popping some Amino's before your workout or a pre work drink.
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