Why Is My Body Getting Weaker and Failing Me???
sunscoutie
Posts: 34 Member
I've been weight lifting at the gym for almost 5 months. I do small group personal training 2-3x a week. It's an hour each session and consists mostly of higher weights/lower reps (hypersets). We usually end with some sort of intense cardio drill. I love it. But it has been hard to figure out what to do in order to have enough "energy" to get through the workouts successfully. They are tough!
Some days I'm great, other days I've had to leave mid-way through because I almost passed out. Recently, I've been failing half-way through the workout, and then it takes me 2 days to regain my energy. I start feeling almost flu-like. Muscle chills, light-headed, lack of energy, etc. It's gotten to the point I'm nervous to go to the gym.
I went to the dr last week and they ran a ton of labs and everything came back within normal ranges. He said it could be low blood sugar and low water intake. I do have a hard time getting enough protein in and some days my water isn't the best. Is that really enough to through me off so badly? I mean, this is a terrible terrible feeling.
Has anyone dealt with something similar? What did you do to push through and overcome it? I signed up for a year of this personal training and it is expensive. I need to be able to get my moneys worth without feeling so terrible all the time! I'm wondering if my body just cannot handle the heavy weight workouts???
edit:
I'm 37, 5' 3.5" tall, 166lbs
I get 7 hours of sleep a night
I eat 1900-2200 calories a day (trying to stay at or below 1900 & get more protein)
I also walk 2x a week, ride horses 2x a week, barn chores throughout week
I have a desk job with a standup desk I utilize
Some days I'm great, other days I've had to leave mid-way through because I almost passed out. Recently, I've been failing half-way through the workout, and then it takes me 2 days to regain my energy. I start feeling almost flu-like. Muscle chills, light-headed, lack of energy, etc. It's gotten to the point I'm nervous to go to the gym.
I went to the dr last week and they ran a ton of labs and everything came back within normal ranges. He said it could be low blood sugar and low water intake. I do have a hard time getting enough protein in and some days my water isn't the best. Is that really enough to through me off so badly? I mean, this is a terrible terrible feeling.
Has anyone dealt with something similar? What did you do to push through and overcome it? I signed up for a year of this personal training and it is expensive. I need to be able to get my moneys worth without feeling so terrible all the time! I'm wondering if my body just cannot handle the heavy weight workouts???
edit:
I'm 37, 5' 3.5" tall, 166lbs
I get 7 hours of sleep a night
I eat 1900-2200 calories a day (trying to stay at or below 1900 & get more protein)
I also walk 2x a week, ride horses 2x a week, barn chores throughout week
I have a desk job with a standup desk I utilize
2
Replies
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What does your calorie intake look like? Are you under-eating? Also, are you getting sufficient sleep? When my nutrition and/or sleep are suffering, my performance in the gym drops like a rock. Also, I don’t know what your diet looks like, but don’t underestimate the value of carbs before your workout.2
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How many calories are you eating a day? Without further information, my first guess would be that you aren't eating enough calories, which is leaving you with not enough energy to make it through the workouts.
If you are properly fueling yourself, you also might just be pushing yourself beyond your current fitness level. Are there different things you do on the days you get tired vs. on the days you don't? Talk with the trainer about certain modifications you can make to the exercise to match your current fitness level.3 -
Are you not eating enough leading up to the exercise?
Are you on low carb?
Are you eating back the calories you burn from exercise?
how many cals do you eat? and what size deficit does that represent?
If you are getting enough fuel (calories, carbs, and proper timing leading up to an intense workout) it might come down to recovery... take more time between attending these sessions.2 -
I agree with EmbeeKay. Calories can have a large impact. Prersonally I found that 30% protein, 50% carbs and 20% fat works for me. Defenitely not a fan of Keto.Also my water intake generally exceed 10 cups of water not counting the 2 morning coffees and afternoon green tea. I do a 4 day upper/lower body split and generally get in a 5 mile power walk daily. I am quite a bit older at 69 (today) so that may make up some of the differences but I definitely notice when I don't get enough water. goos Luck0
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I added an edit to my original post with my stats & answers to the sleep/calories questions...0
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Is your calorie goal net or gross?0
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sometimes low iron levels can cause fatigue. i don't believe they check those numbers unless they run a cbc on you.4
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Over the past 5 months have you been eating and exercising consistently?
Excluding the last month have you been losing weight? Maintaining? Gaining? How much?
Same question for last month or since you started noticing lack of energy.0 -
sunscoutie wrote: »I added an edit to my original post with my stats & answers to the sleep/calories questions...
1900-2200 calories should be enough to get you though, depending on the timing of your intake. may want to eat carbs a couple of hours before one of these sessions. If you already do that, recovery is probably the issue, more rest or time between sessions may be in order1 -
It's hard to say. If you do 2200 calories on the days you exercise, it doesn't appear that you are terribly low. Although you are extremely active, so its hard to get an exact TDEE for you. You may want to try another 200-300 calories on those days.
But it may just be that you have too much exercise. Stand up desk, barn chores, walking, riding horses, plus the gym etc. Your body needs to rest and recover. You may be pushing yourself beyond your limits.8 -
It's hard to say. If you do 2200 calories on the days you exercise, it doesn't appear that you are terribly low. Although you are extremely active, so its hard to get an exact TDEE for you. You may want to try another 200-300 calories on those days.
But it may just be that you have too much exercise. Stand up desk, barn chores, walking, riding horses, plus the gym etc. Your body needs to rest and recover. You may be pushing yourself beyond your limits.
I just don't feel like I'm really over doing it. I do the lifting Tue/Thu/Sat, I walk Mon/Fri at work on lunch, I stand periodically at my desk (not actually moving around), and the riding & barn chores I've always done. I just feel like I spread it all out well enough.....but maybe you are right? I would hate to think I can't do all of this stuff. I enjoy it.
Plus, I'm really short and eating 2200 calories is a new norm for me. I was eating a lot less before I started lifting! I just feel like the lifting is throwing me overboard.0 -
sunscoutie wrote: »I added an edit to my original post with my stats & answers to the sleep/calories questions...
1900-2200 calories should be enough to get you though, depending on the timing of your intake. may want to eat carbs a couple of hours before one of these sessions. If you already do that, recovery is probably the issue, more rest or time between sessions may be in order
I do the lifting Tue/Thu/Sat. I felt like I was putting enough time in between. And those are a LOT of calories. My trainer told me to start eating like that in February. I was doing fine until a few weeks ago. I just don't understand how I can eat so much and still fail so bad.1 -
bobchicoria wrote: »I agree with EmbeeKay. Calories can have a large impact. Prersonally I found that 30% protein, 50% carbs and 20% fat works for me. Defenitely not a fan of Keto.Also my water intake generally exceed 10 cups of water not counting the 2 morning coffees and afternoon green tea. I do a 4 day upper/lower body split and generally get in a 5 mile power walk daily. I am quite a bit older at 69 (today) so that may make up some of the differences but I definitely notice when I don't get enough water. goos Luck
See...you do a LOT more than me! I am starting to feel like this is becoming a handicap.1 -
sunscoutie wrote: »sunscoutie wrote: »I added an edit to my original post with my stats & answers to the sleep/calories questions...
1900-2200 calories should be enough to get you though, depending on the timing of your intake. may want to eat carbs a couple of hours before one of these sessions. If you already do that, recovery is probably the issue, more rest or time between sessions may be in order
I do the lifting Tue/Thu/Sat. I felt like I was putting enough time in between. And those are a LOT of calories. My trainer told me to start eating like that in February. I was doing fine until a few weeks ago.
How many carbs are you getting?
How much weight have you lost since Feb?1 -
What do you eat right before your workout (within half an hour of starting exercise)? Before I run, I eat an ounce of lox, and drink a glass of V8 to get protein / sodium / carbs. I find this helps me have sufficient energy for my exercise; I also have high arches so the sodium intake helps me not get cramps in my feet.0
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TavistockToad wrote: »sunscoutie wrote: »sunscoutie wrote: »I added an edit to my original post with my stats & answers to the sleep/calories questions...
1900-2200 calories should be enough to get you though, depending on the timing of your intake. may want to eat carbs a couple of hours before one of these sessions. If you already do that, recovery is probably the issue, more rest or time between sessions may be in order
I do the lifting Tue/Thu/Sat. I felt like I was putting enough time in between. And those are a LOT of calories. My trainer told me to start eating like that in February. I was doing fine until a few weeks ago.
How many carbs are you getting?
How much weight have you lost since Feb?
carbs: about 200 most days
I did lose 2lbs since feb but gained it back last week when I was so weak (tried to eat a ton to feel better)0 -
SeattleBebop1 wrote: »What do you eat right before your workout (within half an hour of starting exercise)? Before I run, I eat an ounce of lox, and drink a glass of V8 to get protein / sodium / carbs. I find this helps me have sufficient energy for my exercise; I also have high arches so the sodium intake helps me not get cramps in my feet.
I try not to eat anything within an hour of these workouts because they are so strenuous. I don't want to puke! I don't really monitor this much...I eat whatever is around when I get home from work and then my workout is at 6pm.0 -
sunscoutie wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »sunscoutie wrote: »sunscoutie wrote: »I added an edit to my original post with my stats & answers to the sleep/calories questions...
1900-2200 calories should be enough to get you though, depending on the timing of your intake. may want to eat carbs a couple of hours before one of these sessions. If you already do that, recovery is probably the issue, more rest or time between sessions may be in order
I do the lifting Tue/Thu/Sat. I felt like I was putting enough time in between. And those are a LOT of calories. My trainer told me to start eating like that in February. I was doing fine until a few weeks ago.
How many carbs are you getting?
How much weight have you lost since Feb?
carbs: about 200 most days
I did lose 2lbs since feb but gained it back last week when I was so weak (tried to eat a ton to feel better)
I'd see a doctor about possible anaemia if I was you4 -
You get decent sleep, but I would try to up it to 8-10hrs if you can to see if that helps. Sleep is the #1 factor in my performance. Also, is there anyway you can move your Tuesday lifting session to Mondays? I like to have at least 72hr recovery, so I like to do Lower Body M, Th and Upper Body T, F.
Also - have you done a deload/rest week at all since you started? It might be time for one.2 -
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sunscoutie wrote: »sunscoutie wrote: »I added an edit to my original post with my stats & answers to the sleep/calories questions...
1900-2200 calories should be enough to get you though, depending on the timing of your intake. may want to eat carbs a couple of hours before one of these sessions. If you already do that, recovery is probably the issue, more rest or time between sessions may be in order
I do the lifting Tue/Thu/Sat. I felt like I was putting enough time in between. And those are a LOT of calories. My trainer told me to start eating like that in February. I was doing fine until a few weeks ago. I just don't understand how I can eat so much and still fail so bad.
What does your trainer say? I know he's not a doctor but one of his trainees working till sickness should concern him. Is he noticing specific patterns in things you do at class that could be causing it? Certain exercises or movements?
I would talk to him about modifications. Any good trainer should have modifications available for every exercise that make it easier to do at lower fitness levels.1 -
He asks if I have been drinking enough water and getting enough protein. I don't get as much as he says I should. Last time, he told me to start taking amino acids.
I am going tonight and will talk to him about workout intensity.
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Do you have any other recent stresses going on in your life? Such as mental or emotional? That can take a toll on your body as well. I have started to keep a log of my workouts and I have noticed that when it's close to my "time of the month" I tend to feel weaker and my lifts are not as strong due to hormonal changes.0
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What do you mean by "hypersets" and what kind of rest periods is he incorporating into your heavy lifting? Typically when the intensity (weight on the bar = intensity) is highest longer rests are mandated between sets. I know a lot of personal trainers who are time crunched (1 hour is a pretty short workout for a strength based lifting routine especially if part of that hour is cardio) and they try to do too much. They shorten or even eliminate rest periods, incorporate super sets/giants/compounds when they aren't needed and push too much into this condensed time period. I see this at my gym and I've experienced it myself. This on top of maybe not getting enough calories to fuel this type of training and too short of a recovery period for the amount of work being done could definitely lead to exhaustion and possibly symptoms of overtraining... also, are you doing an actual routine? I've seen a lot of trainers constantly change the exercises every session. This leads to a lot of DOMs and the illusion that progress is being made. They don't track weight on the bar and they don't track progression - just change everything every time. Clients feel the DOMs and think - must have been a great workout!10
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Why not ask the teacher what he or she recommends you eat before? Or ask the other students what works for them.3
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Do you have any other recent stresses going on in your life? Such as mental or emotional? That can take a toll on your body as well. I have started to keep a log of my workouts and I have noticed that when it's close to my "time of the month" I tend to feel weaker and my lifts are not as strong due to hormonal changes.
No other stess, no. Last week was my worse week yet, and it was the week leading up to my "time of the month". Could be part of it!0 -
jseams1234 wrote: »What do you mean by "hypersets" and what kind of rest periods is he incorporating into your heavy lifting? Typically when the intensity (weight on the bar = intensity) is highest longer rests are mandated between sets. I know a lot of personal trainers who are time crunched (1 hour is a pretty short workout for a strength based lifting routine especially if part of that hour is cardio) and they try to do too much. They shorten or even eliminate rest periods, incorporate super sets/giants/compounds when they aren't needed and push too much into this condensed time period. I see this at my gym and I've experienced it myself. This on top of maybe not getting enough calories to fuel this type of training and too short of a recovery period for the amount of work being done could definitely lead to exhaustion and possibly symptoms of overtraining... also, are you doing an actual routine? I've seen a lot of trainers constantly change the exercises every session. This leads to a lot of DOMs and the illusion that progress is being made. They don't track weight on the bar and they don't track progression - just change everything every time. Clients feel the DOMs and think - must have been a great workout!
I meant "supersets"....haha.
I think you are correct. We do not get a whole lot of rest as we do back to back exercises. Then we get a rest when we are being shown the next set of exercises. We do NOT do a routine. It is different each time I go. It is similar exercises but the whole workout will be mixed up.
Now I"m feeling worried about this....I'm paying a LOT of money for these workouts. I am starting to feel like I would be better off with a basic membership and do my own workouts. Except...I signed a year contract
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It sounds an awful lot like Crossfit. People over pushing themselves at Crossfit have been known to get Rhabdo.
Common early symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include:
muscle pain, often extremely painful aching and throbbing
muscle weakness
muscle swelling or inflammation
dark-, cola-, or tea-colored urine
general exhaustion or fatigue
irregular heartbeat
dizziness, light-headed, or feeling faint
confusion or disorientation
nausea or vomiting
Now severe rhabdo requires medical treatment, but perhaps you were starting to show early signs?6 -
Hello Sunscoutie, I am taking a stab in the proverbial dark here, but do to the fact that your blood work returned normal results, I would have to say that you might not be getting enough nutrients on the days you do your intense workouts. The issue with predicting one solution to your energy issue is that we would have to know what was your food intake looking like prior to your weakness starting. The 2 or so week delay between your nutrition changes and your weakness manifesting could be related to your fat stores, sounds like you have depleted them. Plus now that you are lifting you have probably experienced a gain in lean muscle which you would not necessarily notice on the scales. The addition of lean muscle does require additional nutrients to fuel it. As you can imagine it requires more food to fuel higher levels of lean muscle. If you have never lifted before, that would cause you to feel like you have never eaten as much before. If you are concerned with retaining water you can add lean protein to your diet, things like fish.
All that to say, or echo what another post mentioned. I would up your overall calorie intake on your heavy workout days.
I would do it gradually and to avoid having to stuff the food an hour or two prior to the work out, I would take in the extra calories earlier in the day when you are more sedentary. It will help build up your glycogen stores that will power you through your workouts.2 -
I hope you figure this out soon..It's no fun not feeling well when you think you are doing all the right things. What does your trainer think? and from what your doctor said, has the doctor ran more tests to get you answers you are looking for?? Good luck!0
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