I Have Hit The Training Wall

[Josie]

Hello,

Firstly excuse my naivety as I am not an experienced body builder. I am training hard however and I cannot get a relevant answer from another source.

I am not a huge woman but have lost 5 kilos in a month. I have been training at my local gym for 3 months and started Weight Watchers Online just over a month ago. Due to my weight loss and the training I do I have recently come off my blood pressure medication

My weekly schedule is this:
Monday RPM then Pump 3 hours later
Tuesday RPM
Wednesday Pump then maybe Step 3 hours later
Thursday Pump
Friday RPM
Saturday RPM and maybe Pump straight after but usually just RPM
Sunday Day Off

I have read a lot of negative comments about RPM not being a true cardio workout but it has given me great results. I wear a heart rate monitor and usually burn about 460-500 calories during a class.

My problem is I have started yawning and feeling too much effort to get out of bed to do the 6am classes. I get plenty of sleep am eating well, or so I thought. I have tried a sports drink or glucodin before and during a workout but neither seem to give me a lift. I have a banana about half an hour before gym.

I just need to get over this tired slump, I love working out and feeling healthier than I have ever been.
Having had 6 shoulder operations in total on both shoulders where they removed the ends of both my collar bones, I don't know that I will ever be as strong as I would like but this will not stop me from doing the most that I can.

One instructor has recommended I try Define8??? I have done some research and it sounds okay. I want to be able to take something as natural as possible due to my blood pressure history.
Any suggestions?

Thanks for reading.

Jo.

 

[jj80]

Sounds to me like you're a little caught up in the latest fitness fads, I may be wrong and I mean no offense by this.

I lost 55kg in 12 months by dieting and walking. I had 1 sugarfree red bull or a black coffee before a 8km walk each morning, about 4 to 5 mornings per week.

People used to comment on my weight loss at work, at one stage I'd get at least 3 people per day approaching me asking how I did it. I liked to reply 'I ate less'.

Caffeine + willpower will help you get out of bed and exercise. Absolutely destroying yourself with boxercise, interval training, pilates+swimming, muay thai, or whatever else personal trainers prescribe isn't really necessary.

Controlled portions + a brisk walk, with the odd set of pushups/pullups/basic bodyweight stuff will get you a good level of fitness. I don't think you need Definte8 (whatever that is). My $0.02

 

[Goosey]

What you wanting to take is a stimulant, it doesn't increase your energy or help you recover any better, and will just make you feel worse.

The simple and often not considered rule is; less is more.

I hope this isn't too simplistic and cryptic to most here, ffffuuuaaarrrkkk

 

[lex]

Good going on improving your health!!

The weight watchers diet plans won't suit the training you are doing.
Probably not enough food or not the right mix of nutrients.

Taking any iron supplements ?

 

[kaz]

I loved RPM and had great results for fatloss but only did it twice a week.
Maybe change to gentle exercise for a week to recover properly.
Multivitamins and bcaa's will also aid recovery.

 

[jj80]

Caffeine though I think is what you're after. It is the active ingredient in all fad drinks and the main thing that makes them work. It will still require will power to get out of bed, but taking a bit of coffee will definitely make the work out easier, especially if you do it on an empty stomach (like I used to).

If caffeine doesn't help it may be a health problem, or something causing stress in your life you need to get sorted.

 

[Josie]

Sounds to me like you're a little caught up in the latest fitness fads, I may be wrong and I mean no offense by this..

I appreciate your honesty Joe. I am not under the guidance of a Personal Trainer telling me what to do. I find being female they tend to give most of us the same weight training program so I have steered clear this time. I don't want a weight program that is exactly the same as the one they have just given to 50 other girls who are more worried about their makeup and tights than they are about getting results.

I have a small cup of coffee before RPM in addition to my banana. The glucodin, I thought, was a more natural way of giving me a boost for the ealy mornings. I also have 3 year old twins and a husband who I care for so a bit of extra energy is what I need, other than this I truly feel wonderful.

I do think I may be overdoing it but unfortuantely now if I miss I day I am overwhelmed with guilt. I am working on it.
Thanks again.

What you wanting to take is a stimulant, it doesn't increase your energy or help you recover any better, and will just make you feel worse.

The simple and often not considered rule is; less is more.

I hope this isn't too simplistic and cryptic to most here, ffffuuuaaarrrkkk

Hi Goosey,

Thank you !!!!! I too am thinking "less is more", and so does my instructor that I had this morning. I think because of everything that I need to prepare for at home, I enjoy the physical aspect of the gym.

Being naive/stupid when it comes to stimulants, I was unsure if this was the way to go, hence joining this forum. I know a lot of people use them with success and failure and was after honest opinions which you have given.
Thanks again.

Good going on improving your health!!

The weight watchers diet plans won't suit the training you are doing.
Probably not enough food or not the right mix of nutrients.

Taking any iron supplements ?

Hey Lex,
Thanks for the reply.

Weight Watchers is not the best but I needed something that made me accountable and was a bit clinical if that makes sense. I do not go to meetings, I do it all online. I have never been a dieter, me and food just love each other too much . This seems to be working though as I can still have my chocolate. Take that from me and I would snap!!

Not taking any supplements at all. I will be having my iron, liver and cholesterol checked again next week. The GP sees me every week to weigh me and check my blood pressure.

I do also get what are called absences, which is apparently a pre-cursor to epilepsy. I tend to go hazy for a few seconds, which makes for an interesting RPM session LOL.... It is quite controlled by meds at the moment, but whatever I put in my mouth has to be compatible.

Thanks again.

Caffeine though I think is what you're after. It is the active ingredient in all fad drinks and the main thing that makes them work. It will still require will power to get out of bed, but taking a bit of coffee will definitely make the work out easier, especially if you do it on an empty stomach (like I used to).

If caffeine doesn't help it may be a health problem, or something causing stress in your life you need to get sorted.

Hey Joe,

I have bucket loads of will power, that's not the problem. The problem is lethargy. The will is there but the yawning during RPM and Pump is driving me crazy.
I have a small coffee before I go but maybe I should have a long black with a double shot?
In your honest opinion is coffee more beneficial than Glucodin which is 100% glucose?
As I have said all the way through this thread, I am basically a virgin whn it comes to all this but I have come to this site because I know there is a wealth of knowledge and experience here that I can learn from.

Don't most people have some form of stress in their life? I certainly do, and if I didn't work out I probably would have eaten enough crap to sink the titanic

Thanks again Joe.

 

[lex]

I tried the weight watchers diets (work subsidised/subsidises them) but they were a bit to focused on bmi (body mass index) so for me the target was way to low at 77kg (and amount of calories) vs rmr - resting metabolic index and body composition which gives me an ideal weight of 95kg. eg Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding

Might want to check your food intake and types so you aren't getting sugar(glucose/insulin) shocks - i.e big swings in blood sugar levels

Caffeine or other stimulants can help on the mental side of things but you are better off avoiding them and sticking with whats working for you.

Try Kaz's suggestions

If you need bcaa's the bulknutrients.com.au guys are in Tasmania so you'd get pretty fast delivery

 

[dave]

Over exercising and under eating. You are obviously not recovering enough. 5kg in 4 weeks is relatively fast if you're not large. Tone down the exercise and go for some walks as suggested by Joe.

Don't do large stimulants dosages, they can get you through a tough time but should only be used rarely. A coffee is a better choice, just make sure you are not over doing it.

Also in regards to diet and sleep. How many carbs, fats and protein are you getting in and how much sleep each night.

 

[sookie]

Should i be considering rpm? What is it?

 

[BeeWS]

It's revolutions per minute - the group cycling classes where you burn up to 800 cals per session or something. Think they're about 45mins long, a friend of mine teaches. Most gyms with group classes offer it.

Hey Josie, Goodluck with it all!

Edit: Whoops OK maybe not "revs per minute"? Raw Power in Motion is another term I just heard... anyway you get the general idea - cycle/spin etc.

 

[Otto]

I'm a bit of a noob myself so take this with a pinch of salt.

I read you use a heart rate monitor, what heart rate % in relation to you max do you train at?

I know my max is 186, normally it would be 220bpm - my age, im 38 but I know my HR max is 186.

My fatmax is 148 BPM. When I run on a treadmill in the morning to warm up for resistance training I use my HRM and make sure I dont ever exceed 148 bpm or fat max. This ensures I only use fat stores for fuel and not fat and glycogen stored in my muscles that I later train with heavy weight (i like to think theyre heavy) With enough fat on my body to keep me running for a year, I will not get tired because I'm only using fat for fuel.

This works I know, before I learnt this I used to max out with 20 mins of running at good pace but with my heart rate in the 160's. If I want to now I can run for over an hour and still have energy. Provided I keep my heart rate below 148. Any yes I loose fat efficiently running like this.

 

[Josie]

I'm a bit of a noob myself so take this with a pinch of salt.

I read you use a heart rate monitor, what heart rate % in relation to you max do you train at?

I know my max is 186, normally it would be 220bpm - my age, im 38 but I know my HR max is 186.

My fatmax is 148 BPM. When I run on a treadmill in the morning to warm up for resistance training I use my HRM and make sure I dont ever exceed 148 bpm or fat max. This ensures I only use fat stores for fuel and not fat and glycogen stored in my muscles that I later train with heavy weight (i like to think theyre heavy) With enough fat on my body to keep me running for a year, I will not get tired because I'm only using fat for fuel.

This works I know, before I learnt this I used to max out with 20 mins of running at good pace but with my heart rate in the 160's. If I want to now I can run for over an hour and still have energy. Provided I keep my heart rate below 148. Any yes I loose fat efficiently running like this.

Hey Otto,

Thank you for replying. This might bore you to tears and bare in mind I am still learning . I use a Suunto HRM which tells me in the morning how many minutes I need to train for that day and if it should be 'very hard' or 'maximal'. It also tells me my max HR should be 179, which I have NEVER got to. During RPM my HR has been average at 139, 143, 145 but lately it has gone down to about 134. My maximum has been 161, 163, 159 etc. I honestly don't feel that I will get to 170. Is that bad? One of the instructors tells you not to be scared to push but I do get scared, mainly because my legs feel like there is nothing left.
It also tells you what % you have achieved during a workout. With RPM I always achieve over 100%. When I do Pump by itself it is usually about 42%. I can get my heart rate up when doing squats and lunges but still struggle with my arms because of all my shoulder surgerys'.

I am almost certain that I may be doing too much and perhaps not eating enough of something. I will have to try and work on this because Weight Watchers doesn't give you a fat, carbs etc quota but bases what you eat by a point system.

Thanks again.

 

[Josie]

It's revolutions per minute - the group cycling classes where you burn up to 800 cals per session or something. Think they're about 45mins long, a friend of mine teaches. Most gyms with group classes offer it.

Hey Josie, Goodluck with it all!

Edit: Whoops OK maybe not "revs per minute"? Raw Power in Motion is another term I just heard... anyway you get the general idea - cycle/spin etc.

Sh-t!!! 800 calories, I thought I was doing well at just under 500

Thank you for wishing me luck. I appreciate it.

 

[Bazza20]

I'm a bit of a noob myself so take this with a pinch of salt.

I read you use a heart rate monitor, what heart rate % in relation to you max do you train at?

I know my max is 186, normally it would be 220bpm - my age, im 38 but I know my HR max is 186.

My fatmax is 148 BPM. When I run on a treadmill in the morning to warm up for resistance training I use my HRM and make sure I dont ever exceed 148 bpm or fat max. This ensures I only use fat stores for fuel and not fat and glycogen stored in my muscles that I later train with heavy weight (i like to think theyre heavy) With enough fat on my body to keep me running for a year, I will not get tired because I'm only using fat for fuel.

This works I know, before I learnt this I used to max out with 20 mins of running at good pace but with my heart rate in the 160's. If I want to now I can run for over an hour and still have energy. Provided I keep my heart rate below 148. Any yes I loose fat efficiently running like this.

Fat burning zone is a waste of time.

 

[Josie]

Fat burning zone is a waste of time.

Thanks for your honest opinion.
Do you have any constructive suggestions for my thread?

 

[dave]

My fatmax is 148 BPM. When I run on a treadmill in the morning to warm up for resistance training I use my HRM and make sure I dont ever exceed 148 bpm or fat max. This ensures I only use fat stores for fuel and not fat and glycogen stored in my muscles that I later train with heavy weight (i like to think theyre heavy) With enough fat on my body to keep me running for a year, I will not get tired because I'm only using fat for fuel.

Sorry guys this is not correct. You can not use fat without carbohydrates being used as well and though you may use a greater percentage of fat during the run a lot of carbohydrates will be used as well. The final nail in the coffin for this theory is that when doing an exercise that is more intense (higher heart rate at the time) you will use more fat post exercise to replace fuel stores that you used during the exercise. There have been studies that show utilization of fuel stores is very similar over 24 hours when calorie expenditure is controlled for different intensities.

You burn more calories when going at the heart rate you suggested because you can exercise for a long time. If you used a higher intensity and controlled for energy expenditure you would find just as much fat loss (and some actual muscle retention or gain if using solely sprinting methods).

 

[Otto]

Hey Otto,

Thank you for replying. This might bore you to tears and bare in mind I am still learning . I use a Suunto HRM which tells me in the morning how many minutes I need to train for that day and if it should be 'very hard' or 'maximal'. It also tells me my max HR should be 179, which I have NEVER got to. During RPM my HR has been average at 139, 143, 145 but lately it has gone down to about 134. My maximum has been 161, 163, 159 etc. I honestly don't feel that I will get to 170. Is that bad? One of the instructors tells you not to be scared to push but I do get scared, mainly because my legs feel like there is nothing left.
It also tells you what % you have achieved during a workout. With RPM I always achieve over 100%. When I do Pump by itself it is usually about 42%. I can get my heart rate up when doing squats and lunges but still struggle with my arms because of all my shoulder surgerys'.

I am almost certain that I may be doing too much and perhaps not eating enough of something. I will have to try and work on this because Weight Watchers doesn't give you a fat, carbs etc quota but bases what you eat by a point system.

Thanks again.

Your Suunto is just using an old basis to determine HRMax, 220- Age. If your hr Max is 179 you must be 41. Ideally this is middle road in terms of you hearts performance. As you become fitter your max hr will meet and exceed this basis.

Please let me express the FACT that I am no PT nor expert, I'm just sharing a little about the way I cardio and my beliefs. Also be very careful with your Hr Max.

I like to run for cardio so to begin to work with HR I test myself, You allready know that you HR Max according to Suunto is 179, from this deduct your age, 179 - 41 = 138. This is where you stop aerobic activity and start anerobic activity, or make a subtle change from one to the other. Now walk or run for exactly 1.6 km or a mile and ensure your HR does not exceed 138bpm. If you can run the mile in seven minutes you've got a well-trained aerobic system. If your mile time was 13 minutes, your aerobic energy-system is poor. Like the previous poster states your body whilst working Aerobicly will use a combination of O2, Fat metablism and Glycogen, simmilar to Anerobic work but without the use of ATP and creatine Phosphate, with more glycogen and less fat being burnt.

The problem you have as I read it is that you are crashing. IMO because you are excercising in a manner that is more Anerobic that aerobic and burning up all your sugar and crashing.

I did'nt really read your OP as a question of why weight loss for yourself may have platteaued, in that respect I agree with the previous poster to a degree, but I see your question more regarding to energy levels overall. I can rip Kg's off very quickly by doing easy cardio, then following up with a full day at work. It's only when I resistance train that I hit the wall if I don't get carbs~glyc during or soon after.

Take this all with a pinch though, I'm just a noob.

 

[dave]

Please do not listen to Otto.

And I am a PT and an Exercise Scientist if that helps.

 

[walt]

anyone else notice this is in the supplement section

but what dave said.