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Getting in Shape

Weightlifting schedule issues

First of all, thanks to everyone who posted encouraging and helpful advice when I was starting weight training back in July and wanted to quit because it was so hard. I've continued with it about 1-2 times a week and his week, I've started doing squats with 45 pounds on my back--when I started I could barely make it through a set with 10 lbs!

Recently, I've been having some trouble sleeping and I think it might be partly due to the hour-long BodyPump class that I take at 6:45 Tuesday nights. The instructors are awesome, and it works great for having a few days to recover in between the BodyPump class I take Saturday morning. However, it's also about a 20-minute drive from my house and by the time I get home, shower, catch up with FI, and sit down to eat dinner, it's about 8:30, sometimes later. I can get to bed by 10:30, but even if I fall asleep right away I often wake up at 3AM and can't fall back asleep. Could it be the intensive evening exercise that's keeping me awake. And then the next morning and afternoon, I feel like crap. (Chugging coffee right now...)

I don't want to give up this class, and I know weightlifting is most effective if it's done a few times a week, but it's affecting my productivity the following day. If I do continue to go to the class, are there things I should be eating/not eating post workout that would help? I generally eat a mix of protein, carbs, and veggies but I generally just wolf everything down that FI's without paying much attention since I'm pretty ravenous when I get home...

Re: Weightlifting schedule issues

  • 6:45 is really late. You really need time to wind down for the night. Do a proper cool down of about 15 minutes to slow your heart rate down and get your body relaxed. Avoid electronics for the rest of the night. Have FI make dinner that night or do a crockpot meal in the morning, pre-make your lunch for the next day, or set out clothes for the next day....build in things that will save you time.

    You also need to make sure you're getting the right pre- and post-exercise snack. With intense exercise, you should really get a snack (100-200) calories within 1/2 hour of finishing. Skim chocolate milk is a great protein, carb, and little fat mix. Your body needs to repair the muscles. If you're ravenous, you're not get your internal furnace operating at the right "temperature".

    If you're calorie counting, make sure you don't have a huge deficit between the intake and outake (burning off) because that'll make you ravenous and lethargic. It'll also defeat the whole purpose of working out.
  • I would also say if you are having to drink coffee in the late after noon it may be kicking in way late. Try drink coffee earlier and stop drinking by like 3pm that might help.
  • Oh yeah, coffee :P I don't drink a ton of it, but I do sometimes drink it in the afternoon. I don't really pay attention to my night time/wind down routine either, and even though FI makes dinner sometimes I'm doing odds and ends around the house, watching TV, showering, or other things that keep me from eating soon after I work out like I should be. But I do like the idea of skim chocolate milk as a post-workout snack :) Come to think of it, I actually drink it a lot when I'm running all the time in the summer and it helps with recovery...
  • :) hope it's gotten better!
  • kirby400 said:
    :) hope it's gotten better!
    It did, actually, once I switched to the 4:00 class!
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