I don't get the "Exercise High"

[#41]

I come out of the gym after work feeling miserable and exhausted every time I go.

Is there some way that you're supposed to structure a workout so that you don't end up worthless and tired for the rest of the day?

 

[kabatura]

How do you feel throughout the day?

 

[#41]

How do you feel throughout the day?

I usually feel pretty good -- a little fatigued at the end of a workday, but nothing that's too out of the ordinary.

When I get out of the gym, though, it's like I just hit a brick wall and need to crawl into bed for days.

I suppose I could get more sleep, but I just never seem like I have enough hours in the day as it is. I don't know how anyone manages to get more than 6 or so hours a day without getting behind on things.

 

[Warboss Alex]

I sleep 8-9 hours most days and have one fulltime job and one part time job and run my own house, it's all down to sensible time management.

as for feeling dead after the gym, what do you actually do in your workouts? hammering yourself into the ground is all well and good but only if it's productive.

 

[Throttle]

what are you doing in these workouts, how long do they last, what kind of nutrition are you getting before/during/after?

 

[#41]

I usually start with some cardio -- about 20-30 minutes of fairly high intensity on the exercise bike.

After that, I usually lift weights and do strength training for an additional 30 minutes. Some days I'll focus on upper body, other days I'll focus on lower body.

As for eating, I'm trying to lose weight (currently 6'10, 275), so I'm trying to eat less frequently and in smaller portions. I've done my best to cut out as many "empty calories" from my day -- I don't eat breakfast, I don't snack between meals, etc. Usually I'll do a light lunch, either a sandwich or sometimes just some fruit and a water or diet soda and then something for dinner after the workout. I usually take multivitamin supplements as well.

 

[Warboss Alex]

okay, you don't eat breakfast and eat very few calories and do an hour of intense training several times a week - and you expect to feel good? no wonder you're destroyed. you're doing way more harm than good right now.

you must eat more frequently, more calories, and seperate intense cardio from intense weight training.

5-6 meals a day INCLUDING BREAKFAST and concentrating on protein, fat, fruit and vegetables, with a few starchy carbs after your workout and MAYBE at breakfast as well - depends on your metabolism.

there's a lot of threads recently about fat loss, read the first few pages of this forum

 

[Throttle]

breakfast does not qualify as empty calories. even if you're eating the worst things imaginable for breakfast, you've got to get something at that hour.