pumped up for the gym or going through the motions

[lyndonlawrence]

all year I have been excited and fully pumped to hit the gym as much as I can. I have taken two weeks completely off and was scared I may have lost my zeal to get back and get after it. this week I went twice as I gear up for another run. today was a long day at work and when I got home I knew I needed to go today but sat and watched football til 11 pm. I motivated myself to at least try and had a pretty effective but low energy workout on my back muscles.
so question. Does this do me any good to go when tired and exhausted but it is a gym day and force myself to go? what do you do on low energy stressful days?

 

[Jizzmo]

when im cutting im always tired and mostly just going though the motions.

i cant push hard when on low calories, otherwise ill burn out and feel like sh*t with zero energy throughout the day.

when i keep it easy and dont go to failure while cutting i feel much better throughout the day. i keep volume low (60mins per workout max plus maybe some cardio) but can still train with high frequency (5 times a week).

i also feel like i lose weight much better with this approach.
when i push really hard while cutting and on low calories i stall out quickly. maybe cortisol rises too high, i dont know, but my cuts are much more productive when i take it easy.


on a bulking blast volume increases by about 30% initially and then progressively raises over time, as do drugs and food.
i go to failure on at least 50% of my sets when im bulking.
when im cutting - maybe 1-2 sets per workout.

its also a big mental aspect - when im bulking i know i have the energy to fu*k sh*t up at the gym and im pumped as HELL to hit new maximums or to destroy my muscles every time i hit the gym - its fucking fun when calories are sufficient!
when im cutting - i cant push myself or ill feel like sh*t, so i just go through the motions until my workout is over.

the only thing thats satisfying during a cut is looking in the mirror.

 

[ajdos]

Its been my experience over the years to have several types of scenarios when prepping for the gym.

I feel tired and think the workouts going to suck and its a fantastic workout despite that.

I feel tired and the workout does suck, which makes me consider needing more rest that week.

I feel great and pumped to train and the workout goes so so, or sucks ass for some inexplicable reason.


I feel great and I kick ass and get a great pump along the way.

 

[ALLEX]

Follow the plan as much as you can and don't overthink it.

 

[BigDM]

Oh yes, there have been days when I wasn't feeling it beforehand. But I usually push myself to get into the gym and give it a go. 80% of the time it turns into a great training session. Sometimes not so much, but it still pays off. Be consistent and get your ass to the gym. Small breaks along the way are certainly okay, but don't get lazy.

 

[mewalrus]

I usually find once you get going then you get going.

But if you wait till 11pm and your usually sleeping at 11pm well thats not realistic. Procrastination sucks don't know why I'm always doing it.

 

[AshopRep]

If I don't go early, I don't go.

 

[Skins]

Its been my experience over the years to have several types of scenarios when prepping for the gym.



I feel tired and think the workouts going to suck and its a fantastic workout despite that.



I feel tired and the workout does suck, which makes me consider needing more rest that week.



I feel great and pumped to train and the workout goes so so, or sucks ass for some inexplicable reason.





I feel great and I kick ass and get a great pump along the way.

... Both in bold, especially those two.

I find that ALL workouts start with my expectation of how I want to train that day, in respect to my energy/strength level as well as where my training should be this week (high reps/medium weight, lower reps/heavy, longer or short rest/pause, tempo variance, lagging parts, etc...)

On days when I'm dragging with low energy: I typically have the best workouts. I come in knowing that any effort above baseline strength/expectation is a payoff for that workout, deciding on slow intentional tempo with very controlled squeezing (instead of a more fluid pumping), aiming for maximum potential with the little energy/mood I have. I also will opt for heavier weights with less reps. Many times, I find with low energy I'm more susceptible to rotator cuff injuries or pulling a tendon on a smaller support muscle, so I will find 1 exercise in that nature and pound away with that.

In short, I focus more to squeeze the most potential from the time/energy I have.



---------


On the other end, when I'm stoked, I have to slow myself down. The zeal quickly overwhelms and in my past experience no clear focus was given to exacting measures. Resulting in a so-so experience.


However, when energy and focus are razor: fantastic. All points are hit and some lifts are better than last. Not necessarily heaviest.


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[Skins]

All that said, if it's a lack of sleep then skip the gym, eat well and hit the bed. Sleep is a form of nourishment. If your calories are behind you'll more likely shrink or just get behind in daily energy, which will carry over to the next day and so on.


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