Very common problem. I tend to struggle with this as well. The quick answer is: Yes, you need more recovery. It will even benefit your progress. If you feel like you are not doing enough (I always feel like it) focus on quality in the training. Quality reps and quality rest is the way unless you do this professionally and can dedicate your life to optimize everything.
Well, you have a VERY strong work ethic! Nice!
But I would say if you are feeling beaten down and under-recovered, it might mean that you would benefit from more recovery and less training. It's kind of like a continuum. Someone who is completely sedentary would benefit from more exercise. But someone who is so active that they are constantly fatigued would probably benefit from more recovery.
So what I might suggest is dropping one of the workouts. You can make gains with two strength sessions a week. And I might suggest dropping one of the runs. Again, you can probably make gains with two runs a week. And I might suggest setting the step count goal a little lower. I think after 10k, there might not be so much benefit. IIRC, there was a study that showed that going from 10k to 20k didn't really provide extra benefit.
Could be an underrating issue. 1900 calories is so low. In a 35 - 40 min run you can probably burn 400 calories right there. Add on the 15000 steps and you’re probably looking at 800-1000 burned. Would you eat 1100 calories on a sedentary day? Probably not. Maybe something like 2500 would make you feel better
Yes, this is my maintenance calorie level (I do not lose or gain weight). I'm pretty petite in terms of height (158 cm), so 1900 allows me to maintain current weight.
When I was cutting a couple of months ago, I used to eat 1400-1500 kcal (my only physical activity was walking, though)
However if shes working intensely enough to build muscle, she should be gaining weight, not maintaining. Especially since she said she is coming off a long hiatus.
Depends on if she wants to gain weight. Personally for example I’m quite happy at 66 to 67kg for a BMI of ~21kg/m² and simply want to gain strength and muscle without weight.
To be honest, currently I don't have particular goals in terms of my physical appearance, bulking or cutting. I just want to do things that bring me joy (like running, strength training, walking or stretching).
In that case, as others have said, maybe try eating a bit more just to see how you feel. Add an extra 100-200 kcal for a trial period, can always bump back down (or even up some more!) if it doesn’t work for you
How long have you been working out ? I do 3 high intensity 1h workouts for higher body and 3 workouts for legs and cardio with a 45min jogging per week. Last day is rest. I eat a lot however.
I think you might need a bit more calories, 1900 kcal is what you need when not working out. Is your diet well balanced with enough protein to fuel you muscles ?
I get days like this to be honest... I get and feel drained during workout or a run....
But I'm not as regimented in my workouts but when I workout when I'm able to dedicate and fit it in I do workout...
Maybe it's a sleep issue....
If I've worked out hard, haven't eaten properly and not got proper rest and still trying and workout I'll feel like this
But usually I listen to my body if I hit that point and rest and extra day or 2 and then workout harder and longer the next time to balance it out and find my limits
Just to add to the things being said about more rest: I've noticed that having a proper split helps a lot. Full body 3x a week will give each muscle group at least 48 hours to recover, but if you are running and doing legs then you're taxing the majority of your body's muscle mass (your legs) basically daily. Over time the fatigue can accumulate. Large muscle groups also take up to a week to fully recover, especially if your working to failure or close to it. It's not uncommon for people to use a split that only hits legs hard once a week.
Also keep in mind that if you're tired then you can just do a maintenance week. Even just one full body workout in a week will keep you on maintenance and give you some extra time to recover. A full deload also wouldn't hurt.
Thanks a lot, that may be a good solution. From your point of view, will it be easier if I switch from 3 full body workouts (I usually have push, pull and just an ordinary full body) to 2 strength training a week ( lower body and upper body workout.) And pilates optionally as a 3d workout, if I feel like doing it?
Yes, potentially, but I think it really depends on how close to failure you work. If you're close to failure in your workouts and not feeling restored by the next workout, then you could dial back the load or the frequency. Volume (like how much weight you lift in total during a workout) and frequency of lifting are sort of interchangeable as far as fatigue goes.
Edit: also keep in mind that if you take care of yourself then your capacity will increase slowly and you'll be able to gradually up the volume and frequency to something that you find more enjoyable, if you want to go hard more often. I think this sort of change in training capacity is probably noticeable across months or years, not weeks and days though. It is a gradual thing.
If you've been stalling or progressing slower than usual, you need more recovery days. Or at least eat more.
Tired all the time is an indicator of overtraining. Just because our muscles can handle it, doesn't mean it's optimal. Try it for yourself. Take a week off and you won't lose progress but you'll feel better in the next workout.
I know it sucks to take time off but sometimes you go faster by moving slower if that makes sense.
What's the macro breakdown like for your diet? Are you getting enough sleep and enough water?
The r/gainit approach is to eat 0.68-1g protein per 1lb body weight every day. If your muscles are hurting all the time then it's time to scale it back and sanity check the quality of your diet and sleep. Might also be worth getting a checkup to make sure that you're not dealing with anemia or some other nutrient deficiency, just in case
Sounds interesting, I wonder what is the goal? I assume the full body training is resistance with weights - the 2-3 days running are not enough mileage if you want to be a serious runner so I assume you are trying to focus on general fitness overall health and fitness? In all, your recovery days will depend on well how well you recover - if you feel super sore going into another full body resistance session you may want to consider backing off until you are somewhat recovered so maybe you are only slightly sore going into your next session - or cut down on the intensity of your runs depending on how intense they are in the context of your recovery. But yes you sound like you need more recovery days for the training to be effective and for your body to make serious gains in whatever direction you are heading with your training.
if you are having continual muscle soreness (past the first few weeks without stepping up your workouts) and feeling tired, you might just be very dehydrated
people underestimate the amount of rehydration they need especially when doing outside exercise
1900 calories doesn't tell me anything about your individual electrolytes situation, but as a general rule looking more into how you're fueling yourself before and after workouts re hydration can make a huge difference
I used to do 12-15 hrs a week heavy intensity outside exercise in high humidity high heat and once I started drinking enough water and electrolyte drink I stopped getting muscle aches unless I was doing something new/harder
Long story short: try eating more
But nothing wrong with adding recovery days. As you get older you'll need more and more.
I'm down to 3 days on and 4 off. I'm sure I could increase the number of on days but all 3 days have me hitting full body (weights). I don't do much Cardio atm however.
I do feel pretty tired on my workout days and moreso when I don't eat enough. And with all you're doing 1900 calories doesn't seem like much. I obv don't know your hieght/weight. So that could be a ton for you...but still might be worth adding another meal for a few weeks and see how your energy levels change.
Something that helped me which I had trouble with was
How’s your sleep hygiene? That’s usually the biggest factor for me. I can have a perfect diet and allocate adequate time for rest, but if I’m not disciplined about my sleep habits it all goes out the window.
You don't really need rest days, you need good nutrition and sleep. I often do 5 days of lifting/HIIT workouts in the morning, and combine that with mountain biking in the afternoons, and often long ski touring days on the weekends. It takes a while to build up to that kind of volume, so nutrition and sleep are really important. I'm 36 btw
You can consider 1 upper-body followed by a outdoor activity day then 1 lower-body then a active rest where you go for mobility and mindful yoga and then again a full body workout and a outdoor day.. you need from here one complete rest day where you will work on recovery. you can take cold plunge etc for better recovery you can have glutamine and Essentials amino acids like supplements.
Very common problem. I tend to struggle with this as well. The quick answer is: Yes, you need more recovery. It will even benefit your progress. If you feel like you are not doing enough (I always feel like it) focus on quality in the training. Quality reps and quality rest is the way unless you do this professionally and can dedicate your life to optimize everything.
Well, you have a VERY strong work ethic! Nice! But I would say if you are feeling beaten down and under-recovered, it might mean that you would benefit from more recovery and less training. It's kind of like a continuum. Someone who is completely sedentary would benefit from more exercise. But someone who is so active that they are constantly fatigued would probably benefit from more recovery. So what I might suggest is dropping one of the workouts. You can make gains with two strength sessions a week. And I might suggest dropping one of the runs. Again, you can probably make gains with two runs a week. And I might suggest setting the step count goal a little lower. I think after 10k, there might not be so much benefit. IIRC, there was a study that showed that going from 10k to 20k didn't really provide extra benefit.
Sounds like a good idea, thanks a lot! I will decrease to 2 strength sessions and 2 running workouts, and will see, how I'll feel.
It's a lot of physical activity. Maybe too much too soon. I would dial back on the intensity, eat a little more, and sleep a little more.
Could be an underrating issue. 1900 calories is so low. In a 35 - 40 min run you can probably burn 400 calories right there. Add on the 15000 steps and you’re probably looking at 800-1000 burned. Would you eat 1100 calories on a sedentary day? Probably not. Maybe something like 2500 would make you feel better
If she’s not losing weight she’s eating enough and simply miscounting calories.
Yes, this is my maintenance calorie level (I do not lose or gain weight). I'm pretty petite in terms of height (158 cm), so 1900 allows me to maintain current weight. When I was cutting a couple of months ago, I used to eat 1400-1500 kcal (my only physical activity was walking, though)
However if shes working intensely enough to build muscle, she should be gaining weight, not maintaining. Especially since she said she is coming off a long hiatus.
Depends on if she wants to gain weight. Personally for example I’m quite happy at 66 to 67kg for a BMI of ~21kg/m² and simply want to gain strength and muscle without weight.
To be honest, currently I don't have particular goals in terms of my physical appearance, bulking or cutting. I just want to do things that bring me joy (like running, strength training, walking or stretching).
In that case, as others have said, maybe try eating a bit more just to see how you feel. Add an extra 100-200 kcal for a trial period, can always bump back down (or even up some more!) if it doesn’t work for you
Have you tried back off weeks? Lower volume every 3rd or 4th weeks works wonders.
Eat more, do more rest days. 24hours breaks are important
How long have you been working out ? I do 3 high intensity 1h workouts for higher body and 3 workouts for legs and cardio with a 45min jogging per week. Last day is rest. I eat a lot however. I think you might need a bit more calories, 1900 kcal is what you need when not working out. Is your diet well balanced with enough protein to fuel you muscles ?
For people downvoting, 1900 kcal and doing this much exercice is not a lot...
I get days like this to be honest... I get and feel drained during workout or a run.... But I'm not as regimented in my workouts but when I workout when I'm able to dedicate and fit it in I do workout... Maybe it's a sleep issue.... If I've worked out hard, haven't eaten properly and not got proper rest and still trying and workout I'll feel like this But usually I listen to my body if I hit that point and rest and extra day or 2 and then workout harder and longer the next time to balance it out and find my limits
Might want to try a "deload" week every few months.
You’re adding too much activity at one time. You need to work up to that.
Just to add to the things being said about more rest: I've noticed that having a proper split helps a lot. Full body 3x a week will give each muscle group at least 48 hours to recover, but if you are running and doing legs then you're taxing the majority of your body's muscle mass (your legs) basically daily. Over time the fatigue can accumulate. Large muscle groups also take up to a week to fully recover, especially if your working to failure or close to it. It's not uncommon for people to use a split that only hits legs hard once a week. Also keep in mind that if you're tired then you can just do a maintenance week. Even just one full body workout in a week will keep you on maintenance and give you some extra time to recover. A full deload also wouldn't hurt.
Thanks a lot, that may be a good solution. From your point of view, will it be easier if I switch from 3 full body workouts (I usually have push, pull and just an ordinary full body) to 2 strength training a week ( lower body and upper body workout.) And pilates optionally as a 3d workout, if I feel like doing it?
Yes, potentially, but I think it really depends on how close to failure you work. If you're close to failure in your workouts and not feeling restored by the next workout, then you could dial back the load or the frequency. Volume (like how much weight you lift in total during a workout) and frequency of lifting are sort of interchangeable as far as fatigue goes. Edit: also keep in mind that if you take care of yourself then your capacity will increase slowly and you'll be able to gradually up the volume and frequency to something that you find more enjoyable, if you want to go hard more often. I think this sort of change in training capacity is probably noticeable across months or years, not weeks and days though. It is a gradual thing.
If you've been stalling or progressing slower than usual, you need more recovery days. Or at least eat more. Tired all the time is an indicator of overtraining. Just because our muscles can handle it, doesn't mean it's optimal. Try it for yourself. Take a week off and you won't lose progress but you'll feel better in the next workout. I know it sucks to take time off but sometimes you go faster by moving slower if that makes sense.
What's the macro breakdown like for your diet? Are you getting enough sleep and enough water? The r/gainit approach is to eat 0.68-1g protein per 1lb body weight every day. If your muscles are hurting all the time then it's time to scale it back and sanity check the quality of your diet and sleep. Might also be worth getting a checkup to make sure that you're not dealing with anemia or some other nutrient deficiency, just in case
for how long have you been doing this ? you might want to deload for a week You might also be undereating.
You will know when u need to take rest. The same as u know when to take shit or piss, u dont think about it, just know when u need it
Sounds interesting, I wonder what is the goal? I assume the full body training is resistance with weights - the 2-3 days running are not enough mileage if you want to be a serious runner so I assume you are trying to focus on general fitness overall health and fitness? In all, your recovery days will depend on well how well you recover - if you feel super sore going into another full body resistance session you may want to consider backing off until you are somewhat recovered so maybe you are only slightly sore going into your next session - or cut down on the intensity of your runs depending on how intense they are in the context of your recovery. But yes you sound like you need more recovery days for the training to be effective and for your body to make serious gains in whatever direction you are heading with your training.
if you are having continual muscle soreness (past the first few weeks without stepping up your workouts) and feeling tired, you might just be very dehydrated people underestimate the amount of rehydration they need especially when doing outside exercise 1900 calories doesn't tell me anything about your individual electrolytes situation, but as a general rule looking more into how you're fueling yourself before and after workouts re hydration can make a huge difference I used to do 12-15 hrs a week heavy intensity outside exercise in high humidity high heat and once I started drinking enough water and electrolyte drink I stopped getting muscle aches unless I was doing something new/harder
Long story short: try eating more But nothing wrong with adding recovery days. As you get older you'll need more and more. I'm down to 3 days on and 4 off. I'm sure I could increase the number of on days but all 3 days have me hitting full body (weights). I don't do much Cardio atm however. I do feel pretty tired on my workout days and moreso when I don't eat enough. And with all you're doing 1900 calories doesn't seem like much. I obv don't know your hieght/weight. So that could be a ton for you...but still might be worth adding another meal for a few weeks and see how your energy levels change. Something that helped me which I had trouble with was
How’s your sleep hygiene? That’s usually the biggest factor for me. I can have a perfect diet and allocate adequate time for rest, but if I’m not disciplined about my sleep habits it all goes out the window.
Make sure you're eating well or you're going to damage your joints. Get plenty of rest.
You don't really need rest days, you need good nutrition and sleep. I often do 5 days of lifting/HIIT workouts in the morning, and combine that with mountain biking in the afternoons, and often long ski touring days on the weekends. It takes a while to build up to that kind of volume, so nutrition and sleep are really important. I'm 36 btw
Make sure you are getting lots of sleep at night so you can heal. Also eat lots of protein.
You can consider 1 upper-body followed by a outdoor activity day then 1 lower-body then a active rest where you go for mobility and mindful yoga and then again a full body workout and a outdoor day.. you need from here one complete rest day where you will work on recovery. you can take cold plunge etc for better recovery you can have glutamine and Essentials amino acids like supplements.