Burned out! What else to do?

M

melimcn

Cathlete
So I think I've hit a wall. I'm fried on working out and dreading it each day. I still force myself to do it, but I totally dread it until I'm done. I've taken a rest week, and that hasn't cut it. It think I need a different type of workout.

I have a lot of Cathe, and I usually do some form of cardio and weights. (Circuits, 4DS, STS, kickboxing, bootcamps, etc...I occasionally do TaeBo, too.) I feel like I vary it pretty well in terms of style, but I guess I need something new.
I feel like Cathe is top notch in terms of intensity, so I'm having trouble finding something that will still give me as good of a workout as Cathe does. I work hard to be fit and don't want to lose it. I've got some yoga, but I just don't feel like I've worked out at all after a yoga "workout". Very little sweat and heartrate increase.

Anyone have suggestions?
 
I don't have a single week where I do dvd's by only 1 instructor, variety is SO important to me to stay engaged and motivated.

But I will say for weights, I will only do Cathe or Kelly Coffee Meyers dvds. I have some others, but find I rarely do them.

For cardio, I do Cathe dvds, and I also really enjoy Turbo Fire from Chalene, the Peak 10 Cardio dvd from Michelle Dozois, Powerstrike dvds from Ilaria Montagnani, Circuit Burn and TLC from KCM, and I just did Amy Bento's kickbox surge this morning, I forgot how good (and tough) that dvd is.

In the list above TLC and Powerstrikes are the least intense, but highly enjoyable and I work up a pretty good sweat, just not gasping for air while doing so :D.
 
I wrote a response to another poster that seems remarkably applicable to your situation. You can read it in the current thread entitled "Fun Workout for when it is hard to work out."

I hope it helps. The key is to remove all sense of what you think you SHOULD do, and instead remember the word: FUN. Be a child for a while. Also, take more rest days to just recharge body and mind. It is your mind that needs the break.

Clare
 
Yoga is not a cardio workout, don't expect it to work 'the heart'. It works in other ways. Based on how burnt out you are, how about a different type of workout? Cycling, swimming, walking, hiking, even a rowing machine? How about some cardio coach? It can be nice to mix in some cardio coach with some yoga and one whole body workout/week. You can use the cardio coach with any type of cardio machine or hike/walk/run/swimming (with those water ipod thingies.) I think you should give the yoga a second chance. You can rent yoga dvds off of netflix. Shiva Rae is excellent and so is Rodney Yee. Yoga rejuvenates whereas most weight training workouts break down muscle (so that you build more).

I hope you find what you are looking for, do you think maybe you need a month, not just a week off?
 
Speaking from experience I can tell you I went through the very same thing last year. I started totally dreading my w/o's but pushed through anyway. One Monday morning I got up and started to work out but I just absolutely could not do it. I ended up with a severe case of overtraining syndrome.:( I took a week off then went back and pushed through again just to dig myself in deeper. To make a long, agonizing story short, I had to take off over a month to rejuvenate. If you're going through anything similar, please take off until you are rested and look forward to working out again. IMHO, it's just NOT worth it!
 
Thanks ladies!
I'm going to try a different instructor or two that you mentioned on here. I do have some Shiva Rae yoga, and I'm incorporating it more. I just don't want to make a heavy switch to it.
I walked on the treadill today, and felt GREAT, so I think that the change of exercise was a huge help. Went on to do the chest/back work from 4DS and was really charged.

I appreciate the help!
 
maybe a change of scenery? can you get outside & exercise? running/walking on trails can be more than just running/walking on trails. you can find a hill and do "hill-repeats" - cyclists do it on the road (or trails!) all the time and it will kick your butt! i take my dog for a walk or walk/run every day & our neighborhood trails have some nice hills. a lot of times I will run the hills & pretend it is a HIIT interval. pretty awesome. think about it, you have the knowledge. just go exploring! who says you can't do pushups or squat thrusts right there on the trail or in the grass in your backyard?
 
I do most of my workouts outside. I do live in the South and can workout year round. There is so much you can do outside with minimal equipment...jump rope, running, squats, walking lunges, etc. Even with equipment you can some really killer workouts with med balls, kettlebells and weights.

If possible, see if there is a boot camp class in your area. I got lots of ideas by going to a fitness boot camp. Then I went online and found tons of workouts through Crossfit and other sites. You will never get bored.
 
lainabaina said:
maybe a change of scenery? can you get outside & exercise? running/walking on trails can be more than just running/walking on trails. you can find a hill and do "hill-repeats" - cyclists do it on the road (or trails!) all the time and it will kick your butt! i take my dog for a walk or walk/run every day & our neighborhood trails have some nice hills. a lot of times I will run the hills & pretend it is a HIIT interval. pretty awesome. think about it, you have the knowledge. just go exploring! who says you can't do pushups or squat thrusts right there on the trail or in the grass in your backyard?
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This is what I was thinking. A bike is a wonderful thing. I'll ride the entire summer (I left out spring because it hasn't happened here yet) into the Fall and a couple of times during the week I will lift weights, but mostly I'll be outside now. It makes it good to come back and do dvd workouts later. Why not give it a try.
 
I have read of overtraining syndrome, or also depression related to the whole thing. It might be a good idea just to take off a week of working out totally. The world won't end and you won't lose that much fitness. Also, something I would probably do is pray through whatever it is to try to figure out what was going on with me., I only say this because I have been severely depressed before (not that you are depressed, I obviously don't know) and this was a huge help for me.

I wish you the best!
 
melimcn said:
Thanks ladies!
I'm going to try a different instructor or two that you mentioned on here. I do have some Shiva Rae yoga, and I'm incorporating it more. I just don't want to make a heavy switch to it. felt GREAT

I appreciate the help!
Click to expand...

I'm so glad you are trying some of the yoga. With those Shiva Rae discs often there is a way to use the 'yoga matrix' and design your own practice, it can be as little as 20 min. The cool thing is, it is not like weight training where you must keep it up to reap the benefits. If you do just some, sometimes that is a lot more beneficial than none. Today I only did 25 min. and I feel so much better. I guess what I'm trying to say is that yoga never has to be a big switch or big thing. Its like water, little sips is plenty.;)

Hugs! I hope things continue to get better.
 
Hi melimcn,

I've experienced what you've described several times throughout my years of working out. For me, workout burnout is either brought about by overtraining (I will admit that I do have a bit of OCD when it comes to exercise) or by needing to try something new. If it's the former, I simply rest until I feel the love and joy come back. I spend time finding new ways to motivate myself (strangely, fitness forums like this really help me stay motivated). I've sometimes taken a full month off because I've needed it mentally and physically. I always come back refreshed and ready for a new challenge. I do small, less structured activities during those times, and it's always been a good change (i.e. outdoor walking, take Bikram yoga for a few weeks, participate in martial arts, etc.).

If the issue is more of needing variety, I tend to either change venues (workout outdoors), get a month-to-month gym membership (workout out around others really helps me stay energized and having fun), or I like to take a live class or bootcamp for a few weeks to change things up. I really find that I get energized when I have the energy of others to feed off of.

I think it's pretty natural to experience burnout every once in a while. It sounds like you're committed enough not to let a well deserved or much needed rest period turn into a decision to never workout again.

Anyway, it sounds like there's really good advice being given in this thread. Hopefully some of it will work for you.
 
I went through this a couple months ago. I decided to do two things: start training for my first half marathon (next month) and try a totally different workout. Ended up getting Sylwia's Tonique and I really love it. She is soooooo different from Cathe. Cathe will always be #1 to me but it was just time to switch it up. And those dvds are HARD and compliment my running perfectly.
 
When I feel like this I like to do Ellen Barrett's Studio series. She always make me feel better--stretched, toned, relaxed and energized.
 
melimcn said:
So I think I've hit a wall. I'm fried on working out and dreading it each day. I still force myself to do it, but I totally dread it until I'm done. I've taken a rest week, and that hasn't cut it. It think I need a different type of workout.

I have a lot of Cathe, and I usually do some form of cardio and weights. (Circuits, 4DS, STS, kickboxing, bootcamps, etc...I occasionally do TaeBo, too.) I feel like I vary it pretty well in terms of style, but I guess I need something new.
I feel like Cathe is top notch in terms of intensity, so I'm having trouble finding something that will still give me as good of a workout as Cathe does. I work hard to be fit and don't want to lose it. I've got some yoga, but I just don't feel like I've worked out at all after a yoga "workout". Very little sweat and heartrate increase.
Anyone have suggestions?
Click to expand...

Not a bad thing IMO, it just means you need a change. Last year I just built a rest/recovery week into my rotations, for that reason. This year, oops, some 13-14 weeks in and I forgot, I can relate. It didn't help reading people go years & years without any days off, woo hoo.:(

Doubt you'll lose it, you're already actively seeking a solution. I've been pretty lucky finding what I need to do next and what that should lead to down the road. So if I don't have a specific idea for you, I think it's good you at least recognize that what you're currently doing isn't working, for whatever reason. jcm had a good idea, train for something new? and add a complement to it to fill out your workout schedule? That's what I'm doing now. (not the half, just forming a training plan and accessorizing with different workouts )....:)

I don't get yoga really.
 
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I went through the dread factor a couple months ago too. I did one month of bodyrock workouts. They are short and intense. Worked for me. Give that a try. Good luck.

Carmen.
 
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