feeling weak or not bee able to complet 12 reps

L

lulu68

Cathlete
Ok, so I have been lifting heavy for about 9 weeks now, for the past 3 weeks I've notice that I have been having a really hard time finishing off my reps. I'm wondering if this has anything to do with my diet or something else. Any imput would greatly be appreciated.

Monday-upper and lower body +cardio
Tuesday-Chest and Back +cardio
Wednesday-upper and lower +cardio
Thursday-chest and back +cardio
Friday- upper and lower body + cardio
Saturday- cardio

Lourdes
 
Not Cathe, but I have also experienced feeling weak. For me it was one of 2 things, I was not eating enough or I needed to take a few more days off. Your body may be saying to you I need a little rest. I hope that helps. Wish you the best!!!

Sarah
 
>Monday-upper and lower body +cardio
>Tuesday-Chest and Back +cardio
>Wednesday-upper and lower +cardio
>Thursday-chest and back +cardio
>Friday- upper and lower body + cardio
>Saturday- cardio

I can see why you would feel weak. Just from looking at this, it looks like you aren't giving upper body muscle groups enough time for recovery: doing Chest and Back two days a week, and upper body another two days a week (back-to-back with your chest/back day?).

Try something like this:
Day 1: chest and back
Day 2: cardio
Day 3: shoulders/arms and legs
Day 4: lower body and cardio
Day 5: chest and back
Day 6: cardio
Day 7: off

You could do several other types of rotations, but just watch for overdoing and not allowing for recovery.
 
I notice that too, after I really ramp it up with the workouts and forget to also increase my calorie/protein intake. Carbs usually aren't a problem for me b/c when I snack, it is usually on carbs of some sort, although I try to reach for healthy ones. A lot of people don't eat enough carbs either though - be sure you are getting enough fuel for your body, and also giving it a much deserved rest here and there - I would probably never just do nothing for a day, but a good walk (not a stroll, but a very brisk walk with lunges, squats, etc mixed in here and there to keep my heart rate up and remind my muscles that they are working) is peaceful and restful, but still keeps me active on days when my body is screaming at me to give it a break :) Also, don't forget to get your sleep ;-)
 
Hi Thank you all for your advice! Question, so I should only be doing shoulders, arms, and legs once? Also on day 4 you sugested lower body and cardio. When I put down lower body that meant leg workouts lunges, squats, dead lifts, pli squats, calf raises, and leg extensions. I do incorporate ab workouts 3 times a week. I see that you also sugested I do chest and back twice versus shoulder, biceps, only once. I'm sorry, I'm trying to understand how to make it work for me. Thanks!

Lourdes
 
Hi, thanks for your input. If you don't mind me asking what does your workout look like? Now, is working body parts once a week enough to give you disire results? I always thought that you should do body parts 3 times a week with at leat for sets to get muscle growth. I guese I was wrong?

Thanks
Lourdes
 
>Question, so I should only
>be doing shoulders, arms, and legs once? Also on day 4 you
>sugested lower body and cardio. When I put down lower body
>that meant leg workouts lunges, squats, dead lifts, pli
>squats, calf raises, and leg extensions. I do incorporate ab
>workouts 3 times a week. I see that you also sugested I do
>chest and back twice versus shoulder, biceps, only once.

Oops! You should do legs 2x/week, I just forgot it (actually, I made a boo boo, posting too quickly, days 3 and 4 should NOT both be lower body).

Arms and shoulders are actually worked as helping muscles when you work chest and back, so they could be worked only once a week. If you prefer to work them twice a week, I'd suggest a different split, something like this:
1 : chest/shoulders/triceps
2 : lower body
3: back/biceps
4 : cardio
5: upper body (all)
6 : lower body
7: cardio

put other cardio where you prefer.
(I'm trying to stick with a 7-day schedule, but there's no reason you have to do that. Your 'week' could go 8 or 9 days).

Though you might want to try a 1/2-body split, doing upper body one day, lower body the next, then cardio, then repeating.

If you're lifting heavy, then one day a week per body part might even be better (the more intensely you train a body part, the more rest is needed, and the more one usually splits the body into parts).
 
Hello, It's me again. I'm going to be purchasing all 3 off Cathy's Gym Style DVD'S. Would I be ok doing each DVD once per week. For intance on Monday I would do Gym style back, shoulders, and biceps, then on Tuesday legs, and Thursday Chest and triceps, along with cardio everyday. If you have a better way as to what days to add all 3 Gym Style workouts I would really appreciated. As you can see I'm a cardio junky, its going to be hard for me to decrease cardio, (do I have too?) Thanks again!

Lourdes
 
>I'm going to be purchasing all 3 off
>Cathy's Gym Style DVD'S. Would I be ok doing each DVD once
>per week. For intance on Monday I would do Gym style back,
>shoulders, and biceps, then on Tuesday legs, and Thursday
>Chest and triceps, along with cardio everyday.

That sounds fine.
As to whether you have to decrease cardio, it depends on your goals. Cardio can be counterproductive to gaining muscle mass, as cardio and muscle gaining end up competing for the calories you take in (many trainers suggest 30 minutes of more intense cardio rather than longer cardio bouts). Cardio also cuts into that all-important recovery needed when lifting heavy and going for best muscle gains.
 
To find what works for me was alot of trial and error. Some things you might want to ask yourself is, "Do I feel good after the workout or tired". "Am I getting the results I want". I personnel do each body part 2x a week. One of the workouts for a body part will be heavy and about 45-60 min. The 2nd workout per body part is 30 min. I eat clean and frequently. Plenty of protein and good carbs. Since I have been doing this I have more definition at 46 then I have ever had. I hope that helps. I also do cardio 4-5x a week for 45-60 min. Intense as I feel I can do that day. I wish you the best and kick some butt!!!!

Sarah
 
Another option seen in some of the rotations is one part per week and then a total body workout which is typically not as many exercises per part and/or lower weight. It keeps the muscles working but still give them a semi-rest.

Check out the rotations forum. There are Cathe's rotations and a few others who post some of their own.

Fitness Freak sometimes adds a generic breakdown, similar to the way kathryn posted, at the bottom of some of her rotations.

So many to choose from and sometimes takes time to see what will work for you in combo with your eating patterns as was mentioned above also.
 
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