Weaker after taking weekend off?

[Cogent Design]

I started a workout routine for myself a few weeks ago and its been good up until today. I have been working out Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, taking Wednesdays and weekends off to heal. I've been doing wide pushups to work my chest, close pushups to work triceps, bicep pullups and wide pullups. I do some ab workouts Tuesdays and Fridays.

After each workout, I eat a protein bar, drink tons of water, and then usually have eggs, cereal with some fruit, and a meal bar full of vitamins and more protein for breakfast.

After a couple weeks of noticeable increase, I feel like I backpedaled a week because it was much harder to complete my sets today.

Is this normal? I will admit that this weekend I had less meat than I would have liked, but still had a good serving of it every day.

 

[itchin]

Maybe eat the protein before the workout instead of after? I dunno I'm unhealthy and have no motivation to work out.

 

[Dawico]

Sometimes your body just isn't feeling it. Sometimes it is mental also.

Another issue may be that the rush of working out is wearing off. Now it seems like work instead of a new great thing you started.

Power through it and force yourself to keep going until it becomes habit.

 

[Saltyag2010]

I started a workout routine for myself a few weeks ago and its been good up until today. I have been working out Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, taking Wednesdays and weekends off to heal. I've been doing wide pushups to work my chest, close pushups to work triceps, bicep pullups and wide pullups. I do some ab workouts Tuesdays and Fridays.

After each workout, I eat a protein bar, drink tons of water, and then usually have eggs, cereal with some fruit, and a meal bar full of vitamins and more protein for breakfast.

After a couple weeks of noticeable increase, I feel like I backpedaled a week because it was much harder to complete my sets today.

Is this normal? I will admit that this weekend I had less meat than I would have liked, but still had a good serving of it every day.

Just like at the range you can have bad gym days. It's probably mental. I was weaker today because I threw up 3x yesterday and I've had a hard time eating.
You should be back to normal tomorrow.
I have to warm up with a mile run and cool down before I do strength training. Otherwise my joints don't feel as good and I can't do as many reps or sets.
Get your stretches in immediately afterward. You won't be as sore and it really helps your back.

 

[cjvibe]

Don't give up keep working harder!

 

[JohnnyLoco]

If your goal is conditioning, from personal experience, some days you just don't have the juice. Sometimes, I agree, it is just lacking mental motivation, or maybe rushing because you have other things to do. I have also noticed that when you are used to going every other day or every day, if you do that long enough, for about a few weeks, your body will let you know you are wearing down and your last workout will not be as good. Then, if you rest for a few days, you feel sluggish coming back. The workout after that, a day or two later is usually your best, so put in maximum effort there, then go back to everyday or other day.

For conditioning, you should work up to a certain high level, or have a lofty goal in mind, and try to maintain it for a while, then back off a bit for a while. Even marathon runners don't run marathons every workout.

When you really get in shape, you will notice you won't lose much up to about 5-7 days rest. Then your body really gets a chance to recover.

If your goal is strength, mass building, I would say you are working out those groups too frequently and should maybe stick to one group a week, so chest and triceps only once a week on a specific day, back and biceps on another day, then legs and shoulders. Then get your cardio through running, sprinting, swimming, hiking, or cycling 3 or 4 days a week.

 

[TX69]

How old are you?

 

[Cogent Design]

I ended up taking another day off and forced myself through it the next day. I've been working out less frequently but doing more sets of reps.

I am 26.

 

[Saltyag2010]

I ended up taking another day off and forced myself through it the next day. I've been working out less frequently but doing more sets of reps.

I am 26.

Set a schedule and stick to it. Mon-Thursday I hit the gym after work. When I take off a day I have to make up for it to make sure I get 4days/week. I travel a lot and I can still manage to get 4x.
Set you schedule and stick to it. You can even do 2 on 1 off then 2 on again and take Wednesday and the weekends off. My advice- no1 is in the gym Saturday morning so it's a great day to work out too.

 

[JohnnyLoco]

I ended up taking another day off and forced myself through it the next day. I've been working out less frequently but doing more sets of reps.

I am 26.

As long as you are doing it, that's what matters. Sometimes too much consistency can lead to boredom or plateauing.

But you are young enough to push yourself pretty hard and recover pretty quickly for years to come.

 

[duckknot]

Have you looked into nutrition at all? Very well could be a case of not getting enough fuel for your body; it is very common to have those initial few weeks be great as your body adjusts but then burn out/fatigue sets in due to lack of calories. I strongly recommend you get online and look up calculating macro nutrients (calories, protein, carbs and fat) this will help you quantify the number of calories you need to consume to cut, maintain or bulk based on your goals!

I am not a huge fan of the "push through when your body says no" mentality.....obviously, if you are having a bleh day and it is mental then yea, sack up and do your pushups. But if you are having consistent bleh days and you are consistently feeling like you are taking steps back then it is time to take a step back and re analyze your plan and adjust accordingly! Also be aware of over training (it's possible, I promise). Listen to your body and do what feels good any certain day, some days I walk into the gym and it's supposed to be a lifting day but I'm not feeling it at all so I go do some cardio, other times it's cardio day but I really feel like throwing some heavy shit around so I adjust accordingly. Avoid routines and do whatever you can on any given day!

 

[Leper]

What is your goal? How many set and how many reps are you doing? Are you doing a specific workout or are you randomly using machines? We need a lot more detail.

Bottom line is that you can plateau easily. You can have off days. You need to have a goal in mind because some exercises have a negative effect, depending on what you are doing. If your goal is mass, don't do cardio for a cycle.for example.

A typical protein bar isn't going to do anything for you. Water isn't going to do much for you except to keep you hydrated, especially bottled water.

Why are you going to the gym?

 

[duckknot]

Water isn't going to do much for you except to keep you hydrated, especially bottled water.

water does everything....without water your body processes cease to function. Hydration is not only key to building muscle but is key to every process your body performs!

sent from wait....where am I!?

 

[Leper]

water does everything....without water your body processes cease to function. Hydration is not only key to building muscle but is key to every process your body performs!

sent from wait....where am I!?

My response to him was in reference to him drinking tons of water, after the workout.
I completely agree with you. You should drink water throughout the day. I drink some after almost every set. I see no advantage or benefit to drinking a gallon of water after a workout is over. If there is some reason to do so, please inform me of the benefit and I may change my after-workout process.

 

[duckknot]

10-4

Wasn't sure if that was the angle you were taking or not (i thought about it after I posted of course!)

Personally i think so many people put way too much thought into supplements, workouts, what meal to eat, blah blah blah and forget the basics.....eat for fuel, sleep lots and stay hydrated which may not make you the hulk but it will prime the system for healthy growth and progress!

sent from wait....where am I!?