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Overcoming slumps and burnout periods...

jozifp103

Registered User
Jan 16, 2014
75
0
0
We all get to that point where we've been working at a goal for so long and pushing our bodies for so long, that we get burnt out. The grind of meal prep, and finding time to get in all your meals during the day....along with putting in 110% in all your workouts no matter how tired you are from work. I can honestly say myself that I've had the bodybuilding blues a few times. Just dragging myself to the gym, with total lack of energy and motivation, slacking on my diet, slacking on cardio, skipping a workout, etc...The slumps can last for days, weeks, or even months...

You should always have a goal in mind....but how long can you really work towards that goal before you need a break?

What do you do to get back into it and get yourself motivated? How do you get all the cylinders firing again?

New routine?
New diet?
More gear?
Less gear?
Take a week or 2 off training?


Let's hear your strategies....it may just help out others who read this as well :)
 

zoey101fan

Registered User
Jun 3, 2013
135
0
0
I permanently keep this away by just being flexible.
~I don't stick to a diet at all. Just go by feel
~I don't have a strict routine.
~Basically just walk into the gym, do the lifts I want to do, and say hey to a couple friends for 45 minutes after work
~I don't plan cycles. I tend to just pull a random vial out of my closet and shoot as much/little as I want.

I'm not recommending you do this, but really, just keep it relaxed and enjoy what you're doing. 99.9% of people in the gym over complicate lifting/drugs/diet and it just makes it such a grind. If I want to take a few days and go camping, or fly to Juneau (my favorite place in the whole world), I don't stress missed gym days or anything. Don't let the gym run your life. Unless you're already an olympia-class competitor, you can be really lax about everything gym-related and still make phenomenal gains.
 

cybrsage

Registered User
May 1, 2015
765
0
0
When I find myself in a slump, I ease back into the proper routine slowly. First week I go only two times. Second week I will go four times and add two days of cardio. Third week I will go all five times and do all four days of cardio I am to be doing right now.
 

Concreteguy

Super Moderator
Mar 12, 2013
2,608
0
0
Pa
Sounds crazy but some times changing gyms is a fresh start. The same place and faces may be a comfortable place to be but it can lul you into doing the same shit over and over. If not, I would change your workout from hit to reps or maybe Fortitude training?

CG
 

chicken_hawk

AnaSCI VIP
Feb 2, 2013
1,634
0
0
We all get to that point where we've been working at a goal for so long and pushing our bodies for so long, that we get burnt out. The grind of meal prep, and finding time to get in all your meals during the day....along with putting in 110% in all your workouts no matter how tired you are from work. I can honestly say myself that I've had the bodybuilding blues a few times. Just dragging myself to the gym, with total lack of energy and motivation, slacking on my diet, slacking on cardio, skipping a workout, etc...The slumps can last for days, weeks, or even months...

You should always have a goal in mind....but how long can you really work towards that goal before you need a break?

What do you do to get back into it and get yourself motivated? How do you get all the cylinders firing again?

New routine?
New diet?
More gear?
Less gear?
Take a week or 2 off training?


Let's hear your strategies....it may just help out others who read this as well :)

Sorry to hear this brother, but what your dealing with is common with bbers, mostly because of mysticism, ego and ignorance. Bbers go 110% your words all the time till the burn out, stall, get injured or quit. However, the solution is to look to sports with similar demands and paid, educated professionals who are paid to do their best. What do they do is simple, they set cycle...micro, macro and meso cycle. Because, NO ONE can go 110% without doing some time at 70%.

I like to tell people to think of it this way, let's say each day you train at 110% you acquire 1% fatigue and rest brings you you up 1%, well after 5 days on and two off your only back to 97%. Well after several weeks no amount of gear or food will help you, only backing off will. See, overreaching and two factor theory.

Now, keep in mind fatigue isn't bad if it's monitored and controlled. This is called overreaching. But, you need to schedule a deloading period to allow for recovery, so you can supercompensate and gain back all that fatigue you have accumulated. This is what professional strength athletes do and must do, even many pros take a month off after a show and they don't have day jobs.

So, bust your ass for 4to6 weeks and than back off for 1 week, whether you want to (insert check ego) or not. This will let your body and just as important allow your mind recover.

Hawk's 2cc's
 

ASHOP

AnaSCI VET
Aug 28, 2005
4,435
0
36
ashop.in
I'm sure burn out can vary depending on the person. It's happened to me numerous times. I take breaks but more than often I just switch up my routine to make it interesting and fun again.
 

chrisr116

AnaSCI VET
Nov 20, 2012
3,788
1
0
I like to take a week off every few months when I start losing motivation. It works for me pretty well.
 

jozifp103

Registered User
Jan 16, 2014
75
0
0
Sorry to hear this brother, but what your dealing with is common with bbers, mostly because of mysticism, ego and ignorance. Bbers go 110% your words all the time till the burn out, stall, get injured or quit. However, the solution is to look to sports with similar demands and paid, educated professionals who are paid to do their best. What do they do is simple, they set cycle...micro, macro and meso cycle. Because, NO ONE can go 110% without doing some time at 70%.

I like to tell people to think of it this way, let's say each day you train at 110% you acquire 1% fatigue and rest brings you you up 1%, well after 5 days on and two off your only back to 97%. Well after several weeks no amount of gear or food will help you, only backing off will. See, overreaching and two factor theory.

Now, keep in mind fatigue isn't bad if it's monitored and controlled. This is called overreaching. But, you need to schedule a deloading period to allow for recovery, so you can supercompensate and gain back all that fatigue you have accumulated. This is what professional strength athletes do and must do, even many pros take a month off after a show and they don't have day jobs.

So, bust your ass for 4to6 weeks and than back off for 1 week, whether you want to (insert check ego) or not. This will let your body and just as important allow your mind recover.

Hawk's 2cc's
Great response brother. Makes perfect sense.
 

chicken_hawk

AnaSCI VIP
Feb 2, 2013
1,634
0
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Great response brother. Makes perfect sense.

Thanks, and this part is a bit of a rant. The greats in the iron game are either smart or have a smart trainer. Train smarter not harder, most guys won't reach their potential because they can't check their ego. No way can they back off so switch programs, use more gear or try harder. Get a leg up on your competition and use your head. Cycle your training, diet and gear.

Hawk
 

cybrsage

Registered User
May 1, 2015
765
0
0
Thanks, and this part is a bit of a rant. The greats in the iron game are either smart or have a smart trainer. Train smarter not harder, most guys won't reach their potential because they can't check their ego. No way can they back off so switch programs, use more gear or try harder. Get a leg up on your competition and use your head. Cycle your training, diet and gear.

Hawk

I just recently greatly reduced all the weights I was pushing and started focusing intently on the movements - doing them slower and with more intention. I am getting a MUCH better workout now than when the weights were higher!

I look at others at the gym and notice some of the biggest men use low (relative to their massiveness) weights. Those who use the high weights all seem to be simply showing off.
 

chicken_hawk

AnaSCI VIP
Feb 2, 2013
1,634
0
0
I just recently greatly reduced all the weights I was pushing and started focusing intently on the movements - doing them slower and with more intention. I am getting a MUCH better workout now than when the weights were higher!

I look at others at the gym and notice some of the biggest men use low (relative to their massiveness) weights. Those who use the high weights all seem to be simply showing off.

Good choice imo. You see, the more secure you become with yourself the better the decisions you will make. Big dogs don't feel any need to impress so they do what works. Little pups feel the need to lift their leg on every bench they see so they use momentum and shorten the ROM in an effort to convince themselves they are a big dog. All the while they short change their own gains.

Hawk