Not to highjack your log any further, but it's an interesting discussion. One thing you said Espi got me thinking.
Quote:
The body temperature difference is really freaky. Icy cold fingers when eating very low calories and feeling like a sauna on lifting/high calorie days!
By alternating between low calorie (a bit higher than PSMF and plenty of fats and enough carbs to not get the unpleasant sides of VLC) I can keep up the maintenance to the normal high levels that I have when near-constantly overeating/maintaining.
I started NROL a few weeks ago and have also been upping my calories to try to get my metabolism going (I have been an undereater for a long time). Anyway, around the same time I have been having disturbed sleep, waking up 2-3 times a night just boiling hot. I thought it had something to do with the fact that we switched to a heavier duvet for the winter, but usually NOTHING can wake me up. Could this be caused by this new workout regimen or is it just a coincidnence? Any thoughts?
But I really want to sleep! Plus, no weight lost yet. However, I'm not really worried about losing weight until I get my metabolism fired up again. I take 5HTP before bedtime and still I wake up several times. I guess it's the price I just pay for stoking those metabolic fires?
My husband complains he can't sleep close to me because I give off too much heat (that much for marrying a hot girl). He calls me furnace girl. I usually wake up absolutely freezing around 5 a.m.
I'm much warmer the night after I lift, regardless of how much I eat, but overfeeding exaggarates it.
My bf is the same, he's now relatively cold as he lifts off and on. When he lifts, he's like a furnace as well.
You sure seem to know your body well. Makes me jealous almost
Do you lack intrinsic factor, why doesn't your B12 get used? Does it get used from a pill and not from food?
Never have been checked for deficiency, just twice. Once in hospital when it was extremely low. Considering how good I feel when I've had a lozenge, there must be a deficiency going on. The last time I was tested, it wasn't even that high (around 750), despite weekly doses of 5000 microgram. The methyl-B12 is better absorbed by the body regardless of the administration. This is a sublingual lozenge that you suck on and the B12 then gets absorbed through the saliva into the small bloodvessels of the cheek and gets directly into the bloodstream. It's very similar to receiving shots of B12.
Indeed, B12 supplementation by injection is quite popular among bodybuilders. Less so among 'lay people', hence why sublingual tablets are so good. It works almost equally well and is less painful/intimidating.
Meanwhile an interesting abstract was posed on BR.com by Lyle. May explain why my metabolism hasn't dropped yet.
Quote:
***
Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2007 Jan;66(1):49-57.
Short-term fasting-induced autonomic activation and changes in catecholamine levels are not mediated by changes in leptin levels in healthy humans.
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Objective In animal models, the adipocyte-secreted hormone leptin increases energy expenditure by increasing sympathetic outflow but its role in humans remains to be elucidated.
We evaluated whether inducing hypoleptinaemia (with and without administration of leptin at replacement doses) for 3 days would influence catecholamine levels and sympathetic and parasympathetic activity in healthy humans.
Methods We studied six normal-weight subjects in the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) under three conditions:
baseline fed state (control study) and
two 72-h fasting studies (to decrease leptin levels), with administration of either placebo or
replacement-dose recombinant methionyl human leptin (r-metHuLeptin)
in a randomized, double-blind fashion.
In each condition,
24-h urinary catecholamine levels,
heart rate and
heart rate variability (HRV),
a standard tool for assessing cardiac autonomic modulation, were measured.
Results Study parameters remained stable during the control condition and the baseline assessment of all three studies.
In response to 72-h fasting, which decreased serum leptin levels by 80%, 24-h urinary norepinephrine and dopamine levels and heart rate increased while cardiac vagal modulation decreased (all P < 0.05).
Replacement-dose r-metHuLeptin to keep leptin levels within the physiological range during fasting did not alter fasting-associated changes in heart rate, catecholamine levels or cardiac vagal tone.
Conclusions The findings of this controlled, interventional study indicate that changes in heart rate, catecholamine levels and cardiac vagal modulation associated with 72-h fasting are independent of regulation by leptin.
Thus, changes in leptin levels within the physiological range do not seem to play a role in regulating autonomic function during short-term starvation in healthy humans.
When being asked whether I was happy with the results so far.. I said: I'm quite satisfied, but frankly it's still more the process that interests me more plus the health. I don't care a damn whether I weigh X or Y kg. I want to have a certain bf% plus remain strong as hell or even get stronger than that! Right now I'm dropping water weight like crazy, got to stop that.. perhaps up carbs/protein a bit? Cut back on lifting volume?
Not sure.. it's the first time I'm aware of weighing about as much as when I was 21 (22 yrs ago). without being critically ill or cycling a gazillion K on end without food. So, it's all new to me.
There's a couple of weird things going on. The weirdest part is a raised metabolism while eating less, instead of seeing it drop down at the same rate. This must be entirely the result of switching back & forth between cutting down so much one day and then overfeeding by a bit and quite frequently overfeeding by a LOT the other day. Lyle just posted an abstract on what might be the reason, viz. increased catecholamine output.
But there are other weird things happening too, like bonking for the first time in I don't know how long.. I really nearly began shaking a couple of days ago when I waited a bit too long to get my postworkout protein meal in and then 'had' to wait for 2 more hours as I got a visitor and I normally don't eat in front of strangers. Kept it to protein as I knew that as soon as I'd give in to carbs I'd have eaten too much. It's either.. out of sight out of mind (so 0-500 kcal wouldn't be a big problem either if it's just 1 meal) or eat to heart's content (3000+ cal). Cutting down in meal frequency was the best thing I ever did!
Comment Quads : 30kg front squat are heavy enough to do several sets with them and feel it! Posterior chain : somehow I am not seeing me surpass my pre-Xmas PR.. 95 kg felt way too hard. Chest: still bothered by unprecedented DOMS in triceps, probably from the weighted chins as bench pressing doesn’t feel that hard. Back Now scaling back and doing it with 4 kg dumbbell. Still was hard, but not like 6kg. Cardio: going much easier here General: Felt pooped from the start, for lack of sleep and carbs. Yet, the carbup will only happen in 2 more days. Ditched quite a few exercises, like shoulders and abs as well as the Mensendieck stuff.
Training statistics
Rep index: 164 reps/hr (60min)
Volume: 7879kg
Total gym time: 75 mins.
# of sets: 25 - # of reps 164 - avg reps/set : 6,6 - kg/rep 48,0 kg
When being asked whether I was happy with the results so far.. I said: I'm quite satisfied, but frankly it's still more the process that interests me more plus the health. I don't care a damn whether I weigh X or Y kg. I want to have a certain bf% plus remain strong as hell or even get stronger than that! Right now I'm dropping water weight like crazy, got to stop that.. perhaps up carbs/protein a bit? Cut back on lifting volume?
Not sure.. it's the first time I'm aware of weighing about as much as when I was 21 (22 yrs ago). without being critically ill or cycling a gazillion K on end without food. So, it's all new to me.
There's a couple of weird things going on. The weirdest part is a raised metabolism while eating less, instead of seeing it drop down at the same rate. This must be entirely the result of switching back & forth between cutting down so much one day and then overfeeding by a bit and quite frequently overfeeding by a LOT the other day. Lyle just posted an abstract on what might be the reason, viz. increased catecholamine output.
But there are other weird things happening too, like bonking for the first time in I don't know how long.. I really nearly began shaking a couple of days ago when I waited a bit too long to get my postworkout protein meal in and then 'had' to wait for 2 more hours as I got a visitor and I normally don't eat in front of strangers. Kept it to protein as I knew that as soon as I'd give in to carbs I'd have eaten too much. It's either.. out of sight out of mind (so 0-500 kcal wouldn't be a big problem either if it's just 1 meal) or eat to heart's content (3000+ cal). Cutting down in meal frequency was the best thing I ever did!
Am excited about new supplement Fortega for concentration! Very good focus, no jitters! Apart from the coffee, I only ate the 1st meal at 6pm. Only a bit cold until I brought away parcels and did errands. When I came home I was feeling warm again soon. Even hot after the first meal! Just keep moving!
Diet-wise I was at about the lowest sustainable calorie intake at this bf% without risking LBM =maintenance minus 31 kcal / fat lb = 68 kcal/kg F = 1200kcal deficit.
I'll be training soon, but not sure how it will go. Only slept 6 hrs tonight as we not only went to bed late, but then discovered we have a leak in the roof, right above our bed so that had to be pushed into the far corner to get out of the way of the drops.. that continued torturing us at night (the water drop torture), but managed to block it out with ear plugs.
That leak must be a bummer, take care of it because the rain won't stop soon around there, right?
Loved the study!
I might pick your brain later about intermittent fasting! What's in the supplement?
Which study? Ah, the one about raised catecholamine output.
Yes, intermittent fasting is truly fascinating stuff, esp. since it comes so naturally to me. I have less problems eating very little in only 2 meals a day thn I have eating 5-6 meals a day, which takes tons of time and always made me overeat. OTOH, I also don't have a problem eating over 4000 kcal once I start either.
It's totally weird to be finally seeing studies that you can even become healthier by fasting! Like reduced inflammation, which has my profound interest since my IgE levels are highish, resulting in allergy responses to all kinds of food that I'm not technically allergic to. Very frustrating!
So.. yesterday I just started eating at 6 pm except for the calorific coffee in the morning. And felt great!
The first time I read about IF was on Bodyrecomposition.com upon which I checked Michael Eades' blog at www.proteinpower.com and read his article (somewhere in September). What I'm doing is not IF, but comes close. I definitely don't want to skip my late night meal(s) as when I do that, I can't sleep at all. Even now the difference can be staggering , like 6 hrs after a low day and 9 hrs after a high kcal day.
On minimum calorie intake: apparently there's a study that showed that the minimum amt of calories you can eat without losing LBM is
maintenance minus (31/0,454 * kg of fat on the body) . In my tables I've got another column for that one.
For me: 2248 - (18,3 x 31/0,454 = 1250) = 998 kcal.
I'll try this for a while as with just 2 meals it's quite feasible. Won't do a PSMF as the fats are vital for feeling OK and I don't see the reason whyI should stuff my face with protein only if my body needs fats and carbs to keep sane and nitrogen balance is achieved at only 0.8 g/kg BW. That's 52 grams protein for me. I'm 100% certain I didn't even hit that amount on average for many years! Muscles were just fine!
The advantage is that I can then take intake up to over my predicted expenditure on the training days.. as I still feel hungry at 2500 kcal and could easily have eaten 3000 kcal!
The leak is nasty.. we've called the rental company and they promised to fix it. They'll probably have lots of complaints.
Wednesday Jan 10 TRAINING cycle 6 – day 14
Going for approx. 7-8RM, counting to 20 reps
step ups
(BW+7kg) x 13
Bulgarian squat lunges
(BW+8kg) x 8
chins
BW+5kg : 2x1 in 10s (weight tucked in with a belt)
BW x 2 (easy, at the end of the WO)
goblet squat
30kg x11
A Smith squat
45kgx8
Counting to 20 from here
70kg x5
Work set: 65kg x9-6
In slow SS with B DL
72,5kg x 5
85kg x 3
97,5kgx1
Work set: 87,5kg x 4-4 (stopped here)
supine (overhand) row
BW x 9
incline db press
(15kg x2) x 9
C Yates supine bb row
50kgx8
Counting to 20 from here
60kg x 5
Work set: 55 kg x 8-7
In slow SS with D bb press
37,5kg x8
47,5kg x 3
Work set: 42,5kg x 6-6
Cardio Treadmill interval cardio :
4 min WU 4,6 to 5km/hr @ 15%,
6 min: 3 30s sprints @ 12 km/hr w 90s cooldown
3 min speedwalking 5-6 km/hr
2 min cooldown
184kcal – 736 kcal/hr (+70)
1,43km – 5,72 km/hr (+0,26)
Comment Quads : Smith squats were easy today! Posterior chain : DLs still hard as hell Chest: huge progress compared to a couple of days ago.. 47,5kg x 3 went up easy compared to 47,5kg x 2 (and fail to get it up again) Back a tough BW+5kg chin and 2 easy-peasy BW reps . BB rows going just fine.. Small stuff : obligatory biceps/shoulder stuff.. it’s getting old now. Didn’t put my heart into the balance work either. Cardio: going much easier here General: feeling much better than 2 days before, despite the extremely low calorie intake the day before plus the lack of sleep. It definitely helps to have had most calories in the evening.
Training statistics
Rep index: 160 reps/hr (65min)
Volume: 9015kg
Total gym time: 80 mins.
# of sets: 27 - # of reps 173 - avg reps/set : 6,4 - kg/rep 52,1 kg
* Potent appetite suppression up until the first meal. This is also the reason not to space meals evenly; once you start eating, you find yourself hungry for more.
* Increased attention and focus 12-16 hours after the last meal. This probably ties into catecholamines being released after some time in the fasting state. I usually study in the morning and relax when I get to the eating. Eating activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which may partly explain the lessened desire to engage in any cognitive or mentally demanding tasks after eating (well, for me at least).
* An easy and simple approach to calorie deficit, allowing substantial meals (800 kcals+) to make up for the low meal frequency.
* No need to get neurotic about meal timing, eating every 2-3 hours etc.
* The partitioning effect. Strategically placing refeeds, or a large part of the total daily intake after WO (75% of kcal PWO), seems to have a significant impact on LBM gains. I can now not only speak for myself, but other people as well.
And today the left shoulder is hurting.
Reason? Probably the combo of bb bench pressing (instead of db presses) and weighted chins/pullups (can never remember the difference, do them with palms facing each other in neutral grip)
If you are doing them neutral they should be called pull ups
Hope your shoulder pain clears up, both of mine were playing up today after the swings yesterday.
I'd ditched the bb bench presses on purpose so that I could alleviate shoulder pain, but didn't like how triceps were becoming weaker and weaker without direct work. E.g. dips are totally out of the question = recipe for disastrous shoulder pain.
I used to be able to do triceps push downs with almost twice the weight for the same amt of reps when I was doing heavy bb presses. Back then it seemed that I could also bench with a closer grip than I do now = with elbows tucked in.
At least db presses were very good for the shoulders plus they nicely developed the pecs.
Guess that means more direct triceps work.. close grip EZ bar extensions? Or rope pushdown again?
There must be a direct relation between the recent bad sleeping and the drop in metabolism I'm seeing this week. I've finally come to the conclusion that thyroid has got nothing whatsoever to do with it, it's all adrenal output , viz. no sleep = no energy to do things or if one must, everything is done to conserve energy, like HR and body temperature.. this goes FAST!
Sleep... way more important than we think.. been sleeping badly this past week , even after high-cal days, because of the rain, wind and esp. loud traffic that's passing because of a blocked road nearby.
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Slower is Better
The idea behind sleep-induced hormonal optimization is largely based on two hormones: growth hormone (GH) and cortisol (although Testosterone and glucagon can also be manipulated).
As you probably know, GH is great for both fat loss and muscle growth, while cortisol causes muscle breakdown, fat deposition, and even decreased immune function. Clearly we need to increase GH while decreasing cortisol in order to optimize our performance and body composition.
It's also important to understand that we sleep through dynamic cycles of differing brain and muscle activity, with hormonal output changing each cycle. The best way to boost GH is to induce "slow wave sleep," which is a very deep sleep cycle. If you have a disturbed sleep then you can bet that slow wave sleep is affected, and your hormones will be, too.
Through a more restful sleep, not only will GH output be optimized, but cortisol as well. The latter hormone is released in times of stress, which can occur when we don't get enough shuteye. So what we want to achieve is a deeper slow wave sleep that equates to reduced cortisol and higher GH. Considering that we sleep more than any other activity, the long term impact of such optimization is imperative.
1. Bring the Noise
Blocking out noise is an obvious way to help people not only fall asleep faster, but also reach a more restful stage of sleep and stay that way. The most common way of doing so is to use ear plugs, but this may not be as effective as we'd like, because any sounds made by our own body — even breathing, — are amplified. Paradoxically, the best way to block out noise — all noise- is to produce your own white noise.
By having a constant sound that isn't too loud, other, more disturbing sounds are blocked out. Since noise is probably the most common disruptor of sleep, you're bound to have a positive effect from this.
Of course you have to be sure that the white noise you choose isn't going to bother you. A fan is the most frequent choice.
There's one side effect that needs to be mentioned, and that is you'll definitely become used to having your 8 hours of white noise every night. I've gone away on vacation without any white noise, and the silence can be deafening.
Additionally, any disturbing sounds that I normally wouldn't hear will now be amplified because we become accustomed to not hearing any. If you suddenly start disrupting your sleep, you'll have a harder time optimizing hormonal output, and your progress in the gym will suffer.
From both personal experience and the people I've spoken with, the benefits of white noise on sleep far outweigh any potential negatives — just be sure to bring your fan.
2. Pitch Black
Light is another common sleep disruptor that we may not even be aware of. In fact, many people don't close their eyes completely, which allows excess light in. [I have a "friend" who does this and I'm told it's quite creepy.] Besides, the thin skin of our eyelids doesn't really block out all that much light. If you're normally photosensitive, then this alone may explain why you're always tired, not to mention experiencing sub-standard progress in the gym.
Why the worry? Well, sleep is dependent on a hormone called melatonin, which in turn is quite sensitive to light. In fact, light destroys melatonin which helps keep us awake during the day. If we're trying to sleep, even the small amount of light penetrating our closed eyelids is enough to disrupt some people's slumber.
Simple solutions are to keep the room in which you sleep as dark as possible while you're sleeping. If you're particularly light sensitive (which I am), then you may want to hang a dark sheet over any windows, in addition to the current covering.
Alternatively, and more simply, covering your own eyes with something as common as a dark shirt will help provide the conditions you're after.
Bonus Tip: once you wake up, it's best to be exposed to as much light as possible. This doesn't mean you should shine a flashlight into your eyes, but it means that any window coverings should be removed to let the sun in. You'll find that it's easier to wake up and become active when higher levels of light are present upon waking.
3. Body of Support
For bigger athletes, it becomes more and more difficult to position ourselves properly in an attempt to lie for a prolonged period of time. After all, there's more weight crushing down on all of our pressure points at any given time. The simplest tip is to simply lose weight, but for those who are trying to increase muscle mass, this isn't really an option.
Additionally, as we age in both years and training experience, we're more likely to have injuries, which in itself can create a "unique" set of sleeping positions for comfort. One of my more experienced athletes swears that the only way he can get comfortable is to lie on his stomach, turn his head to the right, place his left arm overhead and his right arm out to the side at a 90-degree angle at the elbow. After he gets into that position, he still has to adjust his hips and legs.
The solution is to use a second pillow to prop up a specific body part so it's more comfortable to sleep. A standard example is "the perfect sleep position" which involves us lying on our side with a pillow between our knees. Ergonomically speaking, this position alone can save people a lot of pain every day.
Check out www.RelaxTheBack.com for various pillows and wedges that can be used for sleep as well as...
4. Making Sexy Romance
You're not going to see this tip in Reader's Digest.
Biologically speaking, one of the ways we've evolved to limit our sexual appetite is that we become sleepy after orgasm. This helps ensure that we don't spend all day (and all night) having sex at the expense of other survival necessities.
Combine the physical exertion with the post-coital neurotransmitter release, and you should be both sleepy and physically tired; perfect conditions for sleeping. If you're really astute, you can use your partner to prop up your body parts and pass it off as cuddling.
One potential problem is that some people actually become invigorated by sex, which obviously makes this tip invalid. If you're not sure which group you fall into, practice.
Warning: Despite the positive impact that sex may have on sleep quality, it could potentially result in the worst sleep destroyer known to man; children.
comment:
1 I've had really lousy sleep this week both after high and low cal days, mostly because of the rain, wind and traffic noise. Will try to see if I can burn a cd with sounds of nature if my partner agrees. Despite the ear plugs and we had a leak going on that was like water drop torture because of the deafening noise, I still hear the traffic.. Stupid part is: I'm hearing deficient but can hear low noises just fine.. prolly it even bothers me much more than people with better hearing.
2 there's a f*****ing street light outside that always bugged me.. despite the blinds we have that completely block light, it still streams in sideways.. time for an eyemask! I've got one somewhere if I can find it.
3 fortunately not a factor, but I can't sleep with head on a pillow when lying on my back, only sideways.
4 my partner would lovingly do this... however, we don't go to bed on time.. we've told each other time & time again we'd hit the sack earlier.. which never happens...aaargh!
PS: on #1, when I travelled by myself and did lots and lots of guerilla camping I'd always use plugs otherwise any sound would wake me up. However, when I was doing the 100 Cols Ride I have literally not slept more than 3hrs/night for the first 3 weeks (took me 2 months to complete 4000 K) because of the truly deafening sounds of my beating heart (RHR = 32bpm) ... didn't help much that I severely underate and frequently only stopped cycling at 1am.. love love love cycling at night and gaze at the stars and not hear any traffic.. my bicycle is completely kitted with great lights so that has never been a problem.
Friday Jan 12 TRAINING cycle 6 – day 16
Going for approx. 6-7RM
chins
BW+6kg :1
BW x 2-3-3-2-1
Later : BWx 1-1
At the end: BWx2 (easy again)
goblet squat
32kg x10
A Smith squat
47,5kgx8
72,5kg x5
Work set: 67,5kg x7-7
In slow SS with B DL
75kg x 7
87,5kg x 3
100kgx1
Work set: 90kg x 5-4
supine (overhand) row
BW x 11
incline db press
(16kg x2) x 8
C Yates supine bb row
52,5kgx8
62,5kg x 5
Work set: 57,5 kg x 6-7
In slow SS with D bb press
40kg x6
50kg x 2
Work set: 45kg x4-5
rope push down
21kgx5
exo rotation
6kgx10
Swiss leg curl
BWx16
Cardio Treadmill interval cardio :
4 min WU 4,6 to 5km/hr @ 15%,
6 min: 4x20s sprints @ 12-13 km/hr w 90s cooldown
3 min speedwalking 5-6 km/hr
2 min cooldown
181kcal – 724 kcal/hr (-12)
1,44km – 5,76 km/hr (+0,04)
Comment Quads : hitting the highest weight for goblet squats. Never mind, will start much lower and do it while holding up the dumbbells against the chest, which will undoubtedly be much harder. Otherwise I can always try to do more reps. For legs it seems that even 20 reps can give hypertrophy. Smith was again fairly easy, except for the heaviest WU set. Posterior chain : whew, managed same amt of reps as 4 days ago, but now 5 kg more weight… I’ve recovered! Chest: 2x50 kg.. approaching my previous best results! Back laddering is the best! BB rows were almost an ‘afterthought’ and 11 supine rows felt surprisingly easy. Small stuff : triceps were too tired to do much .. so rope pushdown didn’t go too well. No Mensendieck stuff, wanted to go home badly.
Cardio: OK, didn’t take it balls to the walls, just ‘normal’ intensity General: feeling great! I’d had no idea that the Fortega (a sulbutiamine-based energy supplement of our own) would work so brilliantly! And that after another bad night of sleep! Who would’ve thunk?
Training statistics
Rep index: 161 reps/hr (65min)
Volume: 8698kg
Total gym time: 80 mins.
# of sets: 33 - # of reps 174 - avg reps/set : 5,3 - kg/rep 50 kg
For someone not sleeping you are certainly not showing it in your workouts, good job! Hope you get better sleep tonight
Go with rope pushdowns, or the bent over cable overhead tricep extensions, similar in form but a nice change
thanks, I was indeed surprised the workout went so well. I was using the same 6 kg db for pullups as a couple of days ago and it didn't feel nearly as hard and ... I've got the idea that periodization of chins will help me in reaching that goal of 5 reps.
That 100kg DL x 1 wasn't as easy as the pre-X-mas 2x100 kg but I haven't slept too well for a couple of days. There's still 2 more workouts to go to get to the hardest one and then it'll be 1 or 2 light workouts until I'll take a full week off, except for cardio.
My CNS doesn't seem to respond very well to extremely low calories. While it feels nicer to eat more calories towards the night, which feels as if I am eating way more than 1000 kcal, it seems to give a shutdown signal to the CNS. You said so yourself .. all you wanted to do when you were doing PSMF was sit in a corner and do nothing.. conserve energy. I'm nearly literally freezing when I don't eat and don't sleep well either.
However, the response of the body upon eating is pretty amazing. I feel much hotter after a normal-protein meal. So, it could still work out OKish to have just 2 meals in the evening, but not with sub-1000 kcal. Just 2 meals of 500-600 kcal or thereabouts.
I've never done what you're doing so I have no insights into this, but I remember when I did partical velocity (one day shakes, one day solid food) the morning with the solid foods I was sweating terribly after breakfast and I was very hot. It sounds like you're miserable. Your sleep debt will grow and then you'll probably change your approach. I cannot remember the last time I ate over 1000 cals at night, I would shut down, too.
Eating more at night has definitely improved sleep quality, even on low calorie days. But generally it's like 7hrs on low cal days and 9 hrs on high cal days.
Due to increased (traffic/weather) noise, I've not been sleeping well enough on both days and that wears me out quickly.
Funny, since not sleeping and/or enough was very common for me in the past, and back then I didn't even notice how it affected my wellbeing. Which it does, but it seemed 'normal' to me, to be freezing all the time and not need much sleep.
So, yesterday was the first night we went to bed before midnight! Still not 11pm but 1130.. but it's progress.
I was nearly afraid the Fortega would be disrupting my sleep as I felt so incredibly untired till late at night, but in the end it wasn't too difficult at all, all it took was reading a few pages in a semi-scientific book and I was out.
In about 2 weeks I'm going to take 1 week off from lifting (still 2-3 cardio sessions) and for a month I'm going to eat at maintenance and then start another cutting cycle.
Still wondering what made my progress stop so suddenly:
- too much volume in lifting
- not enough sleep
- calories really too low for the lifting I do?
- eating things I shouldn't eat.. like goat cheese = dairy.
If I could solve that puzzle I'll be a happy woman.
Meanwhile I'm all excited about planning my new workout routine that'll start in a few weeks. The big question is :
should I mix rep ranges within 1 workout or not.
My old time favourite routine is the one I got early in my 'lifting career' from a cyclist that loved lifting weights as much as I do. The only thing it lacked was some isolation work for arms/shoulders/calves/abs.
It was:
- lift 3x/wk and do a full body workout by doing
5x5 / 3x8 / 2x15 for chest /back/legs and rotate this
so
5x5 for chest on day 1 / back on day 2/ legs on day 3
2x15 for chest on day 2 / back on day 3/ legs on day 1
3x8 for chest on day 3 / back on day 1/ legs on day 2
Over time, I've adapted it a bit by adding isolation work for arms, plus adding periodization so that in reality reps go down from like 9-4 / 20-12 / 12-6 because of the weights that I kept adding to it.
For a while I even had it changed into a '4'split routine by splitting legs in 2 parts (hams/quads) and doing extremely light lifting on day 2.
Like 5x5/2x30/2x15/3x8 .
Both routines gave very good strength gains and enough recovery time while being almost similar to a 'normal split' routine.
However, most approaches that resemble this routine always have you do
5x5 for all body parts on day 1
3x8 for all body parts on day 2
2x15 for all body parts on day 3
Why is that? Is that a better approach..?
Some say it is because you are giving conflicting signals to the body by doing different rep ranges.
My idea is that my approach is better because one is actually doing a 3-split while still training full body so you give 1 body part the utmost attention with a 5x5 routine and then let it recover the next lifting day.
Yet I don't know anyone who's using this particular routine, except for the cyclist who once gave it to me.
Linear Mode
