weight training question, help?!

[Bretty101]

Hi all,

 

As you've probably noticed I'm lifting a lot of weights recently . I've got some questions about energy levels and fat lose.

 

I spend between an hour to an hour and a half in the gym most days. I'm doing heavy weights and concentrating on one body part per day.

 

typically: 5 exercises * 3 sets * 6-12 reps.

 

I find by the end of each work out all my energy is gone and i struggle on the last few sets. So what is actually happening? should i change my diet to get more energy? Why if i'm using so much energy am i not burning fat? (I would like to burn more fat) how can i do more CV work when i don't have enough energy left over from weight training? Do you recommend taking any product which change my metabolism to use body fat for energy? I don't really want to lower the intensity of my weight training so i can do CV work.

 

Please help.

 

Thanks!!

 

Bretty

[Jack]

Hey Bretty.

 

Yes, when you're going heavy on the weights your energy is going to get sapped, your muscles are going to get fatigued and you're going to feel tired. This is all a part of heavy weightlifting - you have to focus your mind beyond it and just lift that weight. However, incase it is problems with energy levels then I suggest a good meal two hours beforehand, consisting on a starchy complex carb source such as pasta or rice, as well as a source of fat for prolonged energy.

 

How intense are your workouts? 15 sets is unnecessary if you are working intensely, I would recommend 12 for larger body parts such as legs, chest, and back, and 9 for smaller parts such as Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders. Working out 5 days a week may tax your CNS (Central Nervous System) so you may want to consider splitting your lifting into three days, such as Monday Chest/Tri, Wednesday Back/Bi, Friday Legs/Shoulder, to allow for more rest for your CNS to recover.

 

As a note - the weightlifting portion of your workout should last no longer than about 50 minutes, after this Cortisol levels rise which are responsible for breaking down muscle tissue for fuel - you do NOT want this!

 

You can also do CV after a workout even if you feel low on energy. The weightlifting will have used the glycogen stores from your muscle, so doing Cardio afterwards would use the next fuel sources - muscle and fat. With the correct length and tempo of cardio, fat usage can be maximised, and muscle usage minimised. If you wish to lose fat however, the best time for cardio would be before breakfast, since you have just fasted for 8 or more hours and have no glycogen in your muscles.

 

Whew, I hope that helped.

[Bretty101]

Cheers Jack!

 

I've thought of doing split routines but with my current training i really like to kill the particular muscle group so it's totally wasted then give it a week to recover. To do this i don't really have the energy to do a second muscle group as well.

 

I suppose i'm happy with my routine but would like to burn more fat with it. I don't think i have ever worked this hard in the gym yet i'm not burning any fat. How can i burn fat and still gain maximum muscle?

 

Is it worth considering taking any products which change your metabolism, burn fat and stop the breaking down of muscle tissue?

 

Bretty

[Jack]

Hehe, trust me from experience Bretty, you can really "kill" a muscle group in less than an hour. You'll probably overtrain if you lifted an hour every day since your CNS needs to recover, you really don't have to spend that much time in the gym for a single bodypart. Less is more, with intensity. On how many of those 15 sets do you achieve failure?

 

Weightlifting alone will not burn fat off. Correct diet, cardio, and martial arts practice will help to burn fat. Unfortunately - You cannot burn fat and put on muscle at the same time. This is where some Bodybuilding terms will have to be used. Bodybuilders use the term "bulking" for eating to gain muscle - they each a caloric surplus since that is what is needed for the fuel to put on muscle. However, with this comes some fat, which is later removed by a "cutting phase", which introduces less eating and more cardio.

 

And on the supplement front - I would recommend some L-Glutamine, since it is an important amino acid that comes in useful when trying to lose fat. It protects muscle from being broken down for fuel, so the body uses fat for energy instead of muscle tissue. I wouldn't worry about buying a fat burner, when proper training and diet can work as effectively.