My energy level is still not good, advise pls

I have just finished my weight training session. I feel I don't do it the right way. My back starts to hurt. Although I have started to develop muscles in my arms but I think i don't know the proper forms yet.

Should I stop these sessions? there is something wrong.. I can lift 60 pounds and it is heavy enough but I don't feel my muscles burning.. how come?

Sorry, I am just confused.

Hey Safina,

Are you going to a gym or doing this workout at home?  If you are a member of a gym, they may be able to set you up with a personal trainer or at least someone who can help you set up a good workout routine and show you how to properly do the exercises.

What are you trying to accomplish with your workouts? are you trying to lose weight, tone and sculpt, or bulk up?

If your energy levels are low, what are your dietary habits like? When, what, how (are your meals rushed?) and how much are you eating?  What time of the day do you workout?  What is your sleep pattern like?  All of these can really affect your energy. 

I agree with Sarah.  Especially on the sleep component.  I've been working with a personal trainer three days a week for an hour for about five months now, and we just started getting into the heavy lifting sets and body-builder mode of workouts (on top of Spin, cycling, and elliptical work).  I have noticed that I really have to watch my sleep and diet much more now.  Sleep too little or eat too little, and I struggle all through my training.

Are you cardio training?  Cardio is sometimes overlooked by those really wanting to get muscles, but some cardio is good for just about everybody.  You may need to work on your stamina with interval cardio training so that when you lift you have more energy.

If your form is suffering, I would HIGHLY suggest consulting with a personal trainer or at the very least a friend who knows proper form.  The least of the problems with bad form is that you won't work the muscles you want to work.  The worst is that you will end up with an injury or do major damage because you drop a weight on yourself.

Remember, on the basic level, there are two components to resistance training: weight and reps.  If you are toning, you might do a lower weight for 12-15 reps and three sets.  If you are looking to build more muscle, you might need to consider pyramiding -- three sets, 15 reps for the first at a lower weight, increase the weight for 12 reps for the second, and increase again for the third for 8-10 reps.  By that third set, those muscles should be fairly fatigued.  You may also want to superset your training so that you are hitting the same muscle in different ways like squats with bridges or woodchops with russian twists.

Many thanks. Here is an analysis of my diet yesterday.

Fat - 16.6% (30 grams)
Protein - 15.2% (61 grams)
Carbohydrates - 68.2% (274 grams)
Alcohol - 0.0%
Other - 0.0%

Daily Sodium Intake - 363 mg
Daily Fiber Intake - 68 grams
Nutrition Grade

A  total cals 1513 -  my weight is 161  trying to get down to 140


I usually have 1400 cals a day but yesterday I did overeat.:(

Am I eating too much? Maybe I eat a lot of fruit.. I had raspberries, blueberries, a banana, two big apples, and about 70 g strawberries. two cups of soy milk ( unsweetned), almonds, berries and rye crackers

the breakfast for today was: 2 crackers ( rye) 50 cals both, 1 cup of soy milk ( 80 cals), 100 g strawberries about 35cals, and 5 g almonds

after an hour, I had coffee and another apple and 11 g almonds.

I think I eat a lot.. what do you think??

Sorry I forgot to mention that I work out after work in the evening from 7-8 or 9 pm. After I finish, I go home and eat dinner and sleep like dead.

I want to lose weight. still have a lot of fat layers. I try to eat every 3 hours.

Yes, I admit that my sleeping pattern is not good and I am working on that but how come I am building muscles while my energy level is still low?? I don't understand it.

What is your overall exercise output?  How many times a week do you work out, for how long, and what type?  You may actually be eating too little for the amount of activity you are performing.  And you might be looking at this a little backward -- your energy may well be low because your body is spending so much fuel building muscles.  Also, are you taking rest days or at least active rest days?  Your body needs some time to recover, too.

I am not a trainer, so I can only give you advice based on what I have learned so far.  I work out 6 days a week, 2 Spin classes, 3 personal training sessions, road cycling (learning this , so no great distances yet), and elliptical training, and if I don't eat at least 1500-1600 calories in a day, I'm hurting.  And to be really honest, for most people, sleep is the biggest factor.  And I still go through periods where I feel like I can't sleep enough or eat enough.  Then I give myself a tiny little break and eat a little more, and surprisingly, those are the times when I see my weight shift the most.  It shouldn't be like this all the time, but you might still have a few of these days periodically.

mlbtracy: Thanks a lot. My workout is similar to yours but I don't have a PT sessions. I do 3 weight training sessions and 3 cardio per week. total of 6 days a week. I take Sundays off. Spinning classes are one or twice a week, it depends on my schedule. I eat 1400 cals but sometimes I don't follow this rule. Yesterday I had 1513 cals. what is your weight? and height? I am 161, 34, and 5'3"

Just a thought:  Your sodium intake is quite low.  You may be suffering from low electrolyte related problems.  Try an energy drink or eat something salty.  Salt is a requirement for life. Try getting in more potassium, too.   Cell function is dependent on both.  Bananas and a little peanut butter are awesome for energy.  You may also look into some B vitamin complexes.  This often helps me but it may be more of a placebo.

The recommended sodium daily average is 2300 mg

I also find that a higher fat than carb or protein diet keeps my energy levels up.  You may just need a more balanced diet.  You may find that you do indeed need to eat more. 

Thanks Marneedear. This is really important. After I learnt that sodium can cause water retention, I started to cook without salt.do I have to have 2300 g a day?? wow that is a lot.

I'm not a nutritionist or doctor, but my DH has high blood pressure, and I have to say ... 2,300mg of sodium is the MAX anyone should have, NOT the recommended amount.  And that's still pretty high.

My DH has to keep his UNDER 1,200/day.  I have low blood pressure, so salt/sodium doesn't seem to affect me as much, but eating less sodium, from what I understand, is NOT a bad thing, at all.  We get more than enough sodium, without even noticing.

I did notice that your proteins are quite low for someone trying to build muscle.  Again, I'm no expert, but from everything I've seen, the recommendation for fat loss is to go 50-55% carbs, 30% protein, 15-20% fat.  Depending on how your body reacts, and if you are trying to build muscle and not just lose fat, you may need to cut back on the carbs even more and increase the proteins (but not the fats).

Hey Zarelha: Thanks. I have been trying to increase my protein intake but there is something I don't understand.  although, it is 61g of protein, it is 15% only. what should I do to get the 30%? eat 100g of protein?:))

Everytime, I try to get protein, I have to accept the fact that I am getting carbs as well. For instance, a protein bar that has 21g of protein is loaded with 30 g of carbs and similar amount of sugar.

Unless I drink protein shakes all the day.

You really need to substitute foods, not really add any.  It IS a balancing act, though.  I have a tough time cutting the carbs too, but I learned to eat "pure" proteins (chicken, turkey, cottage cheese, egg whites, meat, fish - I love tuna - a great source) that contain very few, if any, carbohydrates.  Yes, even protein shakes - although those, I usually have to drink with milk or with fruit, 'cause I don't love the taste.

For instance, you say you need about 1,400 calories.  Of those:

1,400 x 30% = 420 calories of protein (105 grams)
1,400 x 55% = 770 calories of carbohydrates (192 grams)
1,400 x 15% = 210 calories of fats (23 grams)

1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbs = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories

Once you reach that level of, say, carbs, then you have to stop eating the "mixed" foods and go for more "pure" ones.  If you're going to go over, choose proteins over carbs, which will skew your percentages a bit, but in a good way.

Granted, not all foods are that "pure" - like the protein bars (you actually CAN find low-carb protein bars, though).  But you still have to count your grams and percentages so they work out.  Just look for low-carb products (e.g. I found some 5g carb tortillas, that I eat instead of bread).  And, I hate to say it, but have less fruit - and more tuna! :)

It does help to eat 5-6 small "meals" a day, each of which include BOTH protein and carbs.  And when you do eat carbs, try to keep them as non-processed as possible (starchy veggies, fruits, brown rice).

I'll say it - for me, it's not easy at all to keep my carbs lower, but when I manage, I do lose weight.  I think I am sensitive to carbohydrates, because if I don't drastically reduce them, I find my weight tends to plateau, even at the same calorie level.  I do love my carbs, though -especially fruits!  Since I run, I do try to keep them at about 50%, even if I don't lose a lot of weight.  If I were trying to build more muscle, I'd cut back to about 35-45% and up my proteins to balance it out.

Yup, I should have said that your protein levels are low, too.  I agree with the 30% rule, and I know it's hard!  I noticed that you don't mention eating meat, are you vegan or vegetarian?  To stick with a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, you should probably consult a nutritionist.  They can give you great tips and ideas for incorporating different high-protein foods in your diet like tempeh.  And don't be discouraged or think that vegetarians can't be lean and mean!  Tobey McQuire is a good example.

Protein shakes are the way to go for me.  It's really important to get some carbs and protein as close to 30 minutes after weight training as possible.  This helps your muscles recover and take up the protein and energy you need.  And you can certainly find plenty of high-density protein powders out there.  I have also found that 3 g of creatine a day helps me with energy to get through heavy lifting sets.  I also mix Cytomax in my water when I know that I'm going to be doing cardio after weight training or morning Spin class.  This gives me the energy I need and helps preserve the muscles I have.

I drink Whey Matrix from ISS in Cinnamon Oatmeal flavor.  It's really good, especially when mixed with cold skim milk.  My trainer recommended it to me.  However, if whey is not part of your diet, their are soy protein powders out there, too.  I would recommend finding a store or friends who use this stuff to see if you can get samples before you commit to a large container of it.  When protein powder is bad, it's really bad.

Again, you should probably consult with a trainer about your routine.  Trainers can't give you total nutrional advice, but the ones worth their salt can definitely tell you if you are eating enough and have the right balance.  They will also help you work out more efficiently and safely.

lan chicken and tuna have low fat and no carbs

lan chicken and tuna have low fat and no carbs

Hmmm, mlbtracy ... I hadn't though of the vegetarian aspect!

If you do not eat meat, go here for a good list of vegetarian/vegan protein options: http://www.vegparadise.com/protein.html

But here's a quick list of good sources of protein for vegetarians (not sure how the carbs add up, but some are lower than others):

Tofu
Quorn
Peanuts
Lentils
Soy beans
Tinned baked beans
Red kidney beans
Poppy seeds
Sesame seeds
Fortified soy milk
Almonds
Figs
Haricot beans
Spinach
Brazil nuts
Chickpeas
Kale
Broccoli
Spring greens
White cabbage

If you are not vegeterian, try to eat more fish.  Aside from protein intake you will also be consuming Omega-3 which is beneficial for your overall health.

To increase my protein intake I make myself a yogur shake: 8 oz of non-fat plain yogurt, small banana, about 100 g strowaberries, and I throw in 1/4 cup of Bob's Red Mill Protein Concentrate that yields about 16g of protien per serving.  Over all the snack is about 300 kcal, 430g total weight, 2g fat, 44g carbs and 30g protein.  It's a great after workout drink, since whey protein is relased imediately into the blood stream.  It's great fresh, but it doesn't loose taste or texture even if it's been in the fridge all day.

However, the shake will also add:
Daily Sodium Intake - 220 mg
Daily Cholesterol Intake - 35 mg
Daily Fiber Intake - 4 grams

As excercise advise, check out a book called Escape Your Shape.  I had a problem with getting bulky and not lean, and found out I was doing wrong excercises for my body type.  After I statred doing thier suggested rutine my progress to a leaner body is on much better track.

Thanks everyone. I can eat fish and tuna. I just has tuna in water for lunch today but can't resist apples. I eat like 3-4 apples a day.

Is that bad? I know they are carbs but they have a lot of fiber also. Fruit in general is not bad as cakes and sweets.

In terms of getting more protein. I agree with you.

spookychick: Thanks for posting this list. Very good info for me.

mlbtracy: Cytomax?? what is that? Do you suggest getting amino suplements?

zarelha:  I am looking for low carbs tortillas. What and from where did you get those 5 cals ones?? Since I eat tuna, I can use those.

Many thanks. I appreciate your inputs.

Niczyje:

Thanks for the advice. I will try to get that book. I didn't know that Bob's red Mill has a protein concentrate powder. This is a very good idea.

Yes, I am getting bulking but not lean. That is too bad. I have always thought that developing muscles means more energy and higher metabolism. Weird.

Cytomax is a sport drink mix from Cytosport.  It's a bit like Gatorade, but less sugar, and it has a good balance.  It takes a little bit to get used to it, but I like the Go Grape flavor.  You can find it at a like of bike shops, and some sports and camping equipment stores.  If you are exercising for more than an hour, you should really get a few carbohydrates in to help with recovery.  You can do the same thing with GU energy gels and there are some good gummies you can stick in your pocket.  Just be aware that some of them have caffeine, in case you are sensitive to it.

Supplementation isn't for everyone, though I do supplement.  I am allergic to fish oil, so I get my omega-3's with flax seed oil.  Of course, I take a daily multi, plus green tea extract, a B complex, and creatine.  I would check with your doctor before taking any supplements, though.

I also noticed that a lot of the carbs you are eating are fruit.  Fruit is excellent, but you might find that it doesn't really stick to you.  I would definitely try to get some whole grains like oatmeal, and possibly whey protein.  And carbs are not a bad thing -- just keep them smart.

I got the sodium level, 2300mg, from the Heart Association webiste.  I'm very sorry if I misunderstood it. 

That said, 323mg is quite low and I think that safina1 should try adding a sports drink to her diet to see if it helps.  Even doubling the sodium it is still over 3 times less than the maximum recommended.