I'm burnt out

[seemunkee]

I don't care any more. Just buy some larger pants and be done with it.

My shoulders are aching, my neck is sore and my knee hurts. As soon as I get in a good rythm and making some gains I get hurt. Right now I can't find anything to do that doesn't exasperate one problem. I have no trips planned or competitions to aim for and I'm gaining weight despite watching my calories. Trying to keep things down to 1800 per day is a pain in the ass and anything above that causes me to gain. I'm envious of the people who say they have lost XX pounds when I can't lose any and I work(ed) out every damn day, usually twice a day. So what's the point?

[Room101]

1. Twice a day? what are you doing twice a day?

What do these workouts consist of? Weight training, cardio.
what are the durations of these workouts?

[seemunkee]

2. This

My routine is/was
For the AM
M/F Dumbbell Bench press (can't do barbell benchs because of shoulder impingement)
W Abs - Janda situps and sidebends
T/Th - deadlifts
After about a year of that I recently switched to
M/W/F - several sets of situps alternating between Janda, Swissball and regular with sidebends in between sets
T/Th Kettlebells -Swings, Snatches, Clean and press, deadlift
All of the above workouts are only 15-20 minutes

In the evenings I will go climibing T/Th in the gym and then try to go outside one weekend morning. The other days I try to go on a bike ride 5-10 miles. Weekends also consist of a lot of yard work or maintenance/building projects around the house.

[Room101]

3. What are your specific goals?

What is your training background? Are you creating an energy (calorie) deficit daily?

Snatches clean and press and the dead lift are lifts that usually require a high intensity of effort thus making inroads into your recovery ability. Bodybuilding is largely based on the medical discipline of stress physiology (see G.A.S. General Adaptation syndrome)

You are overtraining! To allow only one full day to pass between Snatches, Clean and press, dead lifts and then repeating it again is not rational, you are a stimulus freak. Reduce those lifts to ever 4-7 days.

A rational Bodybuilder or Weightlifter’s job is to simply go into the gym and threaten the muscles sufficiently to start the growth mechanism into motion and get the hell out of the gym allowing nature to do the rest. See G.A.S.

Do NOT give up! Anyone who rides 5-10 miles has an incredible amount of drive. You are just confused and this leads to frustration. I have been their and was able to clear the fog.

[seemunkee]

5. My main goal is to climb

Specifically bouldering. I also like to bike but haven't gotten into it this season, besides that its general fitness/strength. I don't care about bodybuilding, as a matter of fact I'm very much against it. Building size is detrimental to climbing.

I wish muscle ache was the problem, I have a mild variant of Ehlers-Danlos. My tendons/cartilage are weak and causes me to get injured often. You can add age into the factor too. Every time I'm just breaking out of what I consider the beginner level of bouldering I get injured and have to start over. Most of my friends that I climb with are always surprised to see my come back, they would have given up by now. I almost quit after having lost last summer to dislocated ankles(at separate times)but I've been doing it so long I can't imagine not doing it.

5-10 miles is pretty easy. I don't consider that a workout unless I go all out or take the hilly route on the fixed gear. Its enjoyable recreation

As for stretching out the snatches, clean and press, dead lifts I want to be clear that these are not traditional barbell lifts but done with a kettlebell as a ballistic high rep exercise. When I was doing powerlifting benchpress and deadlifts those were more spread out(sort of). I would do a heavy deadlift routine on Tues and a light one on Thurs. Both of those being a 5X5 routine. Bench presses were done M/F

I counted calories for so long I can guess pretty damn close each day as to what I consumed. I also get damned tired of being hungry all the time 1800 calories isn't much. I also noticed a considerable drop in my metabolism at around 42 that has been hard to deal with.

[wildeyed]

14. Overtraining.

From my experience, climbing is a movement centered sport, so technique and mental fitness is incredibly important for improvement, probably more important than brute strength. So I guess I am not clear about why you are doing all the lifting, if what you really want to do is to climb harder. And honestly, without seeing your climbing, it is hard for me to judge where your weakness lies; in technique or in strength. But for most people, technique is the problem.

Also wondering if you are creating a base, or trying to progress too fast. Trying to progress too fast was always a specialty of mine. But the reality is, you have to create a base of problems of a similar grade before you try to go harder. If you don't, you won't have the technique to solve the harder problems, and you will get injured cause your tendons are not strong enough, and it takes tendons much longer to get strong than muscle.

Are you in a rut? I had a friend who insisted on doing weighted pull ups for climbing. He never got any better at climbing, and periodically needed surgery for his shoulders, but he kept doing them anyway. :shrug:

Consider taking some time off from lifting and bouldering. Go out and do some long trad routes, or moderate sport climbs. Try yoga or martial arts for cross training. I have found them to be a much better cross for climbing than weights, and I have done both. Yoga exercises all the muscles in a connected manner that is consistent with how you use your body when you climb, and it instills the meditative state of mind that is also similar to what you need to climb hard. Weight training creates strength imbalances in your body when applied to climbing. I tend to do too many pull-ups, but not enough leg work. So when I go out to climb, I tend to overuse my upper body, which leads to injury. Plus, climbing uses muscles at many different angles, and it is difficult to replicate that with a weight routine, but easy with martial arts and yoga.

You don't completely lose your fitness base when you take a break. You back slide a little, but it is easy to get it back once you start to train again. It is breaking new fitness ground that is really painful and hard.

As far as the weight, I don't have much to say, except listen to your body. If I limit calories, I have less energy, and can't workout as hard. I have found, for me, that limiting simple carbs is the key. Keeps my energy high and my weight steady. But for you, it might be something else. Climbing is a cruel, cruel sport for weight. Even a few pounds can make a huge difference in performance.

Good luck seemunkee!

[lady lib]

4. I'm not sure if you're asking for advice,

and if you're not, just let me offer some emotional support because I've been there.

If you do want advice though, here are my suggestions:
- Take this weekend off to let your muscles heal and maybe just do some things that you find relaxing like swimming or walking.
- Maybe write down what your goals are for your health and fitness.
- Pick up a copy of Body for Life (the program that I'm on). You'll learn how to exercise efficiently and correctly by spending 20 minutes on alternating days doing aerobic exercise and about 50 minutes on alternating days doing weight lifting. You'll eat 6 small, healthy meals per day that don't require any calorie counting. Sunday is your free day to eat whatever you want and not exercise (I've got the Sunday thing down :)). There's also an 800 number that you can call if you need advice on the plan.
- Keep in touch with us.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060193395/qid=1147286769/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-8340664-5523968?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

http://www.bodyforlife.com/

http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch?follow-pro=2&vwcatalog=americasvitaminstore&catalog=americasvitaminstore&query=myoplex&.autodone=nsearch.html

[seemunkee]

6. Just whining

I read Body for Life and didn't care for it. The 6 small meals per day just does not fit with my lifestyle and family.

[flvegan]

7. Have you tried glucosamine/chondroitin supplementation?

Sounds like you've been rough on the joints, there.

Personally, I won't use chondroitin, but I understand that it helps.

I'd also take it easy for a month, doing low impact cardio.

[seemunkee]

8. Taking a month off means starting over again.

Curious why you won't use chondroitin. I've used Glucosamine in the past and going to start again tonight.

[flvegan]

9. Not starting over

Taking a month off your regimen, changing it to a lower impact one. You're not just going cold-turkey on fitness.

I won't use chondroitin for ethical reasons. It's completely personal. Much of it is derived from shark, so it's not for me.

[seemunkee]

10. general fitness no

but the sport specific fitness is gone.
Take the favorite thing that you like to do and take away for a month or two every year. Lose all progress you made up to that point and have to start off like a beginner.

I understand your reasoning for the chondroiton.

[flvegan]

11. Hey, brother, I feel you on this.

If I tore a pec or a tricep, I'd be mad, crazy angry. Let's start from the beginning. PM me, please. I'd like to help you in any way I can, as I understand where you're coming from.

Let's rewind...

Besides even Dorian trained with torn muscles and STILL won. No reason you can't move forward like that as well, eh?

[seemunkee]

12. OK

I'm heading to bed and will be out of the office tomorrow. I'll send you some more info tomorrow night.

[flvegan]

13. Kick ass!

Looking fwd to it. Happy to help however I can.

[MemphisTiger]

15. I sounds like you may be overtraining

Give yourself some rest and make sure your form is good if you seem to be getting hurt often. I personally know how tempting it is to put the weight, but if it compromises good form, it's not worth it. Take some time off, your body grows when you rest not in the gym. Also, check your diet. Post a typical day diet along with your weight and goals so we can check it out. You may not be getting enough calories. Good luck.

[Katherine Brengle]

16. Sounds like a classic case of overtraining--

you might actually try increasing your calories and cutting down on your workouts--lift heavier, cut down on cardio, especially low intensity cardio.

Can you post your diet? (I am going to check, you may have already, in which case, nm.)