Exercising to boost energy levels

watna

My bf and I have got quite lazy recently. We're working at opposite sides of town so get home and different times. Then I cook dinner and he washes up, we lie around and go to bed. I'm moving jobs soon so will be working next to him and will have more time in the evenings. We've both got very sluggish and we're always tired, no matter how early we go asleep. My other half also thinks it's affecting his, ahem, libido. We eat quite well, I cook from scratch every night with fresh meat and vegetables and we both take vitamins with ginseng every day, but we're still exhausted. We though that regular gym visits would help us with our energy levels and make us feel healthier and less sluggish. Do you think this will help us out? Should we go when we get home and then have dinner when we get home, or vice versa? Does anybody else have any other suggestions on how to improve energy levels?, what exercises? Thanks!

pwd

compound weight lifting exercises will cause an increase in testosterone and other hormones which will in turn increase energy and libido.
You need to give yourselves adequate time to recover or you'll exxperience the oppposite effect.
The best exercises to try are full squats, deadlifts and bench press. Loads of info on these exercises already in other threads.

watna

I generally don't lift weights as I'm quite slim and don't want to get very muscly legs/arms as it looks out of proportion on me! I'll pass the weight lifting advice on to my bf though!

tribulus

watna wrote:

I generally don't lift weights as I'm quite slim and don't want to get very muscly legs/arms as it looks out of proportion on me!

I seriously doubt that will happen.

CerebralCortex

watna wrote:

I generally don't lift weights as I'm quite slim and don't want to get very muscly legs/arms as it looks out of proportion on me! I'll pass the weight lifting advice on to my bf though!

lol

davyjose

watna wrote:

I generally don't lift weights as I'm quite slim and don't want to get very muscly legs/arms as it looks out of proportion on me! I'll pass the weight lifting advice on to my bf though!

This annoys me, because in such a fitness conscious society that we live in right now, statements like this are frankly ignorant.
Ok, believe it or not, getting muscly doesn't happen by accident. It takes extreme dedication to put on muscle, particularly if you are slim. Because diet is equally, if not more important than lifting heavy weights.
Also using weights with high repetition is unlikely to force hypertrophy (increase in muscle size), but rather will 'tone' your muscles. Trust me, almost every girl on TV, or in magazines with a good body*, does weights of some kind or another.

*This automatically excludes size zero models.

rubadub

watna wrote:

I generally don't lift weights as I'm quite slim and don't want to get very muscly legs/arms as it looks out of proportion on me! I'll pass the weight lifting advice on to my bf though!

Look on any fitness or bodybuilding forum and I can guarantee you will not find a single man or woman with a thread saying "I have gotten too big, what can I do", it is more like men and women saying "I have been training like a lunatic, lifting heavy for years and dont seem to get big at all".

almost every girl on TV, or in magazines with a good body*, does weights of some kind or another

Very true, not sure if you ever saw the TV program gladiators, the women on that program looked great and were probably lifting heavy for years. Same goes for any of those infomercials.

Colm_OReilly

As a female, you lack the hormones necessary to really bulk up in size, but you should still be doing load bearing exercise (i.e. weights/resistance)

I definitely think exercise can help with your energy levels. Keep your workouts short and intense to get the best benefits - so you can spend your energy outside the gym!

I'd recommend you read these two pdfs: What is Fitness? and Crossfit Foundations - they've a lot of solid advice on what good exercise is all about.

Also, and to go slightly off topic, but if your energy levels are low it might be a sign you're stressed/bored. I don't know you but I thought I'd throw this out there.

When you move jobs it can give you that boost of energy you've been looking for because you'll have a new challenge, plus you'll mix up the relationship with the boyfriend (more time together, different routines)

Best of luck, if you've any other questions please fire away

Colm

BossArky

watna wrote:

I generally don't lift weights as I'm quite slim and don't want to get very muscly legs/arms as it looks out of proportion on me! I'll pass the weight lifting advice on to my bf though!

watna, take a read of this, then come back and tell me you don't want to lift weights or look like Jamie Eason. Your boyfriend may like to read the article too




There she is. Fat lot of good those weights did for her :rolleyes:

siochain

watna wrote:

We though that regular gym visits would help us with our energy levels and make us feel healthier and less sluggish. Do you think this will help us out? Should we go when we get home and then have dinner when we get home, or vice versa? Does anybody else have any other suggestions on how to improve energy levels?, what exercises? Thanks!

Back the bags the night before and hit the gym on the way home from work, You will feel refreshed and energized after a day’s work. When going to the gym I either go a 7am before work or a 4pm on the way home. When I go in the morning I’m set up for the day and get more done in the first 2 hours than most others get done in their first 4 hours as they are still sluggish relying on coffee to get them started. Hitting the gym on the way home is excellent if you have had a busy stressful day after a good workout it’s left behind and forgotten about. With all those exercise induced endorphins and oxygen floating around the body you will feel great.

Good luck and enjoy ……

arybvtcw0eolkf

Watna, I've seen your pix posted and you look very fit and healthy.

Without going into your personal life, ie time spent to & from work, activities outside of the gym/work etc I'd wonder how long your spending in the gym?.

Alot of novices will spend hours a day in the gym, leaving exhausted and thinking they've done good. This is very harmful, will lead to injuries, stress and lower motivation.

Your workout should be short and intense. For the majority of people anything more than an hour in the gym is time wasted. If you train hard and intense enough you shouldn't last more than one hour unless your an athlete.

Hit the gym, use the time constructively and leave with a feeling of 'yea I feel good, I'd love to do more' and that energy carries!.

Never, ever leave the gym exhausted!.

Exhaustion leaves little or no time for recovery.

***late edit***.

I'd also seek advice on post workout diet/supplements as this is a vital area for your recovery and feeling of wellness. I'm not great in this area so I won't advise.

If your in Dublin you might do well to pay Jon's shop a visit or PM him here for that advice.

***another late edit***.

If your BF's sex drive is low this might indicate stresses outside the gym, as training often increases a persons sex drive massively. I know when I'm finished in the gym I could pole vault home and leave the car parked up

BrianD3

It sounds like ye could really benefit from having your own equipment at home rather than having to spend time travelling to the gym, then possibly queueing up to use the equipment etc.

i'd suggest you get some weights for home. Even if you only got a bar and weights and only did deadlifting, that would be very beneficial. Or you could get a dumbbell or a kettlebell and do some swings and snatches.