how to combine weight training and social life

maradona10

i would like some opinions on how trainers combine their weight training and social life. it seems to me that the two are just not compatible.

i find that once im socialising( drinking) at weekends I neglect my diet.

is there any point in slogging away in a gym all week only to go out on the town at weekends.

is there any point to it. surely all benefits of training are lost after a weekend session

it seems the only way to make real progress is to to live like a hermit but what good is that

empirix

No, its possible to do both, beer is full of cvalories, i normally drink vodka and orange juice or something and in moderation, still calories consumed though,

eroo

It won't kill you if you do not overdo it at the weekends..

maradona10

i dont know lads, after the weekend my weight is down, my body fat is up

trying to take in protein 6 times a day, getting enough water is next to impossible for me if im out

Seraphina

eh. dont drink so much. its pretty simple...

AlphaMale 3OO

sacrifices do have to be made. maybe you could cut down to a piss up every fortnight? the day after a night on the piss, i always, always stay strict to my diet no matter how much i want to polish off a greasy goodfellas. i also rehydrate throughout the day and usually only drink spirits, though i get quite depressed when i do. i rarely drink anymore though, and im happy with the physical results.

maradona10

this weekend has been the first session in 3 weeks.

its depressing being back at square one

im one of those people who loses it easy and gains it slowly

AlphaMale 3OO

your not. you are el diego. only joking. you've yourself defeated already.

Coileach dearg

Yes, It can be done. If I have a session on a weekend, I push that bit harder in my workouts during the week. On the day of drinking I make sure I go for a run and do a workout. That way when you do drink, you don't have a guilty conscious. Also, on the day of drinking I eat way less calories becuase I know will be drinking pints. The day after if I am up for it I also go for a run. Nothing like sweating that hangover out of you and have a shower afterwards.

When I drink I have no more than 6/7 pints and then go on whiskey/brandy straights for the rest of the night. Think about it, you can still stay in rounds with your mates and have a good night.

It's all about getting the balance right. You're only young once so you shouldn't abandon your social life altogether.

Hanley

Tbh, it's not really that hard.

Sangre

How are you back to square one after one session in three weeks?

justsomebloke

dear god man just have some ****ing self control. Ye it is easy to combine a social life and training you just have to be willing to adapt and this is your problem. Chances are you just want to drink beer and eat kebab/super macs while not caring about your diet from friday evening until monday morning. But if you take care food wise over the weekend drop the majority of the ****ty eating and maybe take up shorts and diet mixers instead of beer you can eaily socialise and have it not effect all your hard wsork that much

rubadub

maradona10 wrote: »

is there any point in slogging away in a gym all week only to go out on the town at weekends.

is there any point to it. surely all benefits of training are lost after a weekend session

Are you competing at a professional level or something? I am just "competing" with my mates and peers, and my old fat self! and I am winning

If you didnt go to the gym and went out on the town would you be the exact same? I doubt it, therefore it is having an effect and is worthwhile.

I have lost around 3 stone of fat and am probably now at an "ideal" fat level, but would like to get to 10%BF as a longer term goal. I drink at least twice a week to excess and eat takeaways etc. During the week I eat better & do 45min cycling a day, and maybe 1.5-2hours weights per week.

celestial

rubadub wrote: »

If you didnt go to the gym and went out on the town would you be the exact same? I doubt it, therefore it is having an effect and is worthwhile.

I have lost around 3 stone of fat and am probably now at an "ideal" fat level, but would like to get to 10%BF as a longer term goal. I drink at least twice a week to excess and eat takeaways etc. During the week I eat better & do 45min cycling a day, and maybe 1.5-2hours weights per week.

Amen to that. OP, I suggest you adopt my belief that if you do all the right things 90% of the time, you can relax and 'cheat' 10% of the time. (I'm paraphrasing someone else here). I work out hard 2-3 times a week, mostly heavy weight training, but I mix it up with HIIT whenever I can. I started training seriously at the start of June this year, and have packed on muscle and lost fat (about two inches I'd say - the jeans I bought about a year ago are almost like clown pants on me now). Since then I have also:

Drank like a fish at a wedding, a holiday on the Med and a trip abroad (meals included burgers and chips room service. I've also eaten junk food at weekends after nights out and would be out almost every weekend, drinking and late night-takeaways.

However during the week I'm like a monk - no junk, no white bread, no pasta, just good clean food and high protein low-ish carbs. Plus there's all the training, which I don't do at weekends.

So you see, you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Dragan

celestial wrote: »

So you see, you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Just not during the week.

thirtyfoot

Just drink champagne, the drink of champions.

celestial

Dragan wrote: »

Just not during the week.

:D

Reyman

Coileach dearg wrote: »

When I drink I have no more than 6/7 pints and then go on whiskey/brandy straights for the rest of the night. Think about it, you can still stay in rounds with your mates and have a good night.

Moderate drinking ! That amount of alcohol is dangerous to say nothing about it's affect on your training. Why do it?

What's wrong with having 3 pints of beer, saving lots of cash, and being ok next day?

ali.c

Just my 2c, i know a few guys who were involved in a few different sports over the while. Tbh there were times (pre-comp) etc that they put their social lives on hold somewhat but i think that goes with the territory. It all comes down to priorities, sure we all need a life but depending on your goals it may be necessary to restrict your drinking on occasions. Its not the end of the world by any means.

Boru.

I can kinda understand the ops point. I've always been an extremist myself, an all or nothing kinda guy and don't do moderation well. As a result I don't drink and I don't go out on a Sat night. Simply because I know I would have a problem trying to find that balance, it would be all to easy for me to slip - so it's all out.

I don't socialize in the sense of going out for a drink with the lads. I socialize when I go for a 70k cycle with a tri-athlete club, or over protein shakes after a hard training session, or with some green tea after a martial arts class. I socialize through training. I'm quite luck in the sense that all my friends are fitness enthusiast's, gym instructors or athletes. I socialize with a group of people that have the same goals, and the same mindset.

I never feel like I'm missing out or sacrificing anything - being fit and active is my lifestyle choice, it's what I do to relax and have fun. If anything I'm the other way, I see people stumbling home late the next day, looking wrecked and my friends and I feel amazing heading off on a long cycle or jog, I see going out for the night as sacrificing that opportunity.

What I'm getting at is maybe it's not a question of giving up socializing, but changing the manner in which you do it.

Gillo

celestial wrote: »

I suggest you adopt my belief that if you do all the right things 90% of the time, you can relax and 'cheat' 10% of the time.

Definetly agree with that, IMHO I don't have a problem with going out at the weekend and generally go out on a session once a month (yes, it is binge drinking, I know). I enjoy the going out, socialising, relaxing and destressing, so while physically it has a negiative effect I generally feel great afterwards (mentally not physically). Unless you are training at a professional level, there's no reason why you can't have a night out every so often.

maradona10

thanks for all the feedback

surely though the repetitive cycle of training during the week/indulging at weekend just leads to standing still

for example if u train hard friday,then beer fri night and sat how can u be ready to train sun or mon and progress.

ali.c

maradona10 wrote: »

for example if u train hard friday,then beer fri night and sat how can u be ready to train sun or mon and progress.

Milk thistle?? sure sorted out my previously rotten hangovers. Tbh i find if i drink plenty of water before going to bed and eat something before bed i am pretty okay the next day tbh. Granted probably not as strong as i would of been had i not been drinking but i make it through the workout. If its affecting you two days later then it would seem its not a few beers you are having!

maradona10

just beers and i dont go near mcdonalds, kfc etc.

i eat well but not often enough when im out and i neglect hydration

boy fat% shoots up and overall weight ends up down

SpAcEd OuT

To be honest I have one day off during the week, no training, no diet and I go out and get pissed this magical off day for me is Saturday and without it I don't think I'd be training so well I mean personally I couldn't stay on a diet and training regime for long peroids without a rest. I need something to look forward to and come Saturday, I pig out on take aways get pissed with my mates and dont think about training. ha and usually a night out motivates me more when the girls are coming over to me rather than my 'cant be arsed to go the the gym' mates and then theres also the guilt factor to take to Sunday's session, always makes you push it up a level.

Hanley

maradona10 wrote: »

i eat well but not often enough when im out and i neglect hydration

boy fat% shoots up and overall weight ends up down

Now I wonder if there's a link.

BossArky

celestial wrote: »

Drank like a fish at a wedding, ....

.... you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Did you have any wedding cake?

Smellyirishman

<nerd>The cake is a lie.</nerd>