DOMS/Recovery help

aFlabbyPanda

Hi,

I'm struggling with recovery at the moment and looking for any help you can offer. My work out is as follows,

Mon; 45 min circuit, 45 min free weight, 45 min spin
Tue; 3 mile run
Wed; 45 min circuit, 45 min spin, 6 mile run
Thur; 3 mile run
Fri; 45min spin; 45 min free weights
Sat; REST
Sun; 14 mile run

I've been doing the weights/spin/circuits for 2 months fine (been running small amounts and other workouts for 2 years) and only added the running in the last 2 weeks (training for a marathon in June) but I'm struggling to recover for anything since then. Even today my arms, etc are still aching from monday.

My diet is good (no junk, very little processed foods, no white stuff, plenty of fruit & veg, etc) and I take a protein shake from time to time

cmyk

You're doing a huge amount of work there and not a lot of rest, what's involved in the circuits and free weights?

corkcomp

it sounds like you might have thrown yourself in at the deep end tbh. with that level of training adequate rest and food intake is important... fruit and veg are great but they will be secondary to what you need to keep up with that level of exercise... can you postup a days typical diet maybe?

aFlabbyPanda

Circuits are usually clean/press, push up, sit up, squat, burpies, each exercise is performed x1 then go to the next one, then x2 go to the next one, then x3 etc. until you reach 10. Then there is plank holds & stretchs.

My diet is pretty much the same day to day as I'm not fond of fish, salads etc so I got it to suit me and stuck to it.

Breakfast,
porridge with honey or unsweetened muesli with low fat milk
2 slices of rye bread with jam

11's,
Apple & yogurt,

Lunch,
Rye bread with turkey, ham, cheese, peanut butter,
Rice cakes (or maybe low fat crisps),
Fruit,

Afternoon,
Protein shake (mon & wed)
or
More fruit/yogurt

Dinner,
Chicken/Chops/Mince/Steak with mixed veg (no spuds, pasta, etc)

Snack,
tea with a buscuit, etc.

I'm trying to cut some fat too at the moment (currently around 20%) so I'm tracking everything callories & carb wise (myfitnesspal.com) but I'd have a curry on a sat night. I know the workout is large but I'm commited to it and would hate to cut back.

corkcomp

ok , diet is good man, but you should add some complex carbs in for dinner .. if your having low fat crisps and a biscuit, a potato or some brown rice / pasta wont do any harm

cmyk

BrianjG wrote: »

I know the workout is large but I'm commited to it and would hate to cut back.

Not doubting your commitment to the training, but I'd imagine your heading for an injury/sickness with that workload. A more structured plan aimed toward your goal of the marathon may suit better. More is not always better!

ErinGoBrath

Mon, Wed and Fri sessions seem excessive for the low carb diet you are on.

You won't be able to sustain that much longer IMO without more carbs in your diet.

If you look at the amount of cals you're burning:

45 min circuits - approx 525 cals
45 min free wieghts (moderate effort) - approx 200 cals
45 min spinning (vigorous effort) -approx 685

This adds up to total of 1410. Looking at your diet I'd say you're taking in less than 2000 (depending on shake content and portion size of course!)

Use this to calcuate your mainanence level: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

Aim to come in say 500 cals under your mainanence and see how you get on. Every 3 or so days up the cals to over your mainanence to keep your body from starvation mode.

Hope this helps.

mindaugelis

BrianjG wrote: »

Hi,

I'm struggling with recovery at the moment and looking for any help you can offer. My work out is as follows,

Mon; 45 min circuit, 45 min free weight, 45 min spin
Tue; 3 mile run
Wed; 45 min circuit, 45 min spin, 6 mile run
Thur; 3 mile run
Fri; 45min spin; 45 min free weights
Sat; REST
Sun; 14 mile run

I've been doing the weights/spin/circuits for 2 months fine (been running small amounts and other workouts for 2 years) and only added the running in the last 2 weeks (training for a marathon in June) but I'm struggling to recover for anything since then. Even today my arms, etc are still aching from monday.

My diet is good (no junk, very little processed foods, no white stuff, plenty of fruit & veg, etc) and I take a protein shake from time to time

did you try bcaa? asdf

aFlabbyPanda

@cmyk, The running is from the Hal Higdon beginners guide, this is my second attempt. I failed last year at around the 15 mile mark so was trying to increase fitness with the classes.

@eringobrath, I'm trying to cut some weight too as I'm about 2 stone over hence the low carb approach.

@mindaugelis, I'm open to all suggestions but I was suckered in to buying all sorts of pills, shakes, etc when I started and none seem to do feck all (or at least not for what I wanted anyway).

I know I seem like I'm trying to do 2 things at once (lose weight & train for the marathon) and these may be goals which work against each other but it's just I've finally seen some weight loss (5lbs since March 1st) and I'm afraid that by cutting back or eating more I'll lose what little ground I've made so far.

thanks for all the advice so far.

cmyk

BrianjG wrote: »

@cmyk, The running is from the Hal Higdon beginners guide, this is my second attempt. I failed last year at around the 15 mile mark so was trying to increase fitness with the classes.

I don't know anything about the Hal Higdon Plan but can't imagine it advocates the circuits/spin classes and weights etc on top of the running?

aFlabbyPanda

No it doesnt. I was already doing the classes/circuits when I started the Higdon program.

mindaugelis

BrianjG wrote: »

@cmyk, The running is from the Hal Higdon beginners guide, this is my second attempt. I failed last year at around the 15 mile mark so was trying to increase fitness with the classes.

@eringobrath, I'm trying to cut some weight too as I'm about 2 stone over hence the low carb approach.

@mindaugelis, I'm open to all suggestions but I was suckered in to buying all sorts of pills, shakes, etc when I started and none seem to do feck all (or at least not for what I wanted anyway).

I know I seem like I'm trying to do 2 things at once (lose weight & train for the marathon) and these may be goals which work against each other but it's just I've finally seen some weight loss (5lbs since March 1st) and I'm afraid that by cutting back or eating more I'll lose what little ground I've made so far.

thanks for all the advice so far.

Reduce Post Workout Muscle Soreness asdf

Brian?

I know its controvesial, but maybe you need to rest more

Think about dropping one of the weight circuits a week and having a good aul sleep that day.

flywheel

BrianjG wrote: »

Hi,
I'm struggling with recovery at the moment and looking for any help you can offer.

Hi, take some study/research time and look into Sports Periodisation, to begin to cycle your training in a planned / strategic way so that you peak at the right time... as suggested above, recover is a key element in any training routine...

look for references to Tudor Bompa and Joe Friel... here's a Google Book ref to Bompa's core text:
Periodization: theory and methodology of training