I can't sleep, I'm irritable, somewhat depressed... am I overtraining???

[youlikeadajuice?]

I started a 5x5 workout 5 weeks ago. I do the compound lift 5x5 then I do 2sets of 8 reps of the same muscle group. Basically the same routine that Needsize introduced here. Followed by 30-40 minutes of cardio(for my blood pressure)

But also 5 weeks ago, I started summer school. With some really tough classes.

But since then. I can't sleep. I have been getting about 7 hours of sleep per night or less. I usually get 10. I go to bed early same time every night, and I just lay there... and watch the clock. And as of late, I've been really depressed for no reason (which isn't like me) and I've been really irritable (which isn't like me) .

I think the latter problems are by-products of sleep loss.

If this is overtraining, how do I solve it, and still stay on a 5x5?
I've tried melatonin, but I read that it will shrink the testes. and I certainly don't want to depend on a drug just to go to bed??

Help me guys???

 

[anthrax]

I started a 5x5 workout 5 weeks ago. I do the compound lift 5x5 then I do 2sets of 8 reps of the same muscle group. Basically the same routine that Needsize introduced here. Followed by 30-40 minutes of cardio(for my blood pressure)

But also 5 weeks ago, I started summer school. With some really tough classes.

But since then. I can't sleep. I have been getting about 7 hours of sleep per night or less. I usually get 10. I go to bed early same time every night, and I just lay there... and watch the clock. And as of late, I've been really depressed for no reason (which isn't like me) and I've been really irritable (which isn't like me) .

I think the latter problems are by-products of sleep loss.

If this is overtraining, how do I solve it, and still stay on a 5x5?

overtraining leads to sleeping issues...

I've tried melatonin, but I read that it will shrink the testes. and I certainly don't want to depend on a drug just to go to bed??

Melatonin will not shrink your testes and it is not a drug like benzodiazepins
you can take it w/o worrying

Help me guys???

Drop the cardio

 

[big4life]

Sounds like it could be just the extra stress of summer school that is causing you not to be able to sleep. Are you taking any new meds or suppliments that might be keeping you awake?

 

[youlikeadajuice?]

I've cut out any caffeine, no meds, nothing new... just some mulitvits and glucosamine.

anthrax, you say drop the cardio- but I have high blood pressure, and the reason I started working out was for my health. But now, I'm trying to become serious about gaining mass. The cardio I do is light (walking quickly, cycling, eliptical). So its not that easy??? right?

 

[jay1]

Did you just come off a cycle ?

 

[coolcolj]

The signs are there

 

[callthedoctor]

Try doing something VERY relaxing before bed....read a book, sex, both.

 

[WalkingBeast]

I was like that before I started training. Except much worse then you described. Even with excessive lifting Im still right on that edge though. Things would be so much worse if I stopped lifting though. No vent. Id just drive through it. Pain is only temporary! You may feel better when your circumstances change. Laying off is the worst thing you can do IMO. I had to do that during my injury and still cant get that fullness back that I once had.

 

[Allon]

Maybe try one weeks rest and see what happens.

 

[JKurz1]

I'll tell you one thing, you definately aren't overtrained.................


Now, are you malnourished? Maybe..........Post your diet............I'll bet if you are stressed out (from school), you are eating like shit, or not eating at all - stress = lack of appetite (or sometimes the opposite), but it def. leads to lack or insufficient sleep patterns......

 

[sh4dowf4lcon]

keep lifting

 

[guldukat]

I started a 5x5 workout 5 weeks ago. I do the compound lift 5x5 then I do 2sets of 8 reps of the same muscle group. Basically the same routine that Needsize introduced here. Followed by 30-40 minutes of cardio(for my blood pressure)

But also 5 weeks ago, I started summer school. With some really tough classes.

But since then. I can't sleep.

Summer school's it. All the added stress is fucking with your head, bro, and that's bound to effect your body.

I suggest you coast for awhile. Basically, go into the gym and just try to have a good time. Train for a nice pump, and try some new exercises for kicks. Don't even think about poundage progression or making your workout all that productive...F-U-N is the bottom line!

That alone will help a lot, I think. You'll sleep much better with the lesser stress...believe me, I've been there!

Then, when you're finished with summer school, you can think about drilling the 5x5 hard again. You'll be up to snuff before you know it.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

are you still making gains on your lifts?

if your not, could be overtraining...

 

[InTraining]

If you are in the gym 5 days a week(which I assume you are as you said it was identical to Needsize's split) and then doing cardio after those sessions... plus not giving the body enough food due to other factors you could definitely be overtraining.....also the stress of school could be a big factor

I don't know about the other members but when I include even a little cardio in my routine(maybe 2 30 minute sessions per week) my appetite goes way down and thus it is easier to become overtrainined...

 

[youlikeadajuice?]

actually my appetite had been pretty good except for the last 2 days. I've never juiced btw. I work out MTRF, I do 30 mins of cardio on W(thinking about dropping).

My diet pretty much holds to this:

9am 5 egg whites
1 whole egg
1TB flax
1 cup oats
water

1pm 1 can of tuna
3/4 c brown rice

(workout)

4pm pw/o shake 45 dextrose, 45 whey

6pm 1c brown rice OR 1c oats 8oz chicken breast

8pm 8oz of lean meat, green veggies, yams

10pm 2TBS ANPB

----

I never totaled the cals, I was just eating as much as I could. I don't eat out often like most college guys do. I try to eat good and clean.

---
I have all next week off from school. I think that will help cure how I feel.

 

[JKurz1]

actually my appetite had been pretty good except for the last 2 days. I've never juiced btw. I work out MTRF, I do 30 mins of cardio on W(thinking about dropping).

My diet pretty much holds to this:

9am 5 egg whites
1 whole egg
1TB flax
1 cup oats
water

1pm 1 can of tuna
3/4 c brown rice

(workout)

4pm pw/o shake 45 dextrose, 45 whey

6pm 1c brown rice OR 1c oats 8oz chicken breast

8pm 8oz of lean meat, green veggies, yams

10pm 2TBS ANPB

----

I never totaled the cals, I was just eating as much as I could. I don't eat out often like most college guys do. I try to eat good and clean.

---
I have all next week off from school. I think that will help cure how I feel.

Did you post your stats?????? Don't bullshit me and say you are eating as much as you can....you diet is way too clean for this to hold true (which isn't a bad thing at all...) it's good to get into the clean groove early, but you can def. eat more than ONE EGG or 3/4 cup of rice and a tin of tuna.....the women in my office eat more than that and they don't train.......also, the cardio is NOT THE PROBLEM.......I do 40 minutes every morning........then I train at night for a good hour.........You need to double your cals if you keep the cardio, esp. the good fats and proteins.................go buy yourself a jug of muscle milk.....I think I'm gonna do that tonight too..........

 

[youlikeadajuice?]

I'm 6', 178, 15%

Don't get me wrong, I have about 2 cheat meals a week. I just find its cheaper and easier for me to eat cleanly... Two days ago I ate 3/4 of a large pizza, but I don't do that often b/c it gets expensive.

What is muscle milk?

 

[JKurz1]

http://www.cytosport.com/


It's def. EASIER to eat lik hell, I mean look at all the garbage stations out there.....but, eating clean takes time and pure dedication............congrats.

 

[guldukat]

Did you post your stats?????? Don't bullshit me and say you are eating as much as you can....you diet is way too clean for this to hold true (which isn't a bad thing at all...) it's good to get into the clean groove early, but you can def. eat more than ONE EGG or 3/4 cup of rice and a tin of tuna.....the women in my office eat more than that and they don't train.......also, the cardio is NOT THE PROBLEM.......I do 40 minutes every morning........then I train at night for a good hour.........You need to double your cals if you keep the cardio, esp. the good fats and proteins.................go buy yourself a jug of muscle milk.....I think I'm gonna do that tonight too..........

That's a good thought, but at this point, I think he's best served by taking it easy in the gym and eating like a mofo.

Remember when, around the first of April/tax time, you were working so hard?

It was pretty much futile to try and juggle hard training with that, as you discovered. You were simply under so much stress that, even when diet and everything else was in order, you wound up losing strength, feeling bad, etc.

Summer school poses a similar situation stress-wise (if not exactly on the same scale). Cramming a whole semester of classes into 5-6 weeks, especially tough classes, is pretty brutal. Combining that with the further stresses of hard 5x5 routine will put a lot of people in a bad place even if, again, they're eating like crazy.

Thus, the most important thing to do is to back off on the training intensity for a short while. When school's wrapped up, it'll be back to business as usual.

 

[youlikeadajuice?]

I'll give that a try.

just train to maintain for the next 4 weeks.