I'm having a bad day, what should I do?

[SoulySpoken]

Hey Mark, so lately I've been feeling "off". These feelings began about a week ago and only have become more apparent since then. My symptoms include:

-lack of appetite
-having a hard time falling asleep
-fatigue
-slight aching throughout the body
-anxiety
-irritability
-not excited to lift, like I usually am


I would like to mention that my nutrition is pretty good. Surplus of carbs, calories, good fats, and especially proteins. Since I have a free schedule I usually sleep from 1130pm-10am. I follow the advanced novice program exactly how it's written. No bullshit assistance exercises like curls, leg extensions, etc..

So, I'm pretty sure I'm exhibiting signs of overtraining.

I've been progressing smoothly for almost 8 weeks now since my last resets. And I've been hitting PR's for the last 4 weeks. I squatted 260 for 3x5 on Monday (July 9th) and it completely drained me. I attempted to bench 180 for 3x5 and failed; I only got 3x2. Today I was supposed to do 80% of 260 for 2x5. After light squatting, I was too fatigued to continue my workout. I pressed 135 for 1x1 and quit from there.

So, the question is:
1.) Should I try another reset?
2.) Should I skip Friday's workout.And move Friday's workout to Monday?
3.) Should I do Friday's workout at 50% of my 5RM?
4.) Should I switch to intermediate progression? Texas Method.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Post your diet and sleep schedule for 3 days.

[SoulySpoken]

Day 1:
-3 eggs, bacon, toast, multivitamin
-40+grams of protein (homemade milkshake)
-chicken breast, mashed potatoes, vegetable (broccoli, asparagus, carrots), 1-2 glasses of milk
-Another 40+grams of protein (homemade milkshake)
-leftover chicken breast, mashed potatoes, vegetable (broccoli, asparagus, carrots), 1-2 glasses of milk

Sleep: 12am-11pm

Day 2:
-bowl of cereal, glass of OJ, multivitamin
-40+grams of protein (homemade milkshake)
-Hungry man frozen dinner
-turkey sandwich, glass of milk
-40+grams of protein (homemade milkshake)
-turkey sandwich, glass of milk

Sleep: 12am-11pm

Day 3:
-3-4 servings of biscuits and gravy, 1-2 glasses of milk, multivitamin
-40+grams of protein (homemade milkshake)
-Chicken fettucini frozen dinner that serves 3-4 people (Consumed by myself), 1-2 glasses of milk
-40+grams of protein (homemade milkshake)
-10 oz ribeye steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli, 1-2 glasses of milk

Sleep 12am-11pm

I'm really not exaggerating the diet. My family thinks I'm crazy with the large amounts of food that i eat, but I just love food. And even though I've been feeling "overtrained" lately. The diet has stayed the same, it just has become harder to eat. It involves a lot of gagging, but sometimes you just gotta force feed yourself. I drink the protein shakes 2x daily/7 days a week.

The sleeping on the other hand; I still go to bed at the same hours, I just find myself laying there forever (2-3 hours), tossing and turning before I actually fall asleep. I feel so tired and fatigued throughout the day, but I don't know why I can't fall asleep at night. Before I started feeling overtrained. I could fall asleep within 15 minutes and wake up feeling very refreshed.

I know you didn't ask, but I wanted to mention my lifting stats that I attained from your badass program:

March 19, 2012 --First starting strength workout
Squat: 185, 3x5
Bench: 130, 3x5
Deadlift 235, 1x5
Press: 80, 3x5
BW: 179

Most recent 5RM's:
Squat: 260, 3x5
Bench: 175, 3x5
Deadlift: 345, 1x5
Press: 125, 3x5
BW:205

[Mark Rippetoe]

You're not eating enough, and I see no red meat in your diet.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Are you microloading Souly??? I recall in my forum you posted something about burning out your pressing/benching on the novice program, but you had not yet started microloading....hence the lack of progress on your pressing?

Rip is right, your calories and especially your quality calories/protein are not as high as you think they are.

[DV]

My 0.02 for what it's worth:

You are not eating as much as you think you are. At 205 you should think along the lines of 6 eggs for breakfast, 3 is a snack for a guy your size trying to follow this aggressive a progression scheme. And that means every day. A bowl of cereal isn't exactly a weightlifters breakfast...

Also you haven't progressed all that much in 4 months of SS, I'd expect your squat to be higher. Either you have reset a lot, or you haven't followed The Program. You've gained a decent amount of weight though, but how much that is, depends somewhat on your height, which you failed to list.

Finally don't make the mistake of inferring everything to training. This might be as simple as you coming down with a bug, having stress at school/work or something else. I've made that mistake myself more than once, only to find out that my problems were to be found outside the gym.

[veryhrm]

Don't know why, but SS really messed with my sleep in a way other physical activity never did; most sports make me sleep great. For me one thing that helps is walking for ~30-45 minutes a day. That amount of "cardio" will also likely not mess up your program otherwise. (I also find the walking to have salutary effects on low back tightness). YMMV.

[GHK]

Apart from not eating enough. When have you had a week off since Mar 19? A weeks rest and eating more will help reset the overtraining... you would be last person to know your overtraining.

You described exactly what I had when I was a young lad in the Army.. I was falling asleep in class and my mate said I was overtraining. I said no but poped over to the PTI in the Gym, he asked me exact same questions as you had and then.. "diet and when was your last week off (apart from normal PT Lessons)".. I was missing about 1000cals.. the main meal. Took a week off extra training, eat like a horse, then had the cookhouse plate up my main main which I had after my workout and hey presto.. back in action.

[Trewarin]

I'm with Rip on the lack of red meat...
More of that and some cholesterol could help what seems like a huge drop in test levels from training.

Do you get much sunlight during the day? What about alot of ambient light in the evenings?
Those two things have an influence on cortisol and other hormones relating to sleep and recovery.

[Dilan]

I'm not taking the piss here, but you also sound like a man who isn't getting any lady-loving? Regular action is the best thing going for getting good sleep and staying motivated.