Have you had your testosterone level checked?
Member
Periodic exhaustion during LP
Dear Mr. Rippetoe,
I am a 30 year old male novice doing LP for the first time. I have been doing the program for the last 9 weeks but have come across a strange problem. Twice now I have had workouts where I am struck by exhaustion that interferes with the lifts. This exhaustion comes on strong in one workout session and then lingers for 1-2 more.
More exactly, the exhaustion is preceded by a workout day where I can still increase the lifts by 5 pounds as normal, but on this day, the rest between the sets lengthens greatly (as much as 30 minutes and more for squats). The next workout, the real exhaustion arrives. During this workout day, doing sets of 5 across is not possible, with the number of successful reps being along the lines of 4 reps/1 rep/1 rep for the squat, 1-3 reps for the deadlift and 3 reps per set for the upper body exercises. If I try to push myself to do more reps anyway, on the forced reps the weight feels 10 kilograms heavier, muscles are limp and unresponsive, and usually I can only squeeze out 1 extra rep with terrible form like this. Furthermore, as I rest between the sets, the heart rate stays high, with it staying above 100 bpm for the squat sets and at 100 bpm for the upper body workouts. This heart rate will not go down regardless of length of rest between sets (it does go down under a 100 bpm after the entire workout is over however).
This exhaustion effect struck at 6 weeks and 8 weeks after the start of LP. For what it's worth, during this time I have also been feeling generally tired as well (although not to the extreme of being fully exhausted).
Additional information:
Weight = 105 kg
Height = 183 cm (6 feet)
Squat strength level = 3x5 of 102,5 kg (up from 40 kg in 9 weeks)
Bench press strength level = 3x5 of 60 kg (up from 35 kg in 9 weeks)
Press strength level = 3x5 of 45 kg (up from 25 kg in 9 weeks)
Deadlift strength level = 1x5 of 100 kg (up from 40 kg in 9 weeks)
Calories = ~3800-4000 kcal
Protein = ~230 g
Rest between sets = 15 mins and longer for the squat, up to 10 mins (sometimes longer) for press and bench press
Sleep = 9 hours, almost never less than 8
Additional physical activity = I usually walk 1-1.5h a day, not really as exercise though, just as part of work or transit
Work = 8 hours a day, no more than moderate stress level I would estimate, especially by American standards
TMPHBITEU
Have you had your testosterone level checked?
Member
I have not gotten it checked, but that does seem like something I should ask the doctor to do. Should I get anything else tested as well?Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe
Starting Strength Coach
Hell, get the T and everything else looked at…this is bizarre even for low T if you’re accurately reporting everything else. Prior to treatment my T-levels were in the 270s (the average levels of a 95-yo man), a couple years older than you, with shitty sleep and a 60-80 hr/wk job, and I never experienced anything like you’re describing…and I got my squat and deadlift over three plates on advanced novice during that time. I’m not saying your issues can’t be just due to low T…it might, everyone’s different…but something else seems to be going on here. Just two cents from some dude with no medical training.
Member
I'll just get the testosterone checked out and see if that informs anything. I have no idea what else it could be. I guess it could be genetic or a chronic problem though, since I've never really been the kind of guy that had a lot of energy.
✓ Member
Probably cancer, HIV, or both. But try drinking a Gatorade before and during (the kind with sugar) or eat a pop-tart. From another dude with no medical training.
Member
Random question, but is it unusually hot and/or humid where you're training? I ask because it's been a super hot and muggy summer here, and I experienced what you're describing about two months ago. For me I'm pretty sure it was dehydration/heat exhaustion, because it subsided after I tripled my water and electrolyte intake.
Member
The weather here is really mild most of the time. If it is being triggered by anything, it is triggered by a reduced amount of rest and more work in the week before the onset (as in 5-10 hours of extra work total). But as I said in the opening post, my workload doesn't seem numerically to be particularly high, especially compared to the guys here that do LP (like Brodie) who work 60 and more hours a week.
My other theory it is some lingering after-effect of having been a lazy guy in my earlier years and that these episodes will go away after pushing forward for long enough. Maybe the suggestions in this thread will make it go away faster.
I tried it once by eating a candy bar (200-300 calories), did not try sugary drinks yet but I guess that could be worth a shot too. The candy bar did not do much.
✓ Member
Could be not enough sodium. You can try an electrolyte drink like rob wolf's lmnt or my personal favorite - just take a quarter teaspoon of salt before your workout with a glass of water.
Could also be sleep. Are you cool enough when you sleep, and/or do you have big trap muscles? Being too hot can affect your sleep quality. So can sleep apnea, which can be made worse as your traps get bigger during LP. Worth having a partner listen while you sleep to see if you're breathing alright. If not, a visit to the doctor for a Cpap would be in order. Bad sleep kills recovery. I can speak from experience as I'm working 60 hour weeks of late and I've had to take extra care with my recovery, especially sleep hygiene.
Member
I will try the salt trick, it seems like a simple and useful trick. I am also trying to drink less water so I don't flush out all the electrolytes, I usually drink too much.
As for sleep, I think the temperature is somewhere around 16-20C. I usually boost my sleep quality by blocking out sounds and light. I doubt my trap muscles can be too large at the moment as my lifts are still beginner level, so I guess my trap muscle size is also at beginner level. For sleep apnea I could go get the sleep quality analyzed by a sleep doctor, I might try that if the problem keeps persisting and cannot be explained by T level deficiency.
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