Your workout program seems to allow for enough recovery but double check your sleep schedule and naps are a real plus. Also try to take off four to five consecutive days every six weeks and a full week every three to support your recovery capabilities.
I think you hit the nail on the head with nutrients. Just remember that supplements are great but calories are number one as Bigwill suggested. If you aren't getting the appropriate quantity of macro-nutrients your can't properly absorb your micro-nutrients. Calories not only provide the energy to support your work but also the resources to repair the micro-trauma you experience during your quest for superior strength. Also double check your complex carbohydrates. It has become a popular consensus that carbs are bad. Not true. You can cut your carbs when you are trying to decrease bodyfat but during a program of this caliber you need the calories. All power and body builders raise their carbs during the building phase. Remember that your muscles burn primarily sugar so be sure to eat as soon after your workout as possible, you have a real window of opportunity to efficiently uptake the nutrients. Waiting a couple of hours leaves you depleted after a hard workout and your digestive process adds more time for your body to run on empty. Keep it to sweet potatoes, red potatoes, brown rice, rice pasta but don't be afraid of the baked potato; it's always the topping that ruins these good foods. Also don't skrimp on your fats and be sure you are getting plenty of omega 3. I use flax in my protein shakes and take a fish oil tablet at night. FYI, if you keep these in the fridge they won't smell so bad. Protein goes without saying.
I'd be happy to figure your caloric intake if you like. Be sure you are eating meals every 3-4 hours, You need a lot of fuel but your carbs have limited storage so don't burn out your glucose and use up your glycogen reserves before you replenish your tank.
Finally, but really primary, be sure you getting enough water. Both headaches and fatigue are often dehydration. When I am training heavy I drink a gallon per day and 3/4 of a gallon otherwise. When you have a lot of muscle you hold more water. This is not water retention from a negative sense but the effeciency of your body to maintain itself at the level you create. You will get some fluid in your food but high respiration both during your workout and for hours after. This also insures that you don't get toxic (a sure precursor to fatigue and mineral imbalances) with all of your self inflicted free radical activity.
So, water, high calories to match your high level training, and full, uninterrupted night time sleep and a 20 minute nap during the day.
FYI: I intentionally didn't get into individual mineral supplementation, exercise elevation of cortisol, blood sugar levels or adrenal fatigue because it's so individualized and variable throughout the day. If you don't recover in a couple of weeks with all the suggestions get these factors checked for your own piece of mind. You can order saliva tests online and a blood glucose meter can be purchased in the drug store; this can be useful to allocate your caloric intake and would be especially interesting to see what's happening after your workouts.
Last edited by Vickie Lake : 10-13-2008 at 06:34 AM.
Your workout program seems to allow for enough recovery but double check your sleep schedule and naps are a real plus. Also try to take off four to five consecutive days every six weeks and a full week every three to support your recovery capabilities.
I think you hit the nail on the head with nutrients. Just remember that supplements are great but calories are number one as Bigwill suggested. If you aren't getting the appropriate quantity of macro-nutrients your can't properly absorb your micro-nutrients. Calories not only provide the energy to support your work but also the resources to repair the micro-trauma you experience during your quest for superior strength. Also double check your complex carbohydrates. It has become a popular consensus that carbs are bad. Not true. You can cut your carbs when you are trying to decrease bodyfat but during a program of this caliber you need the calories. All power and body builders raise their carbs during the building phase. Remember that your muscles burn primarily sugar so be sure to eat as soon after your workout as possible, you have a real window of opportunity to efficiently uptake the nutrients. Waiting a couple of hours leaves you depleted after a hard workout and your digestive process adds more time for your body to run on empty. Keep it to sweet potatoes, red potatoes, brown rice, rice pasta but don't be afraid of the baked potato; it's always the topping that ruins these good foods. Also don't skrimp on your fats and be sure you are getting plenty of omega 3. I use flax in my protein shakes and take a fish oil tablet at night. FYI, if you keep these in the fridge they won't smell so bad. Protein goes without saying.
I'd be happy to figure your caloric intake if you like. Be sure you are eating meals every 3-4 hours, You need a lot of fuel but your carbs have limited storage so don't burn out your glucose and use up your glycogen reserves before you replenish your tank.
Finally, but really primary, be sure you getting enough water. Both headaches and fatigue are often dehydration. When I am training heavy I drink a gallon per day and 3/4 of a gallon otherwise. When you have a lot of muscle you hold more water. This is not water retention from a negative sense but the effeciency of your body to maintain itself at the level you create. You will get some fluid in your food but high respiration both during your workout and for hours after. This also insures that you don't get toxic (a sure precursor to fatigue and mineral imbalances) with all of your self inflicted free radical activity.
So, water, high calories to match your high level training, and full, uninterrupted night time sleep and a 20 minute nap during the day.
FYI: I intentionally didn't get into individual mineral supplementation, exercise elevation of cortisol, blood sugar levels or adrenal fatigue because it's so individualized and variable throughout the day. If you don't recover in a couple of weeks with all the suggestions get these factors checked for your own piece of mind. You can order saliva tests online and a blood glucose meter can be purchased in the drug store; this can be useful to allocate your caloric intake and would be especially interesting to see what's happening after your workouts.
Thanks for the reply Vickie!
I am doing pretty well on all those fronts. I have switched from monohydrated creatine to ethyl ester creatine which seems to give me more strength and endurance for my workouts and quicker recovery. Also, I added magnesium, selenium, a mega-dose B vitamin and right after I work-out half-dose of creatine 3g (3g before I work-out too, don't take any on non-workout days per the instructions on the bottle), tyrosine 3000mg, DMAE bitartrate 200mg, Phosphatidyl Choline 840mg. I do not seem to have any real nervous sytem fatigue after workout out and am consistently setting new records, so I guess everything is a go at present. If things turn for the worse though I will get those things checked out.
Thanks!
__________________
"In my experience, if you stay with the essentials you WILL build a repeatable swing undoubtedly. If you can master the Imperatives you have a champion" (Vikram).
The reason you can't sustain the lag is because you are so eager to make the club move fast (a reaction to the intent of "hitting it far"). So on a full shot you throw it away too early, which doesn't happen for your short chip. (bts)
Hopefully the readers of your supplement list understand that these individual additions to your micronutrient intake are predicated by the elite level of your training and would be contraindicated for most people. But in your case I'd say you have done some effective research to create a very individualized and (obviously) specific suplementation protocol.
One last, and very simple consideration. Switch, if you haven't already, or alternate use from regular salt to sea salt. Iodized salt has been stripped of many of the electrolitic elements thereby leaving you less supported by the absolute burn of your exercise intensity.
Out of curiosity, are you going to bring your elite training to a competitive level?
Could I perhaps add to what Vickie suggested and on the salt front suggest that you try to source either Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Rock Salt.
__________________ The student senses his teacher’s steadfast belief and quiet resolve: “This is doable. It is doable by you. The pathway is there. All you need is determination and time.” And together, they make it happen.
Hopefully the readers of your supplement list understand that these individual additions to your micronutrient intake are predicated by the elite level of your training and would be contraindicated for most people. But in your case I'd say you have done some effective research to create a very individualized and (obviously) specific suplementation protocol.
One last, and very simple consideration. Switch, if you haven't already, or alternate use from regular salt to sea salt. Iodized salt has been stripped of many of the electrolitic elements thereby leaving you less supported by the absolute burn of your exercise intensity.
Out of curiosity, are you going to bring your elite training to a competitive level?
I salt many of the foods I eat and I use ancient sea salt. I will switch to Celtic or Himalayan per GPStyles recommendation.
I have really found in myself a passion for lifting and do indeed intend to compete next summer. I hope to compete in nationals in the 165 pound raw division. I will be testing my 1 rep maxes again in 2 weeks. 6 weeks ago I was at 960 pounds, and it looks like I will have put on about 100 pounds in 8 weeks. In the last year the best lifter put up 1450 pounds in the 165 pound weight class and I am gunning for something very close to that by the time the summer rolls around.
Right now it seems that exercise is really positive in terms of stress. I have really been looking forward to each of my workouts and that is in spite of being sick with a cold for a week. My changes to my supplementation program have seemed to really help and the extra day I give myself off really seems to help too. I workout every other day now instead of 4 times a week.
Thanks Vickie and GPStyles, I really appreciate the support!
__________________
"In my experience, if you stay with the essentials you WILL build a repeatable swing undoubtedly. If you can master the Imperatives you have a champion" (Vikram).
The reason you can't sustain the lag is because you are so eager to make the club move fast (a reaction to the intent of "hitting it far"). So on a full shot you throw it away too early, which doesn't happen for your short chip. (bts)
Could I perhaps add to what Vickie suggested and on the salt front suggest that you try to source either Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Rock Salt.
While I do plan on switching what are the particular advantages, purer?
__________________
"In my experience, if you stay with the essentials you WILL build a repeatable swing undoubtedly. If you can master the Imperatives you have a champion" (Vikram).
The reason you can't sustain the lag is because you are so eager to make the club move fast (a reaction to the intent of "hitting it far"). So on a full shot you throw it away too early, which doesn't happen for your short chip. (bts)
I intend the link to be for information, not an ad. If it is construed as an ad, please remove.
The Mercola site is very good for information.
__________________ The student senses his teacher’s steadfast belief and quiet resolve: “This is doable. It is doable by you. The pathway is there. All you need is determination and time.” And together, they make it happen.
Linear Mode
