Hello,
I've run into a bit of an issue lately and am looking for some advice. My usual week involves a gym session after work M-F (weights), and the "stairs" 3 times a week over lunch. The Stairs are just a long ass flight of stairs in town. There's aprox 223 stairs and I'll do them at least 7 times each session. My diet is fairly strict (basically protein and veggies). Usually this isn't an issue for me.
Friday for example, I did 10 sets on the stairs (personal best). First 5 took 18 minutes (good/avg time) and the second 5 took 27 minutes. 7 sets typically takes ~27 minutes. The gym is almost all upper body/core, and even after hitting the stairs at lunch and really pushing myself, I can still have a decent session after work at the gym. I'm usually there for about 45-60 minutes depending on the day. No supersets, but I try to get in and out asap.
However my sister just moved back to town, and the only time we can hit the gym together is in the mornings - so we do Monday mornings (this was week 3). I've tried getting more sleep (I'm getting up at 530 instead of 7) and I've tried eating a LOT more in the mornings up to lunch, but I still seem to have energy issues when trying to hit the stairs on Mondays after doing a morning workout (~7-8am, stairs ~1230). I'm not recovering between sets as fast and I don't have the same energy over the course of the session.
Now I'm not in the best shape (33, 5-9, ~200 - ideal body weight for my body type would be 170-190 depending on muscle mass), but I don't think this has anything to do with that. To an extent sure, but I don't understand why doing the stairs (1230) and then the gym (5pm) is so much different then doing the gym (7) and then the stairs (1230).
Typical meals (T-F)
Breakfast - healthy cereal, almond milk, protein powder
snack - protein shake
lunch - sandwich
Banana (only have when I'm doing the stairs)
Stairs
Post stairs - shake (only have when I've done the stairs)
afternoon snack - shake
pre-workout food - meat and veggies (usually broccoli/cauliflower)
Banana
Gym
afterworkout food - shake
supper - eggs and veggies
According to my health coach, this is fine. I'm still dropping weight and building muscle, and overall feel great. Energy levels throughout the day are good. Upper body is usually a little sore/tired after the gym, but nothing extreme and I feel fine the following morning.
I've tried eating more in the mornings - to the point where I'm not hungry and am still eating (something I normally never do), but I just came back from the stairs and I was still fairly disappointed with my times and my session overall. Just like previous Mondays, I just didn't have the energy.
So I figured I'd come here and ask for thoughts/ideas/opinions. If I can't figure something out, we can probably just move the gym day to Tuesday mornings, but I'd rather keep trying to sort this out first. Even if only for my own personal knowledge for the future.
Thanks.
Edit. Just to add after reading some of the other threads here. I drink almost no caffeine. I drink a lot of tea. Some of it is caffeinated, most of it is not.
The stairs:
I've run into a bit of an issue lately and am looking for some advice. My usual week involves a gym session after work M-F (weights), and the "stairs" 3 times a week over lunch. The Stairs are just a long ass flight of stairs in town. There's aprox 223 stairs and I'll do them at least 7 times each session. My diet is fairly strict (basically protein and veggies). Usually this isn't an issue for me.
Friday for example, I did 10 sets on the stairs (personal best). First 5 took 18 minutes (good/avg time) and the second 5 took 27 minutes. 7 sets typically takes ~27 minutes. The gym is almost all upper body/core, and even after hitting the stairs at lunch and really pushing myself, I can still have a decent session after work at the gym. I'm usually there for about 45-60 minutes depending on the day. No supersets, but I try to get in and out asap.
However my sister just moved back to town, and the only time we can hit the gym together is in the mornings - so we do Monday mornings (this was week 3). I've tried getting more sleep (I'm getting up at 530 instead of 7) and I've tried eating a LOT more in the mornings up to lunch, but I still seem to have energy issues when trying to hit the stairs on Mondays after doing a morning workout (~7-8am, stairs ~1230). I'm not recovering between sets as fast and I don't have the same energy over the course of the session.
Now I'm not in the best shape (33, 5-9, ~200 - ideal body weight for my body type would be 170-190 depending on muscle mass), but I don't think this has anything to do with that. To an extent sure, but I don't understand why doing the stairs (1230) and then the gym (5pm) is so much different then doing the gym (7) and then the stairs (1230).
Typical meals (T-F)
Breakfast - healthy cereal, almond milk, protein powder
snack - protein shake
lunch - sandwich
Banana (only have when I'm doing the stairs)
Stairs
Post stairs - shake (only have when I've done the stairs)
afternoon snack - shake
pre-workout food - meat and veggies (usually broccoli/cauliflower)
Banana
Gym
afterworkout food - shake
supper - eggs and veggies
According to my health coach, this is fine. I'm still dropping weight and building muscle, and overall feel great. Energy levels throughout the day are good. Upper body is usually a little sore/tired after the gym, but nothing extreme and I feel fine the following morning.
I've tried eating more in the mornings - to the point where I'm not hungry and am still eating (something I normally never do), but I just came back from the stairs and I was still fairly disappointed with my times and my session overall. Just like previous Mondays, I just didn't have the energy.
So I figured I'd come here and ask for thoughts/ideas/opinions. If I can't figure something out, we can probably just move the gym day to Tuesday mornings, but I'd rather keep trying to sort this out first. Even if only for my own personal knowledge for the future.
Thanks.
Edit. Just to add after reading some of the other threads here. I drink almost no caffeine. I drink a lot of tea. Some of it is caffeinated, most of it is not.
The stairs:
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