(02-10-2018, 10:44 PM)Scott Stevenson Wrote: I think the bolded tells the story here.
You've got an interest in bodybuilding obviously, and would love to be in a place where you feel great and are kicking ass in the gym, but it sounds like you're simply not there physiologically.
I'm guessing here, but when you then go to the gym and it's time to amp up for training, this lethargy then sets in and, b/c of that, your training motivation goes down.
There is actually some evidence in humans that with overtraining via resistance exercise, there is a decrease in adrenoreceptor density, which would decrease the signal that comes form the sympathetic nervous system.
1. Fry AC, Schilling BK, Weiss LW, Chiu LZ. beta2-Adrenergic receptor downregulation and performance decrements during high-intensity resistance exercise overtraining. Journal of applied physiology. 2006;101(6):1664-1672.
This was in skeletal muscle, not nervous tissue like the brain, but it fits with what you're experiencing.
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So, I would say that you might need to drop it back and do another cruise / taper and wait until you're REALLY ready to comeback and kick ass, and then wait even another few days.
I mentioned this on the latest muscle minds (will be out next week) that I talked with a buddy who's a PL'er about his taper the other day. He takes essentially 2 weeks off from the gym and by the time the meet hits, he's so friggin' out of his mind that he just wants to tear into things.
This was the thing that Dante very much emphasized with DC training- that the DC cruise should leave you just chomping at the bitt when you come back. It sounds like your cruise didn't do the job, maybe b/c you pushed too far in that previous blast. Also, simply that you have the recent history of what seems like it really was a case of overtraining (given how long it took for you to bounce back) that you might have this tendency (supporting my guess here about what's going on).
This does not preclude that there's also something unusual going on here organically (such as whatever things are underlying the phenomenon of chronic fatigue) and that you can't benefit from doing everything in your power to enhance recovery outside of adjusting training.
If you posted some pics, it might help with getting an idea of where you body fat really is. If you're actually pretty lean, then, if you were to take another cruise / deload and reducing kcal during the point wouldn't be my suggestion. (On the contrary, if your BF is relatively high, then you could have some down time and probably also drop a small amount of body fat, which is easier the more body fat you have.)
-S
Understood Scott, thanks for your input as always
I have so far taken 2 days off and feeling a little fresher in the sense that I would love to get back in there.. however I believe it may be still a little too soon. I kind of want to be in the situation that you described as Dante would put it. I very much believe a cruise needs to be done so in that case how would you structure this, as its not a typical 6 week blast type cruise.
I've been on tier 1 first week and only completed days 1,2 & 3 of tier 2 on the second. Would you suggest just a 2 week blast cruise (1/3 of 2 weeks equates to 5 days) ? Again if this was the case how would you structure it, having already had 2 days off completely? Would you just have a solid 5 days off as you would with the latter part of a cruise or would you try go in an train one of those days? Again I feel like I want to get in the gym as it looks like I am fading away
but feel like I might make things potentially worse and that I might benefit from an additional days rest.Problem I got here is its Shrove Tuesday over here and I would love some of those sweet juicy carbs in the form of pancakes
so feel like I need to create some sort of demand as carbs are limited on rest days.Ill post pics up tomorrow and hopefully then you can assess where I am at in terms of continuing with this mini cut.. it might help having someone elses perspective (yours) on this.
Thanks