Weight lifting makes you tired because it places significant stress on your muscles, depleting their energy stores and causing fatigue. Additionally, the high caloric burn and insufficient recovery time contribute to post-workout exhaustion.
In this article, we will explore the four main reasons why weight lifting can leave you feeling tired and provide practical solutions to help optimize your workouts and avoid post-workout exhaustion.
By following these tips, you can get the most out of your workout without feeling like you’ve just run a marathon.
If you are experiencing fatigue after any type of exercise, not limited to weight lifting, consider reading this separate article for more information on why you might feel tired after working out.
4 Reasons Why Weight Lifting Makes You Tired:
1. Muscle Fatigue
Lifting weights requires muscles to work harder than usual, leading to fatigue. During exercise, the muscles’ energy stores, such as glycogen, get depleted, making them unable to contract effectively.
2. Central Nervous System Fatigue
The central nervous system (CNS) controls the muscles’ actions and keeps them moving during weight lifting. However, intense exercise can cause the CNS to become fatigued, leading to a decrease in motor unit recruitment and a subsequent decline in strength.
3. High Caloric Burn
Weight lifting burns a significant amount of calories. However, the energy expenditure from lifting weights leads to a temporary decrease in energy levels, making you feel tired.
4. Insufficient Recovery Time
Inadequate recovery time between weight lifting sessions can contribute to fatigue. The body needs time to repair damaged muscle tissue and replenish energy stores.
Some Tips That Can Be Helpful:
1. Proper Warm-Up
A proper warm-up is essential to prepare the body for weight lifting.
It increases blood flow to the muscles, raises core temperature, and enhances neuromuscular activation.
A warm-up can help reduce the risk of injury and prevent fatigue.
2. Adequate Rest and Recovery
Getting enough rest between weight lifting sessions is crucial to prevent fatigue.
Proper rest allows the body to recover, repair damaged muscle tissue, and replenish energy stores.
3. Optimal Nutrition and Hydration
Proper nutrition and hydration are essential to fuel the body during weight lifting.
Eating a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats and drinking enough water can help improve energy levels and prevent fatigue.
4. Adjust Workout Intensity and Frequency
Overtraining can lead to fatigue, burnout, and injury. Adjusting the intensity and frequency of weight lifting sessions can help prevent overtraining and optimize performance.
Some Other Important Issues Related To Tiredness After Lifting Weights:
1. Should You Lift Weights When Tired?
Tiredness has many different types. Whether you should lift weights or not when tired depends on your type of tiredness.
If you’re feeling only slightly fatigued or you’re just feeling a little sluggish, it’s generally okay to go through your usual workout routine.
However, if you’re feeling extremely exhausted or you’re experiencing extreme fatigue, it’s better to take a break and rest instead of lifting weights.
It’s important to note that lifting weights when you’re extremely tired can lead to poor form, which can increase the risk of injury.
Additionally, fatigue can affect your decision-making skills and cause you to push yourself too hard, which can also increase the risk of injury.
In short, it’s generally okay to exercise when you’re tired, but you should listen to your body and adjust your workout accordingly.
If you’re feeling extremely fatigued, it’s better to rest and recover rather than pushing yourself too hard and risking injury.
2. The Role Of Sleep
According to Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC lightweight champion and renowned MMA fighter the best way to recover is sleep.
Sleep plays a crucial role in muscle recovery and overall energy levels, and getting adequate sleep is essential for anyone looking to optimize their weight lifting workout performance and recovery.
During sleep, the body releases hormones like human growth hormone (HGH), which promotes muscle growth and repair.
Without adequate sleep, the body’s ability to recover from weight lifting workouts may be compromised, leading to increased fatigue and reduced performance.
In addition, sleep deprivation can impact energy levels and cognitive function, making it harder to focus during workouts and reducing the motivation to exercise.
Lack of sleep can also increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to muscle breakdown and reduce the body’s ability to build new muscle tissue.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
It’s important to establish a regular sleep routine and create a sleep-friendly environment, such as reducing exposure to electronic screens before bed and keeping the bedroom cool and dark.
3. Common Mistakes That Contribute To Fatigue During And After Lifting Weights
There are several common mistakes that can contribute to fatigue during and after weight lifting workouts. Here are a few examples:
1. Improper Form
Lifting weights with improper form can put unnecessary stress on the body, leading to fatigue and even injury.
To avoid this, it’s important to learn proper form for each exercise and start with lighter weights until you feel confident with your technique.
2. Improper Recovery
Recovering properly after a workout is essential for reducing fatigue and preventing injury.
This includes stretching, foam rolling, and taking rest days between workouts to allow the muscles to repair and rebuild.
Failure to recover properly can lead to increased fatigue and soreness, making it harder to continue with your weight lifting routine.
3. Overtraining
Overtraining occurs when you exercise too frequently or with too much intensity, without giving your body enough time to recover.
This can lead to fatigue, decreased performance, and increased risk of injury.
To avoid overtraining, it’s important to listen to your body and take rest days when needed.
Solutions To These Common Mistakes:
1. Learn Proper Form
Work with a trainer or watch videos online to learn proper form for each exercise.
2. Take Time To Recover
Take rest days between workouts and incorporate stretching and foam rolling into your routine.
3. Gradually Increase Weights And Intensity
Don’t try to lift too much weight or do too many reps too quickly. Gradually increase weight and intensity to avoid overtraining.
4. Stay Hydrated And Nourished
Drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet to support your workouts and promote muscle recovery.
5. Listen To Your Body
Pay attention to how your body feels during and after workouts. If you feel excessively tired or sore, take a break and allow your body to recover.
4. The Role Of Nutrition
Proper nutrition is essential components of any successful weight lifting program.
Consuming the right amount of calories, protein, and carbohydrates can help fuel your workouts, promote muscle recovery, and prevent fatigue.
Here are some tips to optimize nutrition for weight lifting:
- Consume sufficient calories: Weight lifting requires energy, and the body needs calories to fuel this activity. Consuming too few calories can lead to fatigue and decreased performance. Aim to consume enough calories to meet your body’s energy needs, while also avoiding overeating.
- Eat protein-rich foods: Protein is essential for muscle recovery and growth. Aim to consume around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day, and focus on consuming protein-rich foods like lean meats, eggs, dairy products, and plant-based sources like beans and nuts.
- Include carbohydrates in your diet: Carbohydrates provide the body with energy, and are particularly important for fueling high-intensity exercise like weight lifting. Aim to consume complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to provide sustained energy throughout your workouts.
- Consider supplements: Some supplements like creatine, caffeine, and beta-alanine may help improve energy levels and performance during weight lifting. However, it’s important to speak with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplements to ensure they are safe and effective for your individual needs.
By focusing on proper nutrition, you can optimize your energy levels during and after weight lifting workouts, improve your performance, and promote muscle recovery.
5. When To Seek Medical Advice
While it’s normal to experience some fatigue after weight lifting, persistent or severe fatigue may be a sign of a more serious underlying condition.
Here are some medical conditions that can cause fatigue and may be related to weight lifting:
- Anemia: Anemia is a condition in which the body doesn’t have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to the tissues. This can lead to fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath. Weight lifting can cause small tears in muscle tissue, which can increase the body’s demand for oxygen and exacerbate symptoms of anemia.
- Thyroid issues: The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism, energy levels, and other bodily functions. An overactive or underactive thyroid can cause fatigue, weakness, and other symptoms that may be exacerbated by weight lifting.
- Other medical conditions: Other medical conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune disorders can cause fatigue and may be exacerbated by weight lifting.
If you experience persistent or severe fatigue, weakness, or other symptoms that concern you, it’s important to seek medical advice.
Your healthcare provider can perform a physical exam, run blood tests, and evaluate your overall health to determine if there is an underlying medical condition that needs to be addressed.
By seeking medical advice, you can ensure that you are getting the care you need to stay healthy and optimize your weight lifting performance.
