T Nation

Depression On Off Days?

Bodybuilding
#1

I have been working out pretty hard, about 2 hours a day 5 days a week. Cardio between 750 to 1500 calories and lifting hard 4 days a week. I know that I should have rest days, so I take Sat and Sun off, but I get so depressed these days. All week I fall right a sleep at night and I feel so happy after my work outs. On the weekends when I don’t work out I get so depressed. Saturday I’m just kind of lethargic, but Sunday are down right horrible. Today I’m almost in tiers wishing it was Monday so I can go to the gym.

My question is: Will doing a half hour or so of light cardio on my 2 off days hurt me that bad, or does my body really need 2 days of nothingness to repair?

Right now I’m trying to lose body fat, and muscle maintenance. Does any one else experience this off day depression, and if so what do you do?

Thanks

#2

2 Hours a day is a lot for working out…unless you split it in the morning and at night. Even than it’s a bit much…

Anyways, I would do cardio on the off days…something not to long or else your body will start eating your muscles away.

Before that though, try taking Melatonin (can get a bottle of it at GNC) it helps some people go to sleep quite easily.

#3

Instead of cardio on the weekends I’d think about seeing a psychologist, you need to talk to something.

Sure, sometimes you just want to hit the gym, but you don’t almost break down in tears; something’s wrong.

#4

you should go get drunk on sat night really good so you will have a bad hang over so you wont even want to go to the gym. Problem solved by drinking once again

#5

Ok I don’t mean really breaking down in tiers, but currently life is a bit stressful with family issues. Going to the gym clears my mind and it’s a safe spot I suppose.

I always feel happy when I leave the gym, and I notice with out my gym meditation of sorts I start to get down. I’m thinking of adding some additional cardio (just like 30 to 45 min of 60% max heart rate) on my off days.

Don’t get me wrong I love to lift, seeing the veins pulsing and feeling swollen is great, but cardio genuinely makes me feel blissful. = )

#6

[quote]EdChap wrote:
Instead of cardio on the weekends I’d think about seeing a psychologist, you need to talk to something.

Sure, sometimes you just want to hit the gym, but you don’t almost break down in tears; something’s wrong.[/quote]

I mean no offense here, but I agree with EdChap. Something else in your life may be missing if you have to go to the gym to avoid becoming that depressed. Your post makes it seem like you are borderline obsessive, and that doesn?t seem healthy. It may be best to talk to someone about it.
Best Wishes

#7

You said you’re trying to lose weight, so maybe it’s the caloric restriction which is making you depressed. When the body/brain doesn’t get its glucose, it thinks it’s dying. Then everything becomes a big issue, a matter of survival.

#8

Sounds like you are a bit addicted to working out… and like you have some stuff to avoid.

Why don’t you just get out of the house and ride a bike casually or walk around downtown or something, if you don’t live in the country.

Go out, be social, converse with people that aren’t stressing you out. There’s always non-exercise physical activty (NEPA).

#9

For me its not that I want to rest… I NEED to rest. After my workouts I’m literally wheelchair-bound.

#10

Seriously dude, if you’re that stressed and unable to find ways to deal with it except by going to the gym, you need professional help.

Do you have friends? Hang out with them and play soccer, ultimate frisbee, etc. If you have water nearby, go for a swim. Go for a hike if you have hills nearby.

Alternatively, you could add in Waterbury’s “Hypertrophy Booster Shots”, which could get you into the gym more often because of those extra workouts. Kill two birds with one stone-- more muscle mass and extra workouts. Look up the article in his section.

Still doesn’t solve your underlying problem, though.

#11

Usually after my work outs I feel very week, just totaly spent. After I shower and get something to eat again I feel like I’m ready to go.

One person is most likely right; I’m not a very out going person and at the gym I can sit back and people watch. That added to the fact that I can put on my iPod and zone out and forget about my problems makes the gym a nice place for me.

As far as my calories, I do at least 750 calories of cardio a day (1500 calories of cardio on my big day). So I know I really should up how much I eat. When I eat over 1500 calories a day though I feel like I’m over eating and I notice I get sluggish. If I eat around 1250 calories, 250 every 2.5 hours or so I feel really good all day. I think I will try to slowly up my calories though. I know it’s not healthy to do that much cardio and eat so little.

#12

Get a life outside your gym. If you are out with friends or sexing up your girlfriend you won’t be in tears due to not lifting.

That being said, do you have a history of depression? You might need to go see someone.

#13

I know how you feel. I a little bummed when something comes up and I can’t get to the gym for my regularly scheduled workout.
But the question is, how depressed are you? Are you just in a mild funk because you missed a workout or are you emotionally wiped out? If it’s the latter, you’ve probably got a bigger problem that needs to be addressed. And I know whereof I speak: I’ve been dealing with clinical depression for the last 10 years. Let me know how things go.

#14

You’re starving yourself, bottom line. 1250 calories, unless you’re a midget, is totally unhealthy. Do you have an eating disorder?

#15

[quote]sma92878 wrote:
I know it’s not healthy to do that much cardio and eat so little.

[/quote]

You’re overtraining and you know it. when you overtrain, you feel like shit. Eat a lot of nutritious foods and back off the cardio for a couple weeks.

#16

You have gone way too far when you are burning more calories from cardio alone then you are eating total…

#17

dude, whats your weight and how tall are you?

#18

[quote]sma92878 wrote:
When I eat over 1500 calories a day though I feel like I’m over eating and I notice I get sluggish. If I eat around 1250 calories, 250 every 2.5 hours or so I feel really good all day. I think I will try to slowly up my calories though. I know it’s not healthy to do that much cardio and eat so little.

[/quote]

You know the problem. Now fix it. I would suggest cutting down on the cardio, eating more, and really concentrating on getting bigger and stronger.

Also, severely restricting your calories like that for a long period of time will just slow your metabolism to a halt. Notice how Berardi’s article about the Get Shredded Diet has a warning not to do it for more than 12 weeks every two years! You may actually be sabotaging your fat loss goals, not to mention making yourself depressed.

Stay strong, and EAT!

#19

Dang all,

Thanks for the support, I?ve never felt so supported. I?m in noooo way anorexic or do I have an eating dis-order. I love to eat, but lately when I eat over about 1250 or so calories I feel overly full and sometimes sick (it’s also about 90 degrees here now and about 70% humidity). I?m actually just sticking to a routine I?ve seen in several magazines.

Lifting 4 days a week or so and 60 minutes of cardio 4 times a week and 90 minutes once a week. I can legitimately crank out 1000 calories in 1 hour, and about 1500 calories in about 90 minutes (at least according to the calculations on the machines I?m using).

I?m about 5?8? and about 195lbs. I?m no skinny man = )

It?s not all that emotional breakdown, maybe the tiers word was a bit dramatic. I just get really down and wish I didn?t have to take a day off, some days when I don?t lift I get really cranky and my friends all tell me I need to go to the gym.

#20

By the sound of how much you work out and how little you eat, you are probably not gaining any muscle, you body is probably giving you signs to stop if you are depressed on those off days. If you are training as much as you say you are, you need to be eating lots!!! You are eating below borderline. Train less and eat more, then eat more and train more. I think you need some proffesional help thuogh, go see a doctor perhaps.