Stressful periods in your life and lifting

[Benn80]

I am currently undergoing a difficult period in my life due to career change and relationship issues.

Not sleeping as well as I like and stress levels during the day can be quite high at times...

How do you deal with such periods so as to not let them affect your lifting? Would you recommend lifting more? I always feel like hitting the iron more to let out my frustrations...

[Love_Deadlifts]

I look at Lifting as the one constant amidst a sea of turmoil and change. I keep my routines as is, but i look forward to them more and enjoy them more when life is hectic.

[bluestreak]

I

I look at Lifting as the one constant amidst a sea of turmoil and change

Well put.

Why can't you sleep - a lot on your mind? Have you considered lifting in the evening, so you can go to sleep feeling tired?

I'm much the same. I tend to be more focus/time into parts of my life that need it. If everything is going well in career and family/relationships, I put more time in my training or vice versa. You will always have shifting priorities - you need to adjust.

I don't think you need to lift more but bring that stress, anger and frustration with you, use it to lift. Sounds like you're doing that. If extra lifting helps at the moment, then definitely do it more often or increase the intensity. On the really terrible days, I like to walk out of the gym feeling exhausted... that way I'm too tired to care about anything else.

[Young Athlete]

I haven't been able to sleep much either lately all though my story probably is small to your in comparison. Just when you hit the weights, hit the mother fuckers hard. Blast the music when you hit the gym it's all you should think about. Some band I would recommend for some hard core lifting :Chiodos, Alesana, Disturbed, and Underoath. meditation is another hobby i have and it's great when i need my body to rest.

[Benn80]

I find that when you're stressed up,you shouldn't train for maximal strength.

I have not been able to train as heavy as I want for the past few sessions.I read that it is better to go light/train bodybuilding style when you are in such a phase in life.

[hazmat]

I find that when you're stressed up,you shouldn't train for maximal strength.

I have not been able to train as heavy as I want for the past few sessions.I read that it is better to go light/train bodybuilding style when you are in such a phase in life.

I had a few months layoff from lifting before I got back into it. One of the reasons I got back into it was exactly because of some life issues. Relationship and otherwise. Lifting was the one thing that kept me even-keeled through it all. I pounded the weights, took no time off, shortcuts, what have you. I'm not saying that was the fix, but like many have suggested, I was so burned out when I finished that my brain just wanted sleep, it didn't have the energy to fixate on the things that were bothering me so much. I still have days where I dwell on things, but I know every other day is going to be one that has me achieving something rather than failing at something. I lock on to those positives rather than dwell on the negatives. Some days are good, some not so much. But things always get better if you can just get through them. Hope you figure out a way that works for you!

[Young Athlete]

Yep basically tire yourself to the point were you can't think..... I squatted for a hour straight just low rep high weights just pounded that shit I felt great afterwards

[danmarmu]

People respond to different stimuli when lifting. I know that my personal life has a tremendous effect on my lifting mentality from day to day, but the iron is always there. If I don't feel particularly like going heavy I won't, but I will go real high volume in order to knock my self out. Most days though I gut it out heavy. My routine never changes though in terms of the exercises I do. I go in with a plan and stick to it.

[overdrive23]

in the past i didn't train when things got too stressful; bad mistake on my part.

i have learned that it shouldn't change.

but since the last time; i haven't been too stressed in order for my mind to think about taking time off.

i guess i'm just progressing past "a guy who goes to the gym" to "i train"

no longer doing it for no reason.

having a goal at the gym really drives me.

i've even trained through back injuries and a broken foot!

[javanek]

I'm kinda the same as Overdrive, it's beyond the point where weightlifting is something I just do. Cardio, can take it or leave it, but seems to help when I have a lot on my mind. Like now, it makes me put my focus on something else. I don't recommend that 'take the rage/anger/disappointment out on the weights' philosophy. Mostly because to me, I have set up my training plan, I watch what I'm doing, I clear my mind of everything but the lifts. Period. The only time I even notice my music is during rests between sets. I would instead recommend focus on what your goals are for your program and make a concerted effort to keep anything from turning your attention. You have at least 22 hours during the rest of the day for problems.

[ewerbos]

I've only just started with lifting, at the same time as what you can maybe call a stressful period; I've begun writing my Ph.D. thesis, which I need to complete by mid-March (not so bad). The thesis is difficult at times, because it can be hard to judge progress aside from number of pages written, and the "soul search" and job hunt of trying to figure out what I'm going to do afterwards is even less enlightening.

Lifting offers a simpler alternative, where I can see clear gains and clear goals and feel good about obvious small steps while I try to clarify my outlook in other areas of life!

[hazmat]

I'm kinda the same as Overdrive, it's beyond the point where weightlifting is something I just do. Cardio, can take it or leave it, but seems to help when I have a lot on my mind. Like now, it makes me put my focus on something else. I don't recommend that 'take the rage/anger/disappointment out on the weights' philosophy. Mostly because to me, I have set up my training plan, I watch what I'm doing, I clear my mind of everything but the lifts. Period. The only time I even notice my music is during rests between sets. I would instead recommend focus on what your goals are for your program and make a concerted effort to keep anything from turning your attention. You have at least 22 hours during the rest of the day for problems.

Though you've presented it in a different context, the bold is almost exactly what you're doing. The lifting forces you to take your focus away from the things that are bothering you and apply said focus to the weights. While you may not define it as "taking the rage/anger, etc out" on the weights, the shifting of focus is serving the same purpose, eg taking your mind off "what ails you" and giving it something positive to focus on. Same trick, different name Good stuff, Jav

[Aka]

I use weight lifting as a distraction from the problems I have. For one hour when I'm at the gym I can focus my mind on something else and not on what's bothering me.

[satyricon]

I am the same way. lifting is an escape from the worries,there is no enemy in the room except for the weights and you just kill it.I am in a trade that is greatly affected by the current economic crisis and is slowing to a crawl also the owner of the company is in jail awaiting sentencing and looking at 6+yrs in prison.ive got a wife and a teenage kid to take care of so stress is riding on my shoulder 24/7.however my training is going better than ever right now and am setting new PRs on all my big lifts.during the day i feel as if im being eaten alive by the world around me,i go home walk my dogs,have some coffee get geared up and hit it hard for a good hour,then eat dinner with the family,watch some tv,sleep,and do it all over again.i also drink whiskey on my weekends hahaha!