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(beginner) Can't sleep after doing weights

G

Gaz1701

Hi all, I'm 41 years old, 5ft 6", and was weighing about 8st 4lb (but now at least 8 1/2 stone) - and I have Asperger's Syndrome.

I'm a beginner who's been learning about how to do various moves using my dumbbell weights that I've got; I've got a pair of 4kg and 5kg dumbbells; I can't really afford to go to the gym (I'm searching and applying for jobs - long story).

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I've been doing well building my muscle up (I had really skinny arms), and I'd been doing it 'properly' (learning about 'sets' etc.) since about March this year - as well as eating chicken, and meals with protein in it. I normally did my weights around 4pm when I get the chance (I don't have time in the morning), but sometimes (perhaps more often than I think) I do it in the evening, from possibly about 7 or 8pm.

I don't know if it was a catalyst to this that I might have done my weights a little too late at night, but from near the end of May [this year,] whenever I do my weights now, I simply cannot sleep at all (I do my stretches afterwards, and I make sure I relax after doing my weights) - and I don't understand why.

So I haven't been doing my weights because I know the lack of sleep will negatively affect my muscle growth - but, of course, the same goes with not doing my weights.

I could really do with some advice here, as I've lost a lot of my gains from not doing my weights for so long.

If there's anything else you need to know, please do let me know.


On a side note, I know something about eating protein based on my body weight (etc), but I don't know if I was eating too much or not - because I was only doing my arms (I was tired of having skinny arms); I've gained unwanted fat around my stomach that I can't shift (which I used to before) from eating more food (gained 1/2 stone in weight - so now I'm 8 1/2 stone on my old scales, but I'm about 9.2 stone on the doctor's scales). So I don't know how much to have if I'm just doing my arms - as I guess the advice is normally based on doing a full body workout.

Also, I keep reading/hearing conflicting advice about when to have my protein; I have a friend who goes to the gym early in the morning before breakfast, and then eat her protein throughout the day

But I've also heard that you need to eat your protein beforehand, and wait a few hours before doing your weights - which is what I was doing, and it seemed to work for me; and then I had my evening meal that has protein in afterwards (and I think that might have been the cause of the increased belly fat).


I need a lot of advice with all this.

Thanks in advance!

~Gaz
 
How rude! Why am I a troll? What evidence do you have to support that allegation?

Oh the irony of such a trollish comment!
 
Gaz1701 said:
Hi all, I'm 41 years old, 5ft 6", and was weighing about 8st 4lb (but now at least 8 1/2 stone) - and I have Asperger's Syndrome.

I'm a beginner who's been learning about how to do various moves using my dumbbell weights that I've got; I've got a pair of 4kg and 5kg dumbbells; I can't really afford to go to the gym (I'm searching and applying for jobs - long story).

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I've been doing well building my muscle up (I had really skinny arms), and I'd been doing it 'properly' (learning about 'sets' etc.) since about March this year - as well as eating chicken, and meals with protein in it. I normally did my weights around 4pm when I get the chance (I don't have time in the morning), but sometimes (perhaps more often than I think) I do it in the evening, from possibly about 7 or 8pm.

I don't know if it was a catalyst to this that I might have done my weights a little too late at night, but from near the end of May [this year,] whenever I do my weights now, I simply cannot sleep at all (I do my stretches afterwards, and I make sure I relax after doing my weights) - and I don't understand why.

So I haven't been doing my weights because I know the lack of sleep will negatively affect my muscle growth - but, of course, the same goes with not doing my weights.

I could really do with some advice here, as I've lost a lot of my gains from not doing my weights for so long.

If there's anything else you need to know, please do let me know.


On a side note, I know something about eating protein based on my body weight (etc), but I don't know if I was eating too much or not - because I was only doing my arms (I was tired of having skinny arms); I've gained unwanted fat around my stomach that I can't shift (which I used to before) from eating more food (gained 1/2 stone in weight - so now I'm 8 1/2 stone on my old scales, but I'm about 9.2 stone on the doctor's scales). So I don't know how much to have if I'm just doing my arms - as I guess the advice is normally based on doing a full body workout.

Also, I keep reading/hearing conflicting advice about when to have my protein; I have a friend who goes to the gym early in the morning before breakfast, and then eat her protein throughout the day

But I've also heard that you need to eat your protein beforehand, and wait a few hours before doing your weights - which is what I was doing, and it seemed to work for me; and then I had my evening meal that has protein in afterwards (and I think that might have been the cause of the increased belly fat).


I need a lot of advice with all this.

Thanks in advance!

~Gaz
Click to expand...
I can't see it being your Training that is keeping you awake. I have Trained at midnight and gone to bed after and slept for hours. Training at 7pm or 8pm should be OK. Start your training again as it does you good and you will feel better doing it. Stay off your phone or tablet an hour before bed and don't drink to much coffee...

You can train more than your arms with dumbbells, you can perform a Full Body Routine... Men's Fitness Magazine did an article on 42 exercises you can perform with dumbbells. This article is now on their website to view as I have seen it. But there are a lot of other dumbbell training routines too, have a look!

Start your training again, try and progress a full body routine and just consume healthy meals. Don't increase your food intake at all at first. You will build up your muscles!

It does not matter when you consume your protein, most bodybuilders spread it throughout the day! Your body will use the protein when it is needed. Some have a protein shake after their training which helps muscle building. But there are no rules at all when to consume protein! You need to consume 1.8g of Protein per Kg of bodyweight when muscle building

The increase in belly fat is due to consuming to much food! Cut it back and if you can do some cardio, this will help you lose it.
 
Brian Multigym said:
I can't see it being your Training that is keeping you awake. I have Trained at midnight and gone to bed after and slept for hours. Training at 7pm or 8pm should be OK. Start your training again as it does you good and you will feel better doing it. Stay off your phone or tablet an hour before bed and don't drink to much coffee...

You can train more than your arms with dumbbells, you can perform a Full Body Routine... Men's Fitness Magazine did an article on 42 exercises you can perform with dumbbells. This article is now on their website to view as I have seen it. But there are a lot of other dumbbell training routines too, have a look!

Start your training again, try and progress a full body routine and just consume healthy meals. Don't increase your food intake at all at first. You will build up your muscles!

It does not matter when you consume your protein, most bodybuilders spread it throughout the day! Your body will use the protein when it is needed. Some have a protein shake after their training which helps muscle building. But there are no rules at all when to consume protein! You need to consume 1.8g of Protein per Kg of bodyweight when muscle building

The increase in belly fat is due to consuming to much food! Cut it back and if you can do some cardio, this will help you lose it.
Click to expand...
Thank you for a sensible and helpful response, I appreciate it

Where is the link to the Men's Fitness Magazine? I might have a look at that

I'd started back up a week or so ago now, and manage to sleep (I normally have a decaf tea at night anyway, and I do use a blue light filter on my PC at night)...

However, it seems like whenever I strain my muscles to near failure (to actually build muscle), that's when I can't sleep; perhaps my body is sensitive to increased cortisol from a more strenuous workout, and is creating too much of it by doing this?

So should I be working up to that stage more gradually - rather than going in at the deep end - or am I stuck with not gaining muscle?

Again, I truly appreciate your response there.
 
If i can´t sleep i just crack one off & blow into my w@nking sock..the feeling of relief & fatigue lets me sleep like a baby.
 
Gaz1701 said:
Thank you for a sensible and helpful response, I appreciate it

Where is the link to the Men's Fitness Magazine? I might have a look at that

I'd started back up a week or so ago now, and manage to sleep (I normally have a decaf tea at night anyway, and I do use a blue light filter on my PC at night)...

However, it seems like whenever I strain my muscles to near failure (to actually build muscle), that's when I can't sleep; perhaps my body is sensitive to increased cortisol from a more strenuous workout, and is creating too much of it by doing this?

So should I be working up to that stage more gradually - rather than going in at the deep end - or am I stuck with not gaining muscle?

Again, I truly appreciate your response there.
Click to expand...
If you have just started, start off with light weight and build up to a weight you can use to train to failure. To build muscle you will need to do this. Once your body and muscles get used to your training routine, any muscle soreness will disappear and you should be able to sleep. Stay off your PC at least an hour before bed.

Google Search for Men's Fitness and find their website.

Sorry for late reply, I am not on this forum a lot.
 
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