What do you do in a Rut?

[Pinkvelvet]

Just thought I would ask for some opinions in what some of you do when you find yourself in a rut with your diet or gym.

Lately I haven't been following my off season diet all that astringently...I still have six meals...but, sometimes I'll go out for lunch or pick at other items at work. And, I know I shouldn't beat myself up about it....but, I'm feeling guilty.

And, I'm still goin hard at the gym....I know I'm gaining again...but, feel like I'm loosing my gusto to go.

So....when you find yourself not giving your 110%...what do you do?

I have booked a trip to Italy at the beginning of December....by myself...and, I'm hoping that might give me newfound perspective on everything. But, in the meantime...?????

Suggestions?

[helium3]

Just thought I would ask for some opinions in what some of you do when you find yourself in a rut with your diet or gym.

Lately I haven't been following my off season diet all that astringently...I still have six meals...but, sometimes I'll go out for lunch or pick at other items at work. And, I know I shouldn't beat myself up about it....but, I'm feeling guilty.

And, I'm still goin hard at the gym....I know I'm gaining again...but, feel like I'm loosing my gusto to go.

So....when you find yourself not giving your 110%...what do you do?

I have booked a trip to Italy at the beginning of December....by myself...and, I'm hoping that might give me newfound perspective on everything. But, in the meantime...?????

Suggestions?

wear something tight,look in the mirror and say "you fat bastard"

works like a charm so ive heard.

[RA]

Take a week or two off. It helps to recharge the batteries.

[helium3]

on a more serious note,i tend to watch an inspirational video,like pumping iron or something,it gives me that bit of insentive i need.

[RA]

Yeah a combo of the two would be kick ass. Take a couple weeks off then at the end of the two weeks watch pumping iron

[lucabratzi]

Take a week or two off. It helps to recharge the batteries.

yeah...take a week or so and let ur mind and body relax and regroup...

[CSAR]

All you need is some time off (2 weeks), a new experience (going to Italy fits the bill), and a fresh perspective. Good luck and best wishes!!

[*Narkissos*]

I do nothing of the sort.

We're human.

Even with cyclic training/dieting (i.e. training/dieting in phases: designed to prevent burnout)... at the end of it all we're still human and will experience mental fatigue.

I've been burnt out since my last show a couple months back. I'm still training intensely ... but not eating nor sleeping. Sleeping is out my hands.. but eating is mainly due to the lack of desire to.

What am i doing?

Nothing basically.

'Nothing', being relative: i.e. i'm taking a minimalist approach as compared to my usual regime.

Training days have been reduced as has training freqeuncy. Intensity is still high... without intensity you have nothing.

Eating-wise... I eat when i feel i need to and no more.

I find the hardest part about a rut is eating. If you forcefeed yourself because you know you should eat at a certain time etc... the longer you'll stay in the rut.

The most important mental determinant of breaking a rut is self-preception

Most people ask how i get motivated to start cutting again etc... knowing how hard it is. They ask me to help motivate 'em.

I tell 'em plain. No one can motivate you... Motivation is an inner concept based on self-perception (the appreciation or lack thereof of abilities)... and the desire to acheive.

I don't start cutting/bulking.. heck ANYTHING until i'm in a mental state conducive to this activity.

For me personally after a couple weeks of being in a rut, suddenly one day i'll get up and in walking past a mirror i may see myself and say: "that's not Nark"...

That starts the process... My mind must be in a state where i'm ready for change.

That readiness.. this acceptance is my motivation.

-N

[Iron-man]

What he said ^^^^^^^

[LBT]

What Narky said.

[paulzane]

Have a week off the week before you go to Italy, and obviously the week you are in Italy. Go back to training a few days after you get back when you have gotten over the travelling and you will be raring to go!

[FranKieC]

I look at all of the heathens in my office eating big macs and shit whicg is clogging their arteries and think to myself my six small meals a day is a little price to pay for being healthy and fit..Works for me.. I actually welcome people to eat garbage around me because it makes me feel all the more better..As a matter of fact the next time I get in a rut I am going to go sit in a mcdonalds and watch people stuff their faces with artery clogging fat filled garbage

[spound]

If I am in a rut with my diet...I take pictures and if I have been cheating, I usually do not like what I see....I also get an honest critique from someone I can trust to shoot me strait. THis motivates the hell out of me when someone tells you that you look like crap.

If I have a rut in the gym...I take two weeks off where I only go to the gym 1-3 times per week and lift very light weights (about 60% of my usual) and don't train anywhere near failure, just enough to get the blood flowing and a decent pump for 30 minutes and I leave...by the time this is over, I am dying to get back to training hard again.

[doittoit]

wow Nark that was an amazing post, I'm in the exact same boat. I'm working in a restaurant (line cook), 10 hours on my feeet at a time, hardly ever hungry, no motivation to get in the good cals/protein, surviving off pizza, coke, coffee, plus I'm binge drinking on the weekends. Still training hard because that I Love, but i need to break this rut, it might be awhile though lol.

[*Narkissos*]

Taking a week or two off does nothing to 'refresh' my mind or body.

I just feel sore... and fatter.

So i stopped taking time off 'cept post-contest.

If i get in a rut it's time for a change: change being a modification of what i'm currently doing.. not the total elimination of it.

[Foskamink]

great feedback im in like 2 month rut, with my breakup and moving citys, but this week i get a new gym membership in my new city and im going to reach 200 lbs before the summer! -12% bf

[RA]

Taking a week or two off does nothing to 'refresh' my mind or body.

I just feel sore... and fatter.

So i stopped taking time off 'cept post-contest.

If i get in a rut it's time for a change: change being a modification of what i'm currently doing.. not the total elimination of it.

Well, everyones different.

[cfiler]

I take some time off, and spend it doing something else I like. I may do some automotive work, or home repairs/upgrades, and focus on that for a week or two.

Vacations work great, although if I just sit around the house and watch TV I feel even more guilty.

[stayinstacked]

I am in the same situation. Alot of it stems from contests, you get used to seeing yourself looking awesome and shredded, and when you cannot look the same way anymore due to certain aspects of life, dieting, time, coming off cycle, etc it gets you down. But sometimes you have to get away from it a little bit or the sport will consume you, and you end up being miserable even if you look incredible. What I've found that works for me is going back to the basics. Focus on numbers and reps in the gym rather than your look, just getting stronger or bigger is motivation in itself, try not to look at yourself in the mirror as much. I try to just get calories, if I eat out so what, if you fall short on protien a day or two so what. Pick a realistic goal when your not prepping for contests. My goal this winter is to keep my bodyweight around 220 lbs and try to get stronger and bigger at 220 lbs as opposed to just trying to make the scale move up w/ misconceptions of what real tissue growth is. Also, what really works well for me Pink is when I cut the meals down to 4 meals/day instead of 6 or 7, but just eat bigger each meal. It makes eating seem like a little less of a chore and lets you enjoy life a little more, if your consuming enough calories/nutrients you may find yourself having more energy from the diet change since you've eaten the same way/# of times/day for so long. To progress ,you often have to take two steps back to take another step forward.



BTW, you could take me on your vacation to Italy and by the end of the vacation you'll be so skinny from all the cardio we'd do that you'd be motivated to grow again!!

[Venomous Nemisis]

Stay motivated, change the music in your mp3, think about your long/short term goals, get angry(at the gym), it's all in your mind grasshopah,
If your talkin post cycle rut, mabey change your workout format to a high rep with lighterweight with short rest type workout,
Mabey even change your gym membership (for a month or so), I'm sure you're already going to the best gym around you, but ,ya know when you go to a new gym and you are more focused.
If your talkin diet, add another cheat day (by the looks of your body you have earned it!!!) give yourself more me time, nap, gossip with friends, just have fun. Being worndown takes its toll on both mind and body.

[THE_DOME]

yea i watch videos of bbers on youtube and listen to some music call myself a fat small piece of sht and take some caffine pills and im back in the game

[Panzerfaust]

Take a week or two off. It helps to recharge the batteries.

I am almost done recharging my batteries. I have not done shit but a little cardio since coming back from Vegas on the 22nd.

[Pinkvelvet]

Thanks for the suggestions.......I'm certainly going to take some into serious consideration upon my return from Italy.

I know that my trip is certainly long overdue, so I plan to enjoy to the full extend and hopefully when I return; am rarin to go!

XOX