All of a sudden I have no strength - this past week every workout has been rubbish?

[Christopher_UK]

Hi there, a quick summery, I've been training 4 years, cutting for past 3 months, my strength levels have been fine over past 3 months, obviously my bench/squat and a couple of other exercises went down...but to put this into perspective it was only last week when I smashed my previous deadlift record and lifted 230kg for 1 rep...I do a 4 day split, 2 days on, 1 day off, and this past week, the last 4 sessions I've done my energy levels have been so low, I usually train high intensity, even when cutting, obviously not as intense as when bulking but still pretty good compared to anyone else in my gym...I dont have 5 minute breaks between sets or exercises I have like 10-20 seconds.

Anyways I just cant understand it, been having 8 hours sleep each night, been eating my usual 8 meals a day, nothing has changed, diet/sleep are the same.

Strength has gone from 80% (cutting strength as I refer to it) down to 20%...and I'm not sick either, feel 100% healthy.

It's strange, when I lift, I just have nothing, its like I'm running on fumes, no strength at all in my arms, legs or core. Everything is just gone.

Seriously puzzled over this, and it's an awful feeling to go to the gym and have a rubbish workout, seriously sucks big time!

Oh and I dont take any supplements appart from protein shakes/vitamin tablets/cod liver oil...and I havent taken steroids yet but plan to in the future when I've got my bodyfat low enough and I start to bulk.

So I think I've explained everything there, given you all the details...any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

[Windex]

Everyone has a bad week here and there. Could be anything - distractions, stress, etc. The mind is just as important as your muscles - it can get burnt out too. If this problem persists into next week then it could be more of a concern.

[Christopher_UK]

Thanks for the reply, just sucks to feel so weak...I'm on low carbs but like I said above I been strict cutting diet for 3 months and my body got used to it after first few weeks and strength has been great ever since, couldnt believe it last week when I broke my deadlift record...but guess am just having a bad week for some reason.

I guess there is a chance even though I feel fine, that my body might be fighting an infection inside, that I dont know about, am sure my doctor told me that once that sometimes we can be ill and not even know it.

Well if I'm still like this when I go to the gym tomorrow I reckon I'll have to maybe try carb up for like a day and have a cheat meal to try kick start my system and get my strength levels back to normal....is there such things as burning out/hitting a brick wall when cutting for such a long time?

I've been cutting natural, no drugs.

[dec11]

take a week off

[Christopher_UK]

You know what I think it was my asthma ya know coz I went for a run yesterday and seriously couldnt breath or run for long compared to usual so I reckon the reason I havent been able to lift over last week is coz of no lung power (as I like to call it) think I might have had a mild asthma attack...I'm having a couple of days off now and I also had a cheat meal yesterday coz I went out for friends birthday to pizza express so hoping when I go back tomorrow I'll be back to normal and at full strength....I feel fine today compared to yesterday.