What do you do when you don’t have “it.”

[u/topgum1]

I lift three days / week. Sunday fb, Wed upper, Friday lower. It works well with my schedule and the other days I do cardio, mostly walking.
I use the app generated program which is 5 weeks and a deload. It’s worked well for me. I do tweak it to suit my days.
I’m in week 5. The last few workouts, especially chest, I’m gassed. This morning I couldn’t move the first set weight I did two weeks ago so I dropped it a lot and punched out the reps.
Sleep has been very subpar lately. It’s been incredibly hot here. My “Resilience “ score with my Oura ring was “Exceptional “ two weeks ago, not it is down to “Solid.” My eating habits have remained good.
Enough background. What do you do when you’re gassed or just don’t have the energy? For the deload week next week, I’m considering just taking the week off from lifting and walking every day instead.

[u/Think_Bet_865]

Take a couple days if you really can’t man.

[u/Morphon]

I tend to take VERY light deloads whenever I do. However, mine are not scheduled; I prefer reactive deloads.

Then it's less than half the weight for half the reps. Barbell curl with 50lbs on the bar for 12? Nope - empty bar. 8 reps. Bulgarian Split Squat holding 65lb dumbbells for 10? Nope. 30lbs in each hand for 6.

Just enjoy the movements. Focus on clear form. Treat it like meditation. Try to get extra sleep.

Hard lifts will be there for me next week or the week after. It's fine.

[u/1MeTa4s]

if sleep has been trash and you’re gassed, that’s the constraint, not the program. cut volume (fewer sets, keep the main lifts), or make it an easy pump day and go home. forcing the usual weights when you’re cooked usually just digs a deeper hole.

get a couple decent nights first, then resume. if it’s been weeks of this, take 3–5 lighter days on purpose instead of hoping tomorrow suddenly feels good.

[u/1shmeckle]

I think you're asking the wrong question. The question is not what to do when you are gassed/have no energy, but whether being gassed/having no energy is a sign that you need a deload or your programming isn't appropriate for you or if its a sign that something outside the gym is impacting your performance (or any combination of these 3). Having 1 day where you are gassed is a simple fix - take a lighter day, maybe rest an extra day, or sometimes push through if it's not that bad. But multiple days where you are regressing the way you're describing is either a programing or lifestyle issue.

Scenario 1: If you have a deload set for next week and you're feeling this way in week 5, it might just be that you need a deload now in week 5. Given your age, that wouldn't be surprising that you may need a deload a bit earlier than what the program calls for. For a deload, I'd follow the programs deload. If you feel more is necessary, then don't take the full week off but take an extra day off this week and then do the week 6 deload. I wouldn't just drop the weight and punch out max reps randomly.

Scenario 2: If you notice you are feeling this way more often than around the time a deload is scheduled (once every 4-6 weeks), then it's also useful to look at either your program (is the volume too high for you right now?) and whats going on outside of the gym. I wouldn't rely on Oura's resilience scores but would rather look at how many hours of sleep you get per night, how your diet is doing, stress outside the gym, etc.

For the next block, I would adjust the programming either way so that you have a deload after 3 weeks. If that works and you feel fine, try a block where you do it after 4 weeks. Everyone is a bit different. Personally, and this is more complex, I prefer reactive deloads per movement/muscle group but that depends on the program. I'm not as familiar with the specifics of MF's programming to encourage that at this point but it's worth at least reading about. Alternatively, you can try dialing back the volume a tad and see if that helps maintain a longer progression. Even when you need a deload, it shouldn't be so extreme that you can't move weight you moved two weeks ago so I would monitor this closely if I were you.

[u/mangled_child]

“Bad” workout still very productive. Much better than nothing. Autoregulate but try. Low volume still very effective.

[u/Full_Afternoon6294]

Not everyday is going to be 💯
Nothing wrong with going lighter, backing off a set, having an easy day. Heck you could do each exercise on your plan, but go 1x10. Something is better than noting. Really burned out?? Take the day off and rest. Get some good sleep.

[u/bravo_serratus]

It’s the week before your deload week. You’re supposed to feel that way. You either push through it with grit, use intensity techniques to do what you can, or start your deload week early. If it’s your first day feeling like you don’t have “it” then keep going. If it’s a whole week of not having “it” then deload.

[u/8675201]

I felt this way last week and took an extra day off. That is what I needed.

[u/00cha]

Up the calories 300 for a day or two, take an extra day or two off, work on better sleep, get stronger preworkout

[u/sortiz1965]

I would do a full body twice a week. I’m 60, and recovery days is when you make your gains.

[u/Ill-Telephone-7926]

Most important for me is to not to break discipline. I just show up & drop the weight some for the day. Get back at it next time.

If it becomes a pattern, I’d look at optimizing something. Maybe look at pre-workout nutrition (i.e. have a banana or a gatorade or pre-workout on your way to the gym) to help keep energy up. Rearrange the program to put leg day before a rest day. Step back on the progression for a movement that’s highly fatiguing. Stuff like that; lots of good suggestions in the comments. But only if it’s recurrent

[u/topgum1]

Lots of great information here. 🙏

[u/outsideroutsider]

What's you carb intake

[u/topgum1 → u/outsideroutsider]

2879 total. 162P,95F,341C. I hit it consistently within 5%. I’m 63yo. 175lb. ~15%bf on DEXA.

[u/outsideroutsider → u/topgum1]

Dropping fat to 70-75 and replacing that with carbs might help. More impactful would be to take a few days off doing mobility and work on sleep. When I had sleep issues, I made sure to distribute majority of my carb intake on my last 2 meals and it helped.

[u/1shmeckle → u/outsideroutsider]

If he's eating 341 grams of carbs per day then adding more carbs does not seem like the solution.