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Inconsistent strength question
Posted on 1/6/26 at 9:56 pm
Posted on 1/6/26 at 9:56 pm
Male, mid 40s. I started back lifing weights in September after not doing it for a few years. I know I'm getting older but I try to make it to the gym 3 or 4 times a week. I feel like my strength is very inconsistent. 1 week I might bicep curl the 35s, next week when I do biceps, I'll struggle with 30s. I dont do any pre-workout or caffinate before I go to the gym. Could the loss in strength just be because I'm not at full energy or maybe tired? I only got 3 or 4 times a week so I dont get fatigued.
Is this normal as I age or am I doing something wrong? When I was younger, gym visits, I only ever went up on weights
Is this normal as I age or am I doing something wrong? When I was younger, gym visits, I only ever went up on weights
This post was edited on 1/6/26 at 10:00 pm
5
Posted on 1/7/26 at 5:40 am to Relham10
Building strength isn't a linear thing. When you first start strength training again you'll notice huge jumps in strength. This isn't your muscles getting stronger. This is because of neuromuscular adaptations (muscle recruitment, decrease in antagonistic contraction, etc...).
After 3-4 months of training you are probably hitting your first "plateau". I would suggest you start programming in some de-load weeks into your training schedule. This will help decrease your neuromuscular fatigue. I usually throw in a de-load on week 6 of my training schedule.
I usually train 2 days during my de-load week. I'll hit each major muscle group for 1 set of 10 reps. Usually 5 sets on each of those two days. The rest of the week I'm doing active recovery stuff (walking, biking, etc...)
I hope this helps.
After 3-4 months of training you are probably hitting your first "plateau". I would suggest you start programming in some de-load weeks into your training schedule. This will help decrease your neuromuscular fatigue. I usually throw in a de-load on week 6 of my training schedule.
I usually train 2 days during my de-load week. I'll hit each major muscle group for 1 set of 10 reps. Usually 5 sets on each of those two days. The rest of the week I'm doing active recovery stuff (walking, biking, etc...)
I hope this helps.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 7:05 am to Relham10
I'm in the same age range and have worked out consistently (avg. 5-6 days a week) for 6 years, and I've had the same experience. I'm not sure of the cause or what advice to give, other than I've found what (and how much) I eat makes a difference. As does whether I've slept well or not. It just seems to ebb and flow.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:59 pm to Relham10
In my case it's all about sleep. If I don't get 8 real hours of sleep, meaning nearly 9 hours per day in the bed, my performance in the gym suffers greatly.
Or rather, I should phrase it as when I get 8 hours of sleep a few days in a row, I feel like Superman at my next lift. I, like most people, don't get enough sleep to maximize recovery and that's making a bigger difference every year as I progress through my 30s.
Or rather, I should phrase it as when I get 8 hours of sleep a few days in a row, I feel like Superman at my next lift. I, like most people, don't get enough sleep to maximize recovery and that's making a bigger difference every year as I progress through my 30s.
Posted on 1/9/26 at 6:13 am to Relham10
Consistency. It matters.
Prioritize protein
Get 8 hours of sleep a night
Stay properly hydrated
Get on creatine (creapure) and boron (both are cheap)
It’s amazing what sleep and hydration can do. Most people are negligent about both.
Prioritize protein
Get 8 hours of sleep a night
Stay properly hydrated
Get on creatine (creapure) and boron (both are cheap)
It’s amazing what sleep and hydration can do. Most people are negligent about both.
Posted on 1/9/26 at 10:59 am to ronricks
quote:
It’s amazing what sleep and hydration can do. Most people are negligent about both.
I'll add, if you're not having some sort of electrolyte mix at least once a day, start doing that. Hydration is more than just chugging water right before working out.
Avoid having a ton of soft drinks and sugary coffees too. Keep the majority of your liquids as water or electrolytes, and if you like coffee in the morning, just don't add a bunch to it. I get the little bottles of liquid stevia, and one tiny squirt in my first cup of coffee is good, then after that it is just black for my second cup.
Green tea is also good if you feel like you need some flavor, along with electrolyte tabs. When I was doing a bunch of long distance bike rides, you start to realize that a preworkout drink and a water bottle while riding aren't going to cut it. You need to start out thinking consistent hydration throughout the day.
Posted on 1/9/26 at 12:02 pm to Relham10
Are your workouts typically around the same time of day?
I've noticed that if I workout early morning, especially if I didn't sleep good, that sometimes I'm a little bit off compared to when I workout in the afternoon or evening.
Not quite as big of a variation in strength as you're seeing. Mine is more along the lines of struggling to finish 7-8 reps on the same weight that I'm normally doing sets of 10 without struggling.
I've noticed that if I workout early morning, especially if I didn't sleep good, that sometimes I'm a little bit off compared to when I workout in the afternoon or evening.
Not quite as big of a variation in strength as you're seeing. Mine is more along the lines of struggling to finish 7-8 reps on the same weight that I'm normally doing sets of 10 without struggling.
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