Anti-Bulls**t crusader...My experience as a PT and committed trainer who also has sleep apnoea
How often do you look at the stock standard marketing in the fitness industry or listen to the way fitness and training is talked about by those representing the space and think ‘They just don’t get it’ or ‘Where are stories like mine?’.
Well if you are thinking that a lot I can promise you I get it and you are not alone. Sure there might be some empty platitudes thrown out there but in many instances this industry I have a very strong love/hate relationship with is built upon lies, dishonesty and quite frankly anything but the real world and relatable stories and experiences. It was only recently the ‘Liver King’ confessed to using gear to build his physique, after already making plenty of money off this scam, claiming to be natural and promoting practices that could make people very ill. Sure there are those who say you can tell looking at somebody like him its all a lie but when we are talking about peoples insecurities and human vulnerabilities they don’t think like that. They will hold onto any sliver of hope they can look exactly like someone else if they do everything they say (The ‘Liver King’ is far from the only one doing it). Its no wonder so many people are turned off getting involved and starting their own journey.
Why am I talking about all of this?
Well I have Sleep Apnoea and the Dr also suspects its very likely have another condition called Gilberts Syndrome. Both of these things can affect fatigue levels which will directly impact training and health goals and the actions you take to improve these, sometimes more often, sometimes a bit less. I do no fit the stereotypical idea of a Sleep Apnoea case either (I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I exercise and I don’t carry a large amount of excess weight) and I never have but most in my family suspect I have always had it due to having a long history of sleep issues and it impacting on my life and I would have to agree. It could have been the case with Gilberts Syndrome too. I feel there may be something else going on beside Sleep Apnoea worth investigating further so I am in the process of getting this happening, after all health and medical conditions are not always that simple but that’s not really the point of this blog entry.
The bottom line though is that these health conditions effect my training in a few different ways, and I think it’s important to talk about it because I am sure I am far from alone in my experiences and we need less of the bull in this industry and more of the real stuff!
How does it affect my training and health goals?
My rate of recovery can be slower due to my body not having the energy reserves others might have. This has never stopped me from getting stronger or even putting on some muscle mass but it does slow it down in my experience, especially if my body is telling me I need a couple of days off from the weights instead of one. This means I have to be very kind to myself and very mindful of comparisons to others. I mean we all should be but the long game and valuing my own individual experience is exceptionally important.
I find that no matter how low or high my apnoea’s may have been the night before (an apnoea is essentially an episode of not breathing in your sleep) or whether my Gilberts Syndrome is playing up or not there is always a degree of lingering fatigue. When its a good run it can be quite mild but I have read enough forums etc to know this is a common experience among sufferers. In terms of training this means that progressive overload for me can be much slower at times and that might mean only a KG more in an exercise during these weeks or a few more reps at the current max weight.
On the rare occasion I might have the conditions acting up enough where I just cannot lift too heavy even after a couple of days off weights and doing light cardio instead. This isn’t a matter of strength it’s just the fact the fatigue, headaches etc it can cause, and my headspace let alone how I physically feel make it too dangerous to train with new PB’s in weight in mind. In saying that these can be good opportunities to analyse technique.
Its easy and tempting to go for the quick and unhealthy options for food and takes a lot of self control and discipline to fight those urges (it can be done its just harder).
Its impact is very unpredictable. You can have months of strong consistent progress and out of the blue these conditions strike in terms of effecting training and health goals and the way I need to train. It can feel like there is no rhyme or reason, the body just doing what it wants to do.
Now, after saying all of this, I don’t want the message you receive to be you don’t have to train or stay active on a regular basis. You absolutely do and I find I am far far worse off not training and not being active then what I am if I am exercising and trying to eat well. For instance I recently had two weeks off lifting any weights due to getting a new tattoo (a half sleeve) and only doing light cardio. After coming from a really good run before getting the tattoo with regular PB’s in the gym and in other activities etc I found in those two weeks my apnoea’s dramatically increased (most machines will give a reading of the night before each morning) and I felt the worse I had in a long time. It came good when resuming proper training though.
My point in writing this blog entry though is to start fighting the image that persists in this industry that every bloke can become stupid hulky naturally (not everyone has the genetics for that) and that that washboard ab super lean goal is as easy for male and females alike as the marketing people in the industry would like you to believe. Sure, it’s doable, just not very easy, but in promoting this ideal so many people’s real stories and genuine obstacles that they can’t help are almost weaponised against them. Guilt, feeling inadequate, like a failure before you even start etc, all these feelings are invoked in people who really do not deserve it. As a result, rather than doing something, achieving goals, working toward them in a way that their health conditions or disabilities allow, nothing is done at all.
If you have a health condition or disability training is still for you but in my experience, it may not be as linear at times as you would like, you may have to go about it a little differently to someone without health issues, and you are very vulnerable in the journey and can easily lose sight, but you can achieve your goals, you can get fitter and healthier. You have just as much worth as anybody else going through this.
Note: I am writing this blog talking from my experiences but please be aware that in the case of some medical conditions it will be important to work alongside a health professional and/or to seek medical clearance before engaging in an exercise program.