How to Avoid Getting Tired During Workouts

How to Avoid Getting Tired in the Middle of a Workout

To avoid getting tired in the middle of a workout, you must manage your energy output, not just your energy input. The most effective method is to keep your perceived effort below an 8 out of 10 for the first half of your session. This strategy prevents you from depleting your muscle glycogen stores too quickly, ensuring you have enough fuel to finish strong.

This approach works for anyone doing resistance training or cardio sessions that last between 45 and 90 minutes. It addresses the root cause of premature fatigue which is often a pacing problem, not a nutrition problem. Most people start their workouts too intensely and burn through their available energy before they can complete their planned exercises. By controlling the pace from the start, you maintain a steady level of performance.

Here's why this works.

Why Your Body Hits a Wall After 20 Minutes

Your muscles run on a fuel called glycogen, which is stored carbohydrate. Think of it like a gas tank in a car. If you start your journey by flooring the accelerator, you burn through fuel at an unsustainable rate. This is what happens when you begin a workout with maximum intensity. You deplete your glycogen stores rapidly, leaving you with an empty tank halfway through your session.

The common mistake is to blame pre-workout nutrition. While food is important, no meal can compensate for poor energy management. The counterintuitive truth is that starting slower allows you to accomplish more total work and finish stronger. Your fatigue is not a fuel problem, it is a pacing problem.

Consider the math of total workload, also known as volume. Lifting 100kg for 3 reps equals 300kg of volume. Lifting 60kg for 10 reps equals 600kg of volume. Many people get tired because they focus on the heavy weight for a few reps early on, ignoring that higher rep sets later will demand even more energy. Managing your energy is about managing your total volume across the entire workout.

Fueling Your Engine: The Truth About Pre-Workout Nutrition

While pacing is paramount, proper fueling provides the energy you need to manage in the first place. Neglecting nutrition is like starting a road trip with a quarter tank of gas-you won't get far, no matter how well you drive. The goal of a pre-workout meal is to top off your glycogen stores and provide a steady release of energy.

Focus on complex carbohydrates and a moderate amount of lean protein. Carbohydrates are your body's preferred energy source, while protein helps prevent muscle breakdown during training. Aim to eat a balanced meal 2-3 hours before your workout. A great example would be 150 grams of grilled chicken breast, 200 grams of sweet potato, and a cup of steamed green beans. This provides sustained energy without causing digestive discomfort.

If you're short on time, a smaller snack 30-60 minutes beforehand is effective. A medium banana with two tablespoons of almond butter or a bowl of Greek yogurt with a handful of berries works well. Avoid high-fat or high-fiber foods right before a session, as they slow digestion and can make you feel sluggish. Remember, this meal supports your energy reserves; it doesn't replace the need for smart pacing.

Don't Run on Empty: Hydration Strategies for Peak Performance

Hydration is one of the most critical yet overlooked factors in workout performance. Even a slight level of dehydration can cause a significant drop in energy and strength. Losing just 2% of your body weight in fluid-a common occurrence in a tough workout-can decrease your performance by up to 25%. This happens because dehydration reduces blood volume, forcing your heart to work harder to pump blood to your muscles, which leads to a rapid increase in fatigue.

To prevent this, adopt a proactive hydration strategy. Don't wait until you feel thirsty, as thirst is an indicator that you are already dehydrated. Follow this simple protocol:

• Before: Drink 500-600 ml of water 2-3 hours before your workout to ensure you start fully hydrated.
• During: Sip 200-300 ml of water every 15-20 minutes during your session. This helps replace fluids lost through sweat.
• After: Rehydrate to replace any remaining fluid deficit. A simple way to check is to weigh yourself before and after your workout. For every kilogram of weight lost, you should aim to drink 1.5 liters of fluid.

For workouts lasting longer than 90 minutes or performed in hot, humid conditions, consider a sports drink containing electrolytes like sodium and potassium to help with fluid absorption and prevent cramps.

The Bookends of Energy Management: Warm-Ups and Rest Periods

Properly structuring the beginning and the pauses in your workout is crucial for sustained energy. A well-designed warm-up and strategically timed rest periods are not optional add-ons; they are fundamental to managing fatigue.

The Warm-Up: A proper warm-up does more than prevent injury; it primes your body for efficient work. It gradually increases your heart rate, warms up your muscles, and activates your central nervous system. This preparation makes the initial, challenging part of your workout feel more manageable, preventing a sudden energy drain. Start with 5-10 minutes of light cardio, like jogging or cycling. Follow this with dynamic stretches such as leg swings and arm circles. Finally, perform a few light warm-up sets of your first exercise, gradually increasing the weight. This tells your body it's time to work, ensuring your energy systems are running optimally from the first real set.

Rest Periods: The time you take between sets directly impacts your ability to perform throughout the entire workout. Inadequate rest prevents your immediate energy source (the ATP-PC system) from fully replenishing. This leads to a drop in performance on subsequent sets and accelerates overall fatigue. Tailor your rest to your goals:

• For strength (heavy weight, 1-5 reps): Rest 3-5 minutes.
• For muscle growth (moderate weight, 8-12 reps): Rest 60-90 seconds.
• For endurance (light weight, 15+ reps): Rest 30-60 seconds.

Sticking to these guidelines ensures you recover enough to maintain high-quality reps, preserving your energy for the full session.

Here's exactly how to put it all together.

The 3-Step Method for Lasting Workout Energy

This method teaches you to budget your energy like you budget your money. It ensures you have enough in reserve to pay for the work required at the end of your workout.

Step 1. Define Your Total Work Capacity

First, you need to know your energy budget. Calculate the total volume for one of your typical workouts. You do this by multiplying Sets x Reps x Weight for every exercise and adding it all together. For example, if your main lift is a squat for 3 sets of 10 reps at 100kg, that single exercise contributes 3,000kg of volume to your workout. Calculate this for your entire session to get a baseline number. This number represents your total energy cost.

Step 2. Pace Your First Half

With your total volume calculated, you can now pace your effort. A simple rule is to complete no more than 40% of your total planned volume in the first 50% of your workout time. For a 60-minute workout, this means that at the 30-minute mark, you should have completed less than half of your total work. This forces you to use lighter weights or take slightly longer rests at the beginning, preserving your strength for the exercises at the end.

Step 3. Track Your Output in Real-Time

To manage your energy budget, you must track your spending. Use a notebook to log your sets, reps, and weight for each exercise. After each exercise, calculate the volume and subtract it from your total budget. This manual tracking shows you exactly how much energy you have left. The friction here is obvious. Doing math during your rest periods is slow and distracting. An app like Mofilo automatically calculates the volume for every set you log. This allows you to see your energy expenditure in real-time on a simple chart, making pacing effortless.

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What to Expect When You Pace Your Workouts

During the first one or two weeks, this new pacing will feel strange. The beginning of your workouts might feel too easy. This is a sign that it's working. You are intentionally leaving energy in the tank instead of spending it all upfront. Resist the urge to go heavier or faster.

By week three or four, you will notice a significant difference. You will have more energy and strength for your final exercises. Instead of struggling to finish your last set, you will be able to complete all your planned reps with good form. This leads to better muscle growth and strength gains over time because the quality of your work remains high throughout the entire session. This method is designed for sustained performance, not for hitting a one-rep max on your first exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I get tired so fast when I work out?

Most often, it is because you are starting with an intensity that is too high. This depletes your muscle's primary fuel source, glycogen, too quickly. Poor pacing is a more common cause of fatigue than poor nutrition or lack of sleep, though those factors are also important.

Does pre-workout food prevent workout fatigue?

A pre-workout meal with carbohydrates can help top off your energy stores, but it cannot prevent fatigue caused by poor pacing. If you burn through your energy too fast, no meal will save you mid-workout. Energy management is the primary solution.

Is it better to do cardio before or after weights?

If your goal is strength, do weights first. Doing intense cardio before lifting can deplete the glycogen your muscles need for heavy sets. If your goal is cardiovascular endurance, you can do cardio first, but expect your lifting performance to be lower.

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