Muscle endurance

Sup guys,

While sitting in traffic this afternoon, thinking about my training, as one does...lol... I started thinking about the weights i am using, and it came to me that my muscles gets tired quickly, if that makes any sense?
I will start my working set with a weight that feels fine, but after about 6 reps, i can't lift the weight anymore.
I don't lift seriously heavy weights, so i don't think that i am starting off with too much weight, unless i am very weak.
One possible cause i thought about was because i was training in the 5-6 rep range the last couple of months, trying to get my strenght up, now i am wondering if this didn't impact my endurance.
Can it be a issue with my diet, i am currently on a low carb diet, trying to get ripped, before aiming for a clean bulk?

I am going to change my training routine next week, will be following push/pull/legs routine, with 12-15 reps to change things up a bit.

Anyway, does anyone have any advice or experience with what seem to be muscle endurance?
Thanks in advance guys.

Carbs does play a big role. As does your training style, im lacking in strength as i very rarely do strength training. Think its good to mix it up from week to week.

yep carbs....if u are low carb try force drinking 3 to 4 litres of water before gym ...DJ trick...Google MAX OT for a training routine. mix up every 3 weeks .variety is the spice...

What are you taking prior to your workout?
A good carb based meal like chicken and white rice before my workout helps with heavy days like deadlifts and squats.
In conjunction with my amino supp. I end up moving a lot of weight around the gym.
I say white rice because I find it works fine for me training in the evening.

But if you're on low carbs don't expect to have much power in the gym.

I wouldn't think that training within the 5-6 rep range would effect your ability to do more reps at a later stage.
However if you do find that's what it is, go a bit lighter and get 10-12-15 reps. And if you still struggle, perhaps think about supplementing prior to your workout with some virtago. Really helped me out for power endurance during my training.

Could also through some creatine in there, should help.

Oats and Raisons as pre meal

Hi Guys,

Thank you for the feedback. I have a suspicion it is a combination of the low carb diet and prolonged training in the 5-6 rep range. I did legs this morning, and started of with light weight, the first couple of reps are really easy, but then I struggle to complete the set. I thought of training in the 10 rep range for two weeks to see if it gets sorted out.

As mentioned, I am currently on a low carb (keto) diet, so I am just taking whey protein before my workout. I thought about creatine, but read there is no use taking it while there is no carbs.

I also thought about a pre-workout supp, so I might give that a bash from next week, and give you guys feedback.
Another thing that I thought of is because I am not in ketosis yet. I have been following the keto diet for 3 weeks now, dropping 5 kg, probably mostly water, but I know my whey protein contains to much carbs, so I think I am somewhere between ketosis, and normal carbs, if that makes sense. So that is also one thing I can change, getting whey with a lot less carbs in.

So there is a couple of things I can try out, I think I will change one thing at a time, to learn how my body reacts.

Shot again for all the feedback, it was very helpful, and opened up the brain juices...

Please feel free to add to this...I will keep you guys updated.

whey or a MRP that u are taking ?...Keto u shouldnt have a prob as fat burning for energy is just as effective as carb burning .Are u pushing the last Reps to failure ?
The water u can start at about 2 to 3 lt before workout and see and then increase.

@Mike, it is whey I am using before and after training, and also at night at bed time. I bought the whey without checking the carb content, so ja...lesson learnt...

Regarding ketosis, because I am not in ketosis, my body is still using carbs for energy, so I have not switched over to use fat as energy, and that might be the reason I am struggling, as I know you have a lot of energy while in ketosis...

I am pushing the reps to failure, the set starts of easy...but ya...then my muscles looses steam...

how much carbs in the Whey ?
Not sure what u mean about muscle running out of steam ...if you reach failure then u are doing it correct and we all run out of steam at failure ???

I will check the whey tonight and let you know the carb content, I just know it is to high, as I was pissed off when you i checked the carb content.

Running out of steam, I mean that surely the starting weight should not feel light, and then after 6 sets you struggle...it just feel that after 6 sets I am depleted, even though the first couple off reps was easy. I know we all struggle at failure, but what I am experiencing is not the same as normal pushing through to failure...I hope that makes sense...it is like all of the sudden the next rep the strength is just gone, compared to the previous rep that was fairly easy..

Thanks for all the help bud...

How long have you been on keto and how long have you been feeling like this, i think its from the keto diet because as soon as i stopped keto and added carbs my strenght went up allot as well as my rep range.

@GregB1...honestly, i have been on a low carb diet for a couple of months, but I only really started taking it seriously for the last 3 weeks. When I just started the keto, I was in ketosis in the first week already, but I am struggling now, and I think it is due to the high carbs in the whey...

I am not really phased about not being in ketosis, seeing as I am leaning out nicely, so I actually threat my diet as a low carb diet, and not full out keto.

I started noticing the dip in strength this week, as I started to perform more reps, and that is when I realized something is off. I have no problem going even lower with the weight, I just feel my first reps are not productive, seeing as I lift it easily.

I know it sound that I might not know what I am talking about, and that training works like that, but seriously I feel a huge different from 1 rep to another.

But I have a couple of possible remedies, and I will start changing one by one...

Santa wrote: I thought about creatine, but read there is no use taking it while there is no carbs.

This makes no sense to me

I can't remember where I read this, it has been a while ago. It had to do with the fact that you don't hold water on keto, because of the low carbs, so your muscles are depleted, and creatine is known for the water retention, especially in your muscles? Also the creatine transport is apparently not that great without carbs to help transport the creatine.

I will do some searching tomorrow and see if I can come up with it again, should be interesting.

Creatine is transported fine by something like fruit juice so you dont need a carb for transport. Might have more to do with glycogen levels?

I 2nd the low carb theory. Been on CKD for about 8 weeks. Endurence when it comes to weight training is poor. I will start with more cardio work now and in effort to get more quality training in i am changing to TKD.

Just finished my 4 week low crab diet, and i will admit my strenght was very poor in this time.

fruit juice = sugar ..no sugar on keto..it will throw u out of ketosis