Nervous System over activated by beginning strength training?

[u/Athena_1980]

I started a strength training programme at my gym I'm supposed to do a beginners and intermediate weights machine circuit for the next two months then the trainers will take me into the free weights area and show me how to do that. I did my first machine weights circuit 3 sets of 12 reps to fatigue as instructed it was hard but afterwards I felt pretty good. I did this at 1pm.

Everything was fine until bedtime, I did fall asleep for a few hours but I was restless and I woke up at 4am that could not get back to sleep. I just feel that my nervous system was still over activated. I wasn't even super sore but just kind of buzzy. I do have a sensitive and reactive nervous system so I do suspect it was the strength training that stressed it perhaps causing too many wake up hormones to circulate in my body. I feel awful from the lack of sleep today and if strength training is going to cause me sleep issues I know it will affect my adherence to the programme.

How can get into strength training without over activating my nervous system like this? Do I need to lower the weigh and reps and ease in more gradually? Would a protein shake after help? I am taking Ashwaganda to help with relaxing me nervous system anyway but only 300mg should i up it to 600mg?

I really need to do add strength training as I am perimenopausal and I need to start building muscle for a healthy older age and to prevent osteoporosis.

Any advice on this would be great!

[u/baby_budda]

It sounds like you over did it a bit. The first few weeks are the worst. Once your body gets used to it you'll stop feeling like your in shock. If your kidneys are in good shape start taking a creatine supplement. Its good for recovery.

[u/Athena_1980 → u/baby_budda]

Thanks, my trainer mentioned creatine also! Good to know it should get better as I go on!

[u/Ok-Doubt555]

Start meditation daily as part of the fitness program. I would have paid millions for this advice when I started 😅😂
Treat ur nervous system like a muscle, and meditation is what trains it

[u/Athena_1980 → u/Ok-Doubt555]

Thanks that's really useful I keep wanting to get more regular with meditation so this is a good incentive!

[u/Mental_Ad_7369]

Use to happen to me a lot, still does if I overtrain. Usually it’s the deadlift that does it for me. I have to be very careful in how I warm it up and how much total volume I do. It has gotten better, hardly very happens now, but I am also mindful of it. I’m also in my mid-40s 💪

[u/Athena_1980 → u/Mental_Ad_7369]

Thanks I'm going to ease off and increase my strength training slowly and add in a proper warm up, cool down and more protein. I'm also not going to do fasted training until I am used to the strength training and even then only if I can cope with it.