Author Topic: Exercise.... and anger???  (Read 11551 times)

Forcus

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Exercise.... and anger???
« on: April 09, 2015, 09:40:04 AM »
So the wife and I have gone back to the gym. We are both way out of shape. Anyway I noticed something peculiar. When I am consistently working out, I often at any time have much more of a hair trigger / anger issue than I usually do. I'm usually pretty chill unless it's something really upsetting. But with a consistent workout schedule I am much more likely to snap - traffic, work, etc. I believe it's probably a psycho-physiological issue. More blood to the brain, less brain laziness, more aware of things not right in my life or things happening whereas not working out my brain is lazy and passive towards those things. But maybe it's something else. Anyone else experience this?!?!?

kaizen soze

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2015, 09:45:00 AM »
I'm not an expert, but you are describing a symptom of overtraining.  If you are exercising with a lot of intensity, you might just need to dial back your workouts.  I happen to suffer from the same thing, although I do not experience anger. I just become lethargic and have trouble sleeping.  Once I dial it back, the symptoms usually go away. 

AlanStache

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2015, 09:52:49 AM »
Having one more thing on your plate that you have to do might be the cause, I know this gets me sometimes.  "After work I have 3.5 hours of 'free time' after work and with the gym I only get 1.5 hr, but I still have to get X,Y,Z,alpha,beta done."  I ended up canceling my gym membership partly because of this, the added stress of needing to get there (paying 30$/mon!!! after all) was to much.  I am doing better running from home and working some kettle bells, not as efficient as a full gym but is a better life balance and less of a time commitment each day.

Or maybe its the feeling of making hard daily efforts and not seeing results?  results take time.

Or the perceived judgement from those around while working out and not associating the gym as a happy place?

Is working out from home an option?

catccc

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2015, 09:55:45 AM »
Hmm, I used to be quite the workout fiend and found it was a great way to release anger, which I thought was what this post was going to be about.  Not sure what it could be, never heard of this.  Anything else causing stress in your life?

neo von retorch

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2015, 09:58:02 AM »
Low blood sugar? I find that I'm not happy if I don't lift heavy things a few times a week, and before I started doing that, I found I was anxious and stressed if I didn't get some cardio exercise in a few times a week.

Of course, lifting the right way can increase your testosterone levels.

Cromacster

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2015, 10:04:29 AM »
I would look into the what and when of your diet.  What you are eating and when you are eating it.  Low blood sugar as mentioned above or not enough carbs in your diet.  Sleep could be another factor.

When taking a holistic approach to being healthy exercise is really only about 10% of the equation.  Diet and lifestyle fill in the other 90.

eyePod

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2015, 10:16:19 AM »
I have this weird thing where if my wife is egging me to go faster (like anyone else would at our former CF gym), it would feel like nagging and would piss me off.

Other people were fine though. I don't think this is the same as what you're talking about.

Every time someone drives like an idiot around me, I think "Let's just assume that they're driving someone to a hospital." It calms me down a bit.

vhalros

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2015, 10:17:26 AM »
I find that I get sort of angry during the work outs (I might not exactly call it "anger" but some kind of weird state of physiological arousal). But the rest of the time exercise seems to make me more calm, not less.

Valhalla

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2015, 10:23:29 AM »
Hmm, I used to be quite the workout fiend and found it was a great way to release anger, which I thought was what this post was going to be about.  Not sure what it could be, never heard of this.  Anything else causing stress in your life?
Ditto.

I have been working out for a long time, to the point where friends / family were joking about me becoming the new "Arnold"...

I've found it relaxed me, and never made me more angry.  However, as a "muscle head" one could easily start to get an attitude...something I was careful to avoid.

frugaliknowit

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2015, 10:24:50 AM »
Something is not right.  No, you should not be experiencing this.  If anything you should be calmer.

Possible causes:

1.  Working out on low blood sugar.  When weight training, you should eat something maybe 1.5-2 hours before the workout (protein bar, nuts, yogurt, maybe 200-400 calories).  With cardio you should not be "starving" before working out (some of this is debatable).

2.  You may be injuring yourself or not working out properly.  You might be lifting too heavily, using bad form and or doing cardio at too high of a heart rate (google training heart rate).

You might want to consult with a trainer and or see your doctor.

Slam

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2015, 10:29:41 AM »
The gym does this to me too.  I have caught myself invoking an internal rage before doing a final set.  I try to increase adrenaline to make the weights feel lighter.  It gets me pumped up, but I don't think it's in a good way.  After the set, I would go back to calm and relaxed.  Then I caught myself becoming more irritable outside the gym.  I felt like I was training myself to undergo extreme mood swings.

I have since let my gym membership expire.  I save the money and do more biking, trail running, and even yoga; peaceful type activities that don't make me so angry.

joeypants

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2015, 10:38:44 AM »
So the wife and I have gone back to the gym. We are both way out of shape. Anyway I noticed something peculiar. When I am consistently working out, I often at any time have much more of a hair trigger / anger issue than I usually do. I'm usually pretty chill unless it's something really upsetting. But with a consistent workout schedule I am much more likely to snap - traffic, work, etc. I believe it's probably a psycho-physiological issue. More blood to the brain, less brain laziness, more aware of things not right in my life or things happening whereas not working out my brain is lazy and passive towards those things. But maybe it's something else. Anyone else experience this?!?!?

It's been a long time since I used to work as a personal trainer, but this kind of thing can depend on the type of workout you're doing. Exercise (especially weight/resistance training) can cause testosterone levels in the body to skyrocket, which can lead to increased anger and a shorter fuse. If you're working out with any frequency, this could cause you have elevated testosterone levels consistently.

If that's the case, you can either try working in more aerobic days into your workout plan, or decreasing the duration of your weight training by using higher weight and fewer reps (with proper form and a spotter, of course).

Alternatively, sometimes working out in nature can help take your focus off yourself and put it onto the beautiful outdoors. This is just a guess, but I'd bet that it's hard to be angry in a forest, ya know?

Just my two cents!

frugalnacho

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2015, 10:39:29 AM »
It could be hormonal too.  Consistent weight training and working out makes me hornier and more aggressive.  I always figured it was elevated testosterone levels.  Try to direct it into your next work out.

Forcus

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2015, 10:39:58 AM »
Thanks for the responses. Let me clarify:

- It does NOT happen during the workouts. Anytime after.
- I am definitely not working out hard. Treadmill with some elevation, just to get a sweat going.
- I am not lifting.
- Diet / blood sugar / sleep are definitely possible issues I just didn't think about it
- External stress is definitely a possible issue. BUT my level of stress is the same or possibly lower as before I started to workout again. Not saying it doesn't contribute, I'm just not sure it is a main factor.
- Results and judgment at the gym are not really factors.
- I am on some medications. Possibly they are more / less effective with exercise?

AlanStache

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #14 on: April 09, 2015, 10:58:38 AM »
Other than sitting around on the couch have you taken anything out of your life since starting exercising?

Gone Fishing

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #15 on: April 09, 2015, 12:46:18 PM »
- Diet / blood sugar / sleep are definitely possible issues I just didn't think about it

Cutting calories definitely makes me irritable.  A co-worker refers to this as being hangry. 

Blonde Lawyer

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #16 on: April 09, 2015, 01:05:11 PM »
Are you doing paleo by any chance? It made a few of my friends ragey.

Forcus

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #17 on: April 09, 2015, 02:39:47 PM »
I'll be honest I have no set diet plan. That may be a big part of the problem. Typical day:

Wake up, immediately work out ~45 minutes
Go to work, have a coffee and water. I really do not often eat breakfast
Lunch I sometimes skip. If I don't sometimes I will have popcorn or a real lunch. **note** I packed my lunch - one ham and cheese and one jelly sandwich - before, did not seem to make a difference between that and skipping. I usually have 20 oz. of sugary lemonade at that time too.
Dinner depends - usually chicken from the freezer and potatoes or something like that. I usually have a chocolate milk at that time.

I don't really snack although I've been eating almonds in the afternoon - a small portion.

So looking back at that I guess maybe the after-workout-rage probably isn't related to working out, lol... I just don't eat when I'm not hungry and it's really hard to force myself to eat since I'm still overweight.

swick

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #18 on: April 09, 2015, 02:59:20 PM »
I'll be honest I have no set diet plan. That may be a big part of the problem. Typical day:

Wake up, immediately work out ~45 minutes
Go to work, have a coffee and water. I really do not often eat breakfast
Lunch I sometimes skip. If I don't sometimes I will have popcorn or a real lunch. **note** I packed my lunch - one ham and cheese and one jelly sandwich - before, did not seem to make a difference between that and skipping. I usually have 20 oz. of sugary lemonade at that time too.
Dinner depends - usually chicken from the freezer and potatoes or something like that. I usually have a chocolate milk at that time.

I don't really snack although I've been eating almonds in the afternoon - a small portion.

So looking back at that I guess maybe the after-workout-rage probably isn't related to working out, lol... I just don't eat when I'm not hungry and it's really hard to force myself to eat since I'm still overweight.

Umm... I say this with love - your diet is a fucking train wreck.  If that is your typical day, you are going from fasting to sugar high to sugar crash, rinse and repeat. There is no way you can be healthy, let alone lose any weight on a diet like that.

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #19 on: April 09, 2015, 03:09:26 PM »
Huge kudos for being able to survive on a diet like that. You are way, way stronger than I am. I'd be a quivering wreck and would probably eat the left arm of the first person who came within range.

Regardless of your weight, there is probably a very real chance you are malnourished. Try to work some vegetables into your diet. And for goodness sake, eat breakfast. Once you start to eat nutrient rich food at regular intervals, I'm sure the weight will start to come off.

neo von retorch

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #20 on: April 09, 2015, 03:11:47 PM »
You might be interested in something like this:
http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

Try to make sure you get enough protein and fat in your diet, and not too much sugar. (And enough calories for your body to work properly.)

Valhalla

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #21 on: April 09, 2015, 03:13:14 PM »
I'll be honest I have no set diet plan. That may be a big part of the problem. Typical day:

Wake up, immediately work out ~45 minutes
Go to work, have a coffee and water. I really do not often eat breakfast
Lunch I sometimes skip. If I don't sometimes I will have popcorn or a real lunch. **note** I packed my lunch - one ham and cheese and one jelly sandwich - before, did not seem to make a difference between that and skipping. I usually have 20 oz. of sugary lemonade at that time too.
Dinner depends - usually chicken from the freezer and potatoes or something like that. I usually have a chocolate milk at that time.

I don't really snack although I've been eating almonds in the afternoon - a small portion.

So looking back at that I guess maybe the after-workout-rage probably isn't related to working out, lol... I just don't eat when I'm not hungry and it's really hard to force myself to eat since I'm still overweight.
wow that's a messed up diet.  Eating is not the problem, eating crap is the problem.  Even though you may be overweight, you still need to feed your body. You need to research healthy eating - tons of books, videos, and sites out there.  Hanging around here to discuss this won't help you much.

greaper007

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #22 on: April 09, 2015, 09:57:11 PM »
You're hungry and putting your body into starvation mode.    You're angry, and you're not going to lose weight.

There's tons of online calculators that will give you a caloric guide to follow for weight loss.    I'll tell you right now that you probably don't have enough calories (especially in the morning) and the ones you do have are way too dependent on simple carbs.    Aim first for daily calories, then if you want to get a little more detailed go for a 40-40-20 split   that's 40% protein, 40% carbs (fruits and vegetables, no more refined grains and sugars) and 20% fat (again, not trans fatty frozen dinners, olive oil, egg yolks etc).

As for the cardio, I don't know what sort of shape you're starting out at, but take a look at High Intensity Interval Training, it's way more effective for fat loss than low level cardio.    You also can't skimp on the weights.    Get a personal training session and learn how to do some basic free weight stuff safely.       I personally think weights and diet are way more important for an attractive, healthy body type than cardio.    Cardio is fantastic for your cardiovascular system but it doesn't actually make you lose weight.    A healthy caloric restriction and increased resting metabolism (from more muscle mass) does that.

Good luck, and congratulations on deciding to get into shape.

Forcus

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #23 on: April 10, 2015, 08:05:11 AM »
lol thanks for the "love smacks". I usually am giving not receiving (lol)

I'll look in to it and report back. Diet has always been a problem. I just didn't make a connection between diet and anger because I'm not "hangry". I eat when I'm signaled to eat which is also probably part of the problem, maybe my signals are messed up and I just have to ignore them and stick to a rigid "eating plan".

garion

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #24 on: April 10, 2015, 08:24:43 AM »
A dinner of chicken/potatoes is fairly strong but you should add a veggie to it for nutrition... For us, a more typical dinner would be chicken, potatoes, and greens. I know you might want to skip breakfast, but it is good to eat some protein post-workout, like a hardboiled egg or something. My husband is the same way about breakfast, but when he was working out in the morning I would throw him some sort of meat or egg to choke down. And you should really try packing a nutritious lunch, like a salad or leftovers. And quit it with the sugary drinks! Those alone can cause blood sugar highs and lows.

Oh, and if you are a member of a gym, you should take advantage of your membership by adding some weight training to your workouts. It might be worth it to buy a single personal training session (don't know if this is free at your gym or not) just to learn how to use the weights properly because that is important.

(my entirely unsolicited advice, take it or leave it).

Sibley

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #25 on: April 10, 2015, 10:40:41 AM »
I also don't eat when I'm not hungry. Problem is, I don't get the "I'm hungry" message right. Put yourself on a strict schedule of when you eat. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. Think it all through, then follow it brainlessly for a while then evaluate. Do not allow yourself to deviate from the schedule.

Try to meal plan - it'll allow you to make sure that you're eating a good variety of healthy foods with reasonable portion sizes and once the planning is done then it's brainless. Also help you with your grocery shopping.

Also cut back on the sugary lemonade and chocolate milk, switch to less sugary drinks. Water is good. Cut back on any pops/sodas that you drink as well. This is how you're getting sufficient calories right now - and liquid calories are not the best idea.

Koogie

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #26 on: April 10, 2015, 12:03:31 PM »

Ironically, I am the complete opposite. I find if I don't get enough routine exercise I become short tempered and moody.  Lack of exercise endorphins and pent up energy, I guess.


Forcus

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #27 on: April 14, 2015, 11:07:29 AM »
Thanks for all the thoughts guys, I appreciate it. I kind of wonder how many other problems will be solved by getting my diet under control. BTW if you think my diet is bad, the wife's is probably twice as bad, so hopefully changing mine will rub off.

Sibley

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #28 on: April 14, 2015, 11:49:20 AM »
Good luck! Changing what and how you eat is probably the hardest thing you can possibly do. If you mess up, don't beat yourself up, just work on getting back on track.

takeahike

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #29 on: April 14, 2015, 01:31:26 PM »
My guess is higher testosterone.

Philociraptor

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #30 on: April 14, 2015, 01:45:57 PM »
I have this weird thing where if my wife is egging me to go faster (like anyone else would at our former CF gym), it would feel like nagging and would piss me off.

Other people were fine though. I don't think this is the same as what you're talking about.

I get this! I have to remind myself that she's just trying to encourage me, do NOT rage at the wife, etc.

Cromacster

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #31 on: April 14, 2015, 01:54:31 PM »
I have this weird thing where if my wife is egging me to go faster (like anyone else would at our former CF gym), it would feel like nagging and would piss me off.

Other people were fine though. I don't think this is the same as what you're talking about.

I get this! I have to remind myself that she's just trying to encourage me, do NOT rage at the wife, etc.

The roles are switched for me.  No quicker way to piss her off than to encourage her to go faster or try to correct her form.  We now have the understanding that I do not encourage nor coach her.  We simply work out together with a high five at the end.

georgialiving

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #32 on: April 15, 2015, 03:23:54 AM »
I was also going to suggest IIFYM. Myfitnesspal is a great app to track your food!

I wouldn't worry about overtraining unless you are a professional athlete.

Not eating enough will slow your metabolism and slow weight loss

I suggest lifting weight rather than walking, more bang for your buck!! My mom and dad used a book call the rules of weightlifting for women, and just followed that- very simple!


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GuitarStv

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Re: Exercise.... and anger???
« Reply #33 on: April 15, 2015, 06:18:39 AM »
That situation described sounds really odd.  I get irritable and have less patience when I stop working out regularly.