Strength & Conditioning for High Fatigue or High-Stress Lives

When you’re short on time, experiencing high stress or struggling with low energy—whether due to a demanding career, chronic health issues, or a busy family life—the traditional “grind” at the gym can feel like too much.

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The good news? You can structure your training in a way where you still reap all of the benefits, but it’s much more manageable for what you’re going through. Here are three strategies taken from the world of strength and conditioning for the athletic population that can be effective for your own training:

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1. Implement Cluster Sets (Inter-Repetition Rest)

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Traditional training approaches often push you to "muscle failure," which can spike fatigue and keep your nervous system in a "fight-or-flight" state for hours after your workout.

A study by Kassiano et al. (2021) compared different set structures while looking at Heart Rate Variability (HRV) (a marker for how well your body recovers):

• The Findings: While traditional sets to failure caused significant nervous system recovery demands, the group that implemented the cluster sets (Inter-Repetition Rest (IRR)) saw almost no negative impact on their HRV. (1)

• What this looks like: Instead of doing 3 sets of 10, you might do 10 sets of 3, or take 20-second "mini-breaks" every few reps.

• Why this is helpful: You lift the same total weight but avoid the fatigue that leaves you feeling exhausted for the rest of the day if you’re already dealing with high stress or fatigue.

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2. Strength ‘Microdosing’

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Originally designed for elite athletes who need to stay fresh for game day but also have demanding training and competition schedules, "microdosing" involves high-frequency, low-volume training. This is where a usual strength and conditioning session is broken up into lots of small sessions across the week/before or after competition which prevents significant fatigue!

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For example, instead of two to three, tough 60-minute sessions per week, you might perform 15–20 minutes of high-quality work 4 or 5 days a week.

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• The Science: A meta-analysis by Ralston et al. (2018) found that when total weekly volume is the same, there is no significant difference in strength gains between training 1 day a week versus 3+ days a week. (2)

This means that you still get all the strength gains, but without the significant fatigue. You stay fresh for life’s challenges while getting stronger.

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3. Microloading

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Many training approaches centre around adding a decent amount of weight week to week (which is important for progressive overload and results), however, for those with limited energy or chronic conditions, these "spikes" in intensity can be too great for an already overwhelmed system.

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Microloading is the solution. Microloading involves making tiny increases (think 0.25kg to 1kg) each session which allows you to avoid these significant stressors (a big increase in load all of the sudden) but you’re still slowly adding weight.

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The Science: In the context of injury, a paper by Tim Gabbett (2016) highlights how hard training can actually protect you from injury, but sudden spikes in load are the primary risk factor. (3)

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How to incorporate: By using fractional plates or small increments session to session, you provide a consistent stimulus to your muscles without overwhelming your systemic recovery capacity. This is more manageable and less demanding, meaning you can still make great progress while respecting the demands you’re already dealing with (eg. high stress and fatigue).

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Need help implementing an approach like this?

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If you'd like further guidance, I specialise in helping residents of Bowral and the Southern Highlands (in-person) or those further afield (online) improve their quality of life through strength training. Whether you are managing chronic stress or transitioning from clinical rehab, I use these evidence-based strategies, drawing strongly for Strength and Conditioning principles, to help you make progress while dealing with life’s challenges.

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References:

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1) Kassiano, Witalo, et al. "Parasympathetic Nervous Activity Responses to Different Resistance Training Systems." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 35, no. 1, Jan. 2021, pp. 110-16, doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003866.

2) Ralston, Grant W., et al. "Weekly Training Frequency Effects on Strength Gain: A Meta-Analysis." Sports Medicine - Open, vol. 4, no. 1, 3 Aug. 2018, p. 36, doi:10.1186/s40798-018-0149-9.

3) Gabbett, Tim J. "The Training—Injury Prevention Paradox: Should Athletes Be Training Smarter and Harder?" British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 50, no. 7, 2016, pp. 273-80, doi:10.1136/bjsports-2015-095788.

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