Panick attacks?

[BrendaPuabi]

Hello everyone!!! Happy lifting!!!

I have a quick question....

Last Saturday I went to the gym to execute my leg day #2. I did 100 lunges with a 40lb barbell and 100 lunges on the Smith machine with 50lbs. I felt a little out of breath but nothing out of the ordinary. I headed over to the ab bench and started doing Russians with a 10lb weight and after finishing about 25 my right side of my chest got extremely tight, like it contracted and never relaxed, and I lost my breath. I literally couldn't breath. The pressure was so intense I felt I was having a heart attack. Anyone else experience something like this?

I usually don't do so much on leg day #2 and honestly I don't know why I did lol I ate broccoli and fish before going and was drinking powerade...It had been about 3 weeks since my last leg day (I have been lifting for about a year)...any thoughts?

Advice/input greatly appreciated!! Thanks fam!!!

[BEEvon]

Leg day should not consist of 200 lunges. Ever.

Work smarter not harder and see your dr. to rule out any heart problems.

What does the rest of your diet look like? How many calories are you consuming daily?

[Alien5]

sounds like an intense leg day. try doing deadlift and squats instead. just imo more results less lunges lol.

[Aerovis]

This does not sound like a panic attack. Panic attacks are a physical response caused by some kind of psychological anxiety. It can result in a variety of physical manifestations. There's also this uncontrollable, unescapable impending sense of doom (at least for me and many sufferers).

You no doubt had something going on. Sounds more like over doing it and a physical issue, not induced mentally. I could be wrong, don't know your history or stress, etc. So ignore me if I'm missing something.

[Running2live]

Do you have a history of anxiety and/or panic attacks?

On another note, why are you doing so many lunges? Seems a little over kill - find a way to be more efficient with your workouts.

[BrendaPuabi]

Thanks for the responses. I usually do squats, DL, hack machine, leg press etc...but I was told lunges would help with my outer thighs like I said, I normally don't do lunges like crazy...usually 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps with very little weight twice a week.

As far as the episode, the manager at the gym is a sufferer and he's the one that suggested I had a panick attack. I did calm down after he took me in a room and turned off the lights for me so I could relax a bit. I was just confused because I don't understand how exercise can trigger an anxiety attack...?

My diet consists of 5-6 meals of protein and veggies. Only one serving of carbs. My mentor put the diet together for me...but I may just go back to my 40/40/20 diet. I need my carbs!! Lol I consume about 1300-1500 calories a day and a gallon of water. My mentor wants me to drop a sufficient amount of body fat to compete in my first natural comp...I think it may just be a lot of dress for me...more power to all you ladies out there killing those competitions!!! I'm humbled!!

Thanks again all!!!

[rockangel]

We cant diagnose you with anything, so any advise here is not medical.

But as someone who suffers panic attacks and has been diagnosed with GAD, panic attacks normally come with the impending sense of doom. While I have had some that I had mistaken as a heart attack, the sense of doom has always been present. Mine feel a lot of times like I am missing something and now everything will go terribly horribly wrong. Such as when I am 20 minutes early and a panic attack comes on, I feel that I must have mis-read the time, im going to be late and then get fired and then..... this goes on and on.

Stress usually makes mine worse, exercising is part of what I use to keep them under control.

So if you think that you may have panic attacks, you need to seek out your doctor.

However, this sounds more like over doing it in the gym. You also need to make sure you are eating the correct calories and getting enough sleep.

[itsagoodday]

If I only trained legs once every 3 weeks and then started it with 200 lunges, I'd feel like crap, too.

[kimm4]

but I was told lunges would help with my outer thighs

This^^is a bodyfat issue and it goes back to your diet.

It could have been anything from simply holding your breath, a hydration issue, spike in blood pressure, etc...

[lotusdeva]

It doesn't sound like a panic attack to me. I would never be able to just come down on my own from it. It's either a ***** or a trip to ER. It's the feeling that you are about to die and nothing can help you. I think you overdid it at the gym, so your body freaked out a bit. If keep exercising like that you might get panic attacks though

[CaitAnnihilate]

Not to cause alarm, but my boyfriend suffered an episode that he thought he was having a heart attack. My initial thought was anxiety/panic attacks, as I use to suffer from them. He turned out to have a fit of atrial fibrillation. No previous history of heart issues, sudden unexplained onset. Symptoms were very similar to a panic attack, just without the sense of impending doom.

Like I said, I do not want to alarm you but you may want to consider at least making a visit with your family doctor and have them check you out. It honestly sounds like just a case of over doing it... but better safe than sorry. The ticker isn't something to play with.

[Aerovis]

CaitAnnihilate--

This is off topic, don't mean to hijack the post, but I love your clever user name. I have a feeling we have the same first and middle name. Just change the C for a K.

[samuenloren]

I would suggest you go a doc once and explain him this situation, he will have a better answer.
Excessive exercise would surely harm you.