Posted 4/9/2017 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
I used to be into bodybuilding and then powerlifting. I deal with chronic depression, fatigue, anxiety and back pain.
Weight training is a stimulus and can possibly add to the overstimulation from anxiety. I don't do workouts like I used to, but I'm able to do some. I've learned to never go to more than about two reps short of 'failure'. It took me a while to learn to back off. You can still improve from there. You can also add 'volume' (more sets basically), and do the sets with even a little less intensity of effort. Also, the heavier/lower reps you go, the more it affects your (or anyone's) CNS. I can't do high rep sets because they simply wear me out, but if I do 5-9 reps for most exercises, but again stopping short of all-out, it generally works OK.
Extra:
When I was powerlifting, if I did a really hard set of three reps for something bigger like squats, there were times when something would just go off in my CNS and I'd be what I call wired and tired for 2-3 days. It was awful. I didn't really realize what was going on at the time.