Overtraining is a myth!

FoodFitnessTravel

At least that's what my boyfriend says. He claims i should be working out every single day, and that I am no professional athlete so there's no danger of overtraining.

I told him I just do better if i've had a rest day in between each workout - if i work out every other day, and that I also read that we should all have rest days when we lift weights, which is mostly what I do. But he said that that's bull**** and if i really wanna be fitter than ever i should push myself out of my comfort zone.

He trains every day, he is really into martial arts, boxing and weight lifting. He looks amazing and has abs and big chest and all that. He said it wouldn't be possible for a skinny Asian guy who weighs 120 lbs to become fit and "yoked" if he didn't train every day and eat properly. He said that if I sleep properly every night there is no reason for me not to work out for an hour a day.

He isn't shaming me into working out, he is trying to motivate me and I really trust him. But I've been on myfitnesspal for years and I read a lot about rest days and that they are necessary if we want to perform better when we work out next time.

I need opinions, I will definitely still take at least 2 rest days a week instead of my usual 4, but i need to know if this is true?

jemhh

I tend to think that the odds of the average MFPer overtraining are low. That being said, rest days are important. Rest days don't have to be completely sedentary lie-on-the-couch days but giving yourself a chance to take a break and recharge is good. If your boyfriend wants to train everyday, great. But if you can fit your workouts into 5 or 6 days rather 7, I can't see that there's much to be gained from forcing yourself to do more.

awrice1970

I would tend to agree with him. Working out an hour a day shouldn't lead to being 'overtrained', as long as you are working different body parts. However, that doesn't mean YOU need to workout that much. If you feel better taking rest days and are still meeting your goals, then take rest days.

RunHardBeStrong

awrice1970 wrote: »

I would tend to agree with him. Working out an hour a day shouldn't lead to being 'overtrained', as long as you are working different body parts. However, that doesn't mean YOU need to workout that much. If you feel better taking rest days and are still meeting your goals, then take rest days.

Agreed. Do what works for you but he does have a valid point.

BrianSharpe

At an hour a day there's little risk of overtraining & he's right about getting enough sleep. You are also correct in lifting every other day (assuming you're doing a full body workout) but on your non-lifting days you could be running, biking, swimming, boxing etc etc etc

Don't think so much of rest days (and, frankly, 4 per week is pretty slack) as recovery days. I work out 7 days per week but mix up intensity, impact etc. but your workout schedule should be premised on your goals.

Pinnacle_IAO

Rest is paramount to ensure steady progress.
Sorry, your bf is just wrong.

I would suggest that you read up on Over-Training. Google it and just learn, then apply this to your own routines that match your specific needs and expectations. A rest day is more than the body but also your mind and spirit.

Even God took a day off -

No_Finish_Line

maybe if you're 18. if your over 25, over use injuries are common. but that's bigger then just taking rest days.

I agree that the average MFPer probably isn't going to over train, but lifting every single day would be just plain ridiculous. even steroid users (drastically steps up recovery) take rest days.

you can workout every day, but don't lift every day. Also don't think its a 100% necessary for every body in order to look a certain way

ryanflebbe

Your boyfriend sounds like a "bro". There is overtraining, undertraining, and optimal frequency. Eating right, sleeping enough, taking supplaments, and taking drugs will help recovery and make overtraining less likely. But, you can still overtrain. Especially if you are lifting very heavy, near your limit. That will tax your nervous system more, which is more likely to cause overtraining than too much volume for your muscles to become overtrained. Which brings me to my questions, what kind of weight training are you doing? Free weights, machines, heavy weight, moderate weight, high volume, high intensity, powerlifting, bodybuilding, olympic weightlifting, full body, split? Are you making decent progress the way you are training now?

earthnut

I think it depends. If you are making big gains, like a beginner, you need rest days. If your routine is already familiar and established, then perhaps you don't. Listen to your body. If it feels fine, work out. If it doesn't, rest. I think usually the problems occur when someone starts something new. Three body needs more rest then, both because it's working harder and because you may not recognise fatigue as readily.

stealthq

It depends on your workouts. If you're lifting every day, or doing sprint work every day then you're definitely doing it wrong.

On the other hand, if you change up your exercises and intensities intelligently you could exercise for an hour every day and be fine. If you think you need rest but still want to be out and moving, walking, swimming laps, or bicycling at low, steady intensity are good choices.

FoodFitnessTravel

I do full body training with 20 minutes of cardio every time i work out. So legs, butt, belly, arms, everything. I stay in the gym usually around 1 and a half to 2 hours. It just works better for me if I do everything at once for 2 hours than if i do half an hour and then come back to the gym tomorrow and so on. But I also don't lift very heavy and near my limit, I don't think I can injure myself if I have the right posture.
My results are fine, I have been doing 3x a week for years but i was never fully satisfied with my body composition. My boyfriend says that if i want to be really fit, I gotta do it every day.
I walk a lot but I don't do much other cardio, doing cardio between the days that i lift makes sense.

adawson55510

I weight train 4 days a week and do hiit cardio 3 most weeks but i do find that after 5-6 weeks i do burn out so i back off the cardio for 2 weeks or so. Every one is different i know guys who can weight train twice a day never feel tired or run down and still add muscle. Its pretty simple if your sore don't train if your not train. I'm actually going to try training twice a day 4 times a week for 8 weeks to see how that goes. don't be afraid to try and experiment with yourself

FoodFitnessTravel

I am also not a fan of "barbie dumbbells", people are always surprised how strong i am for a girl my size. I try to push myself harder, but i never felt like i'm going to die if i don't stop-another thing my boyfriend wants me to do is to REALLY push myself otherwise there's little point in me bing in the gym.

No_Finish_Line

I don't care what level of effort or weight your doing, full body weight training every day makes no sense at all. if you want to do a spilt then your talking less crazy but I'd still take 1 out of 7 days off from lifting. do whatever extra cardio you wanted that day

earthnut

FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »

My boyfriend says that if i want to be really fit, I gotta do it every day.

Well that's just not true. Although it doesn't always hurt to train every day, its hardly necessary.

ald783

FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »

I am also not a fan of "barbie dumbbells", people are always surprised how strong i am for a girl my size. I try to push myself harder, but i never felt like i'm going to die if i don't stop-another thing my boyfriend wants me to do is to REALLY push myself otherwise there's little point in me bing in the gym.

Your boyfriend sounds overly invested in your workouts. There's no harm (maybe) in asking him for an opinion but ultimately do what you find works best for you. Your workout goals are different than his. His advice is also not correct on several fronts. You do not need to work out every day or "REALLY push yourself" to make exercise fruitful.

rjmudlax13

In my opinion rest days are a must. You should have at least one day of very low (such as a walk) or no activity. However, overtraining is relative. It depends on the intensity, duration and your overall health/fitness level. I don't think I can say there is an ideal amount of rest you need. You need to listen to your body and that comes with experience. I come at this from a runners perspective. I can just tell that I need an extra day off sometimes. I know that if I try to run on some days, I just won't get much out of it. I rather rest a little more and then be able to run harder the next day. As others said, it's a balancing act. You don't want to rest too much to where you are losing fitness, but you don't want to train so much that you can't workout as intense as you should.

jemhh

FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »

I do full body training with 20 minutes of cardio every time i work out. So legs, butt, belly, arms, everything. I stay in the gym usually around 1 and a half to 2 hours. It just works better for me if I do everything at once for 2 hours than if i do half an hour and then come back to the gym tomorrow and so on. But I also don't lift very heavy and near my limit, I don't think I can injure myself if I have the right posture.
My results are fine, I have been doing 3x a week for years but i was never fully satisfied with my body composition. My boyfriend says that if i want to be really fit, I gotta do it every day.
I walk a lot but I don't do much other cardio, doing cardio between the days that i lift makes sense.

Is your boyfriend's motivation for encouraging more exercise due to you saying that you're not happy with your body composition?

JoRocka

typically it's not over training- it's lack of rest.

Which I know people would argue is the same thing- but in my mind they are substantially different.
The amount of work you can do goes up if you can get the adequate amount of R and R that goes with it.

Odds are you aren't at 1 hr a day. You certainly don't need to train every day though.

You're BF doesn't know what he's talking about.

jacklfc88

as someone has already said, recovery is what gets you in to shape as opposed to the training itself, per se. if i train properly, say chest and tris one day, there's no way i am training that again until the ache has gone. rest is absolutely crucial. if you don't let your body recover you're at serious risk of injury.

also if you're not getting the results you want it's highly likely it's your diet that's the reason as opposed to your routine.

No_Finish_Line

Lets talk goals. Unless you are training for an athletic competition, training every day is totally unnecessary. Virtually every appearance goal (other then gaining muscle mass) would be served just as well or better with a strict attention to nutrition and a decent workout routine.