Overtraining is a myth!
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The basis of all fitness is balancing 4 things:
1. Intensity (how hard)
2. Duration (how long)
3. Frequency (how often)
4. Recovery
Recovery is not quite the same thing as complete rest and doesn't necessarily mean sitting around doing nothing. However, for a number of reasons one day complete rest is recommended particularly for beginners as well as planned recovery weeks where you reduce the amount of training you do.
So, you can train every day but how much recovery time you need depends on the make up of 1-3.
Over training is not a myth but I think most people are far more in danger of over reaching their current abilities (and therefore getting injured.)0 -
FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »My results are fine, I have been doing 3x a week for years but i was never fully satisfied with my body composition.
In this case OP, you should focus more on your diet and less on your training.0 -
Agreed. Fat loss is made in the kitchen, not the gym.Mayor_West wrote: »FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »My results are fine, I have been doing 3x a week for years but i was never fully satisfied with my body composition.
In this case OP, you should focus more on your diet and less on your training.
If you really want to listen to your boyfriend and start working out every day, don't do full body and cardio every session. For one, recovery is at least as important to the actual lifts. I personally run and lift on alternating days. For one thing, I just don't have time for that much exercise at once so this allows me to accomplish everything in an hour per day every day. I have a day between each type of workout to recover and then have one weekend day off where I do no more than walk.
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Oh and just a question for everyone thats commenting.
How often do you train and how much training do you do? Think you are going to be hard pished to overtrain as a typical gym user especially if you take 1 or 2 days a week rest.0 -
I've read your responses and it sounds like you've already hit on a way to get the results you want while investing the time you're willing. Why is your boyfriend so concerned with how you work out? If you're mentioning insecurities and he's providing what he sees as a solution, that's one thing. But if he's got a Pygmalion thing happening here . . .0
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Oh and just a question for everyone thats commenting.
How often do you train and how much training do you do? Think you are going to be hard pished to overtrain as a typical gym user especially if you take 1 or 2 days a week rest.
I train 6 days a week with 1 rest day. Although, I either golf or work on the house.
Sunday - Chest & Shoulders
Monday - HIIT & Abs
Tuesday - Back & Arms
Wednesday - Yoga/Flexibility training
Thursday - Legs
Friday - HIIT & Abs
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sorry psule i meant how often have people overtrained? I am coming from the angle of I think its hard to do and your average gym user on 60 -90min sessions isnt goping to get close. What msf74 posted above is a good way of looking at how much exercise any person is doing.0
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sorry psule i meant how often have people overtrained? I am coming from the angle of I think its hard to do and your average gym user on 60 -90min sessions isnt goping to get close. What msf74 posted above is a good way of looking at how much exercise any person is doing.
ETA: Except in the beginning (or thinking I could keep up in a new class), no0 -
barbecuesauce wrote: »sorry psule i meant how often have people overtrained? I am coming from the angle of I think its hard to do and your average gym user on 60 -90min sessions isnt goping to get close. What msf74 posted above is a good way of looking at how much exercise any person is doing.
Is overtraining the same as DOMS?
No. From the wiki
Doms isDelayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), also called muscle fever, is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles several hours to days after unaccustomed or strenuous exercise. The soreness is felt most strongly 24 to 72 hours after the exercise.Overtraining is Overtraining can be described as a point where a person may have a decrease in performance and plateauing as a result from failure to consistently perform at a certain level or training load exceeds their recovery capacity.[1] They cease making progress, and can even begin to lose strength and fitness. Overtraining is also known as chronic fatigue, burnout and overstress in athletes....] It is important to note the difference between overtraining and over-reaching; over-reaching is when an athlete is undergoing hard training but with adequate recovery, overtraining however, is when an athlete is undergoing hard training without the adequate recovery.0 -
sorry psule i meant how often have people overtrained? I am coming from the angle of I think its hard to do and your average gym user on 60 -90min sessions isnt goping to get close. What msf74 posted above is a good way of looking at how much exercise any person is doing.
OH LOL... nvm then.
The people who I generally see over train are newbies who go from nothing to an extreme workout (especially those workouts that frequently work the same muscles). But if you follow a structured program like SL or NROL4W, it's unlikely.
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Oh and just a question for everyone thats commenting.
How often do you train and how much training do you do? Think you are going to be hard pished to overtrain as a typical gym user especially if you take 1 or 2 days a week rest.
Right now? I run 5 days a week on average, 3-6 miles per run. I've just swapped out two of my regular steady pace runs for one sprint training session and one race-pace session because I'm finding distance runs a problem in the Texas heat (i.e. I'm not willing to get up 2hrs before sunrise to get my run finished) and the shorter runs aren't enough.
If you'd asked me a couple of months ago, I was running 5 days a week, 5-14 miles per run and doing All-Pro's intermediate program 4 days a week. I ran in the morning and did my lifting at lunch. Made sure to get 2 days of nothing but rest, also kept two days between doing the same lifts.0 -
sorry psule i meant how often have people overtrained? I am coming from the angle of I think its hard to do and your average gym user on 60 -90min sessions isnt goping to get close. What msf74 posted above is a good way of looking at how much exercise any person is doing.
Lifting weights? Probably not. Most people would simply find they're too fatigued to lift at their usual weight/duration and realize something was wrong.
But over-training running or other high impact cardio? I see it all of the time in these forums. It usually manifests itself as shin splints or joint problems at first and can get ugly if people don't realize there's a problem and keep "pushing through the pain."0 -
Overtraining what? Soccer? Powerlifting? Marathon?0
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overtraining her body I think is the answer to your question. not really sure what your point is0
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well that depends, if you try over training running you'll faint, and get edema and damaged lunges, if you try over training football you end up kicking poorly and with deformed feet, if you try training lifting your muscles won't grow enough as they run out of energy.0
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I don't know that you are going to over train yourself but there really isn't any reason to do what he suggests in my opinion. You can lift heavy, 5 days a week, I go 5-7 days between muscle groups and have seen significant growth in my muscle mass. Take a look at muscleforlife.com and the programs he has. It's been a real life changer for me. You do need time for your muscles to repair unless you are using chemicals to speed up the process.0
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Very few people are at the point where they would be overtraining. Your body needs rest, but as long as your regimens work different muscle groups e.g. martial arts, resistance, cardio - there isn't much concern. As long as you spend enough time flexing you mental muscle and provide some balance to your life you're fine.
While there's not so much a medical concern, is this routine sustainable over time?0 -
my point is simply that training every single day is really only necessary for those in engaged in athletic competitions. and even then its far from necessary to NEVER take a rest day.
I don't think it does much to support your goals, but if its something you wanted to do, then enjoy0 -
The first week of C25K was too much for me as a total beginner. I got shin splints and had to stop running for a week and then restarted with a more gradual program (the book Running from the 1960's) and now it would take a lot more for me to overtrain.sorry psule i meant how often have people overtrained? I am coming from the angle of I think its hard to do and your average gym user on 60 -90min sessions isnt goping to get close. What msf74 posted above is a good way of looking at how much exercise any person is doing.
I also overtrained when i started weight training many years ago. Tried to do too much too quickly.
This is why i think the danger of overtraining is mostly for beginners or when you're learning something new. With a little experience you quickly learn the limits of your body and the warning signs, and you can "listen to your body". As a beginner you can't always translate correctly what your body is saying.
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If you have gotten good results, and it works for you, I don't see the need to change it up drastically. Perhaps a good compromise would be keeping your every other day lifting schedule with the 20 min cardio after, but lifting a little harder, and doing more cardio on the days in between. You said you are strong but don't push it really hard. Push harder on basic hard lifts and keep a workout log and make sure you are progressing in weight, reps, or both. That's just basic stuff. Walking is cardio, but maybe try something more intense. Do you have an interest in boxing training? Your boyfriend could probably help you get started if he boxes. It is great for conditioning and learning how to properly punch someone and fight a little is awesome. You don't have to spar or get punched if you don't want to. I would highly recommend it. Just make sure you are getting legit instruction, wrapping your hands, using decent gloves, hitting a decent bag and not a side of beef, etc.Haha. Good luck.0
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usually:
Lifting: 3 days a week 2 hrs high vol.
Dance 6 days a week in various levels of exertion (gigs all the way to rehersal which is more standing and talking) for upwards of 15+ hrs.
Run:
I've switched gears
Lifting 2x a week (3 maybe)- for only 45-75 minutes
Running- 4 x a week
Dancing- still 6 times a week.
I also work a full time job.
I am, based on how hard I know I can push, typically very skeptical of people who claim to be over training- over doing it and over training are not the same thing.
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Mayor_West wrote: »FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »My results are fine, I have been doing 3x a week for years but i was never fully satisfied with my body composition.
In this case OP, you should focus more on your diet and less on your training.
Oh i don't want to lose any more weight. I am 5'8" and i weigh around 115 lbs, some days less some days more.
I am just not satisfied with how "visible" my muscles are if that makes sense. And I thought that it was maybe because i am simply not training enough. I've been working out for years, doing the same type of workout (20 min of cardio + various exercises with weights, switching it up every now and then) so i thought that I might just need to do more than i'm already doing.
What many of you said makes sense, i'll just try to do cardio on some days and lifting a couple times a week0 -
FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »Mayor_West wrote: »FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »My results are fine, I have been doing 3x a week for years but i was never fully satisfied with my body composition.
In this case OP, you should focus more on your diet and less on your training.
Oh i don't want to lose any more weight. I am 5'8" and i weigh around 115 lbs, some days less some days more.
I am just not satisfied with how "visible" my muscles are if that makes sense. And I thought that it was maybe because i am simply not training enough. I've been working out for years, doing the same type of workout (20 min of cardio + various exercises with weights, switching it up every now and then) so i thought that I might just need to do more than i'm already doing.
What many of you said makes sense, i'll just try to do cardio on some days and lifting a couple times a week
So do you want them more visible? or less visible?0 -
Overtraining is not a myth ... but you have to be doing a lot to get there.
When I was bodybuilding, my coach had me on a program where I was doing 3 days on, 1 day off ... but working different muscle groups on each of those 3 days. If I recall correctly, he had me doing back & biceps on Day 1, shoulders, chest & triceps on Day 2, legs on Day 3, then a rest, then back to back & biceps and repeat. Oh and abs & cardio all three of those days. That allowed me to really work the muscle groups, and then give them a rest to recover.
Then I moved into cycling, and the recommendation there is to ride 5-6 days a week ... but at different intensities and distances etc.
Currently, I exercise 7 days a week, but again, different activities, different intensities.
One of the ways to tell if you really are overtraining is to monitor your resting (first thing in the morning before you get out of bed) heart rate. If you've been at 55 for several months, and then all of a sudden you can't seem to get it below 75 ... chances are you've reached the overtraining state. You'll also likely be experiencing some rather flu-like symptoms and a deep fatigue as well.0 -
harlequin0318 wrote: »FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »Mayor_West wrote: »FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »My results are fine, I have been doing 3x a week for years but i was never fully satisfied with my body composition.
In this case OP, you should focus more on your diet and less on your training.
Oh i don't want to lose any more weight. I am 5'8" and i weigh around 115 lbs, some days less some days more.
I am just not satisfied with how "visible" my muscles are if that makes sense. And I thought that it was maybe because i am simply not training enough. I've been working out for years, doing the same type of workout (20 min of cardio + various exercises with weights, switching it up every now and then) so i thought that I might just need to do more than i'm already doing.
What many of you said makes sense, i'll just try to do cardio on some days and lifting a couple times a week
So do you want them more visible? or less visible?
oh definitely more0 -
FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »harlequin0318 wrote: »FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »Mayor_West wrote: »FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »My results are fine, I have been doing 3x a week for years but i was never fully satisfied with my body composition.
In this case OP, you should focus more on your diet and less on your training.
Oh i don't want to lose any more weight. I am 5'8" and i weigh around 115 lbs, some days less some days more.
I am just not satisfied with how "visible" my muscles are if that makes sense. And I thought that it was maybe because i am simply not training enough. I've been working out for years, doing the same type of workout (20 min of cardio + various exercises with weights, switching it up every now and then) so i thought that I might just need to do more than i'm already doing.
What many of you said makes sense, i'll just try to do cardio on some days and lifting a couple times a week
So do you want them more visible? or less visible?
oh definitely more
Check out that body recomposition website that @tomatoey posted. Bundles of info on there, also theres a few threads on here about that. In my own opinion, cut your cardio down, and pick up an A/B type lifting program. Upper body one day, lower body the next. Your muscles won't grow unless you challenge them
Or you can just start bulking...0 -
Since you may actually be underweight, I doubt you need to work out more - not without consuming more calories, anyway
You're healthy, you're getting regular exercise. I don't think you should upgrade to seven days a week unless it's something you want to do, that'll make you happy0 -
You must be very thin. Forget about the extra cardio. It sounds like you haven't changed your weight training in a while, and there is the intensity thing. Read up, but a full body split three times a week is enough, if you are working hard. Work harder, closer to your max when you lift. Do things like pullups, shoulder presses and squats, if you aren't, and eat a little more protein.0
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