Overtraining is a myth!

harlequin0318 wrote: »

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...

Yep... its either time to do a body recomp or a bulk. Just depends on how fast you want to see the results. Recomps can take 12-24 months (from those I have seen on here) and bulks, cuts will take 6 + months depending on how many cycles and which type of bulk (clean/dirty/etc..)


But considering you are about 10 lbs underweight, it's possible you won't even have the muscle tone underneath the fat to allow your abs to be visible. Keep in mind that abs are determined by body composition, body fat % and genetics.

It is obviously possible to train everyday without necessarily feeling any ill effects, but exercise/lifestyle change should be about consistency over a long period of time. I guarantee someone training seven days a week for months on end will eventually either burnout physically or mentally as it's not sustainable. I think that's why so many quit the gym after January as the novelty makes them go everyday and eventually they get tired and bored of the strict routine. Obviously if there is a specific goal with an end date (like training for a marathon), this is more short term but training everyday is far from optimal, counter productive and unsustainable.

FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »

I am too scared to do the bulk. I am not trying to gain weight but i am trying to be slim and strong

I can understand that. It is definitely psychologically challenging to intentionally gain weight know that 50-75% of your gains will be fat. For many, bulks are a lot more mentally tasking then cuts. That is why there are multiple methods, so you can definitely try a recomp to see if it works. At some point, later on, you may discover that it didn't provide the results you want. But at the time, you can reevaluate your position or path. Keeping in mind, that since recomps are very slow, you might "waste" 12-24 months to realize that the program didn't give you the results you wanted.

Just make sure you eat around maintenance, and have a progressive lifting program such as strong lift, strong curves, NROL4W, etc..

FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »

I am too scared to do the bulk. I am not trying to gain weight but i am trying to be slim and strong

OP read this

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

I think a recomp is what you're after. The website someone posted above (on body recomposition) would be a good place for you to find more information. There's also a thread on here somewhere.

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.

Awrice1970 has a good point about working different body parts. You can workout everyday but don't do the same body part everyday. An example would be say triceps and biceps one day, chest and shoulders another and say back and legs the third. Then on the fourth back to tri's and bi's again. It doesn't matter which two body parts as long as it isn't the same part everyday. My brother in law is an avid bodybuilder and he has never done the same body part two days in a row in 20 years of bodybuilding. The reason you don't is that it's a true fact your muscles need 48 hours to grow so doing the same body part every single day doesn't benefit at all.

FoodFitnessTravel wrote: »

I am too scared to do the bulk. I am not trying to gain weight but i am trying to be slim and strong

If you want to be strong and have visible muscles, you will have to bulk up a little bit especially since you are underweight. I doubt you could meet your strength goals without gaining a little weight. With a low bf% you'll still look slim.