Am I overdoing it?

leftymac · July 2011

Once you start making friends who work out, they all have tons of advice to give you, because everyone is an expert (even those who don't work out). So, I'm looking for some advice from those trainers on here, and those guys who have gotten built themselves.

I will list my routine at the gym, and I want to know if I'm overdoing it and thereby negating my efforts -- specifically in regards to strength training.

Day 1: 10 min cardio warm-up, upper body strength training, 30 min cardio
Day 2: 10 min cardio warm-up, lower body strength training + ab work, 30 min cardio
Day 3: 10 min cardio warm-up, upper body strength training, 30 min cardio
Day 4: 10 min cardio warm-up, lower body strength training + ab work, 30 min cardio
Day 5: 10 min cardio warm-up, upper body strength training, 30 min cardio
Day 6: 10 min cardio warm-up, lower body strength training + ab work, 30 min cardio
Day 7: 1 hour cardio

Wash, rinse, repeat.

I know what you're thinking. "Where's the day off, Keith?". If I'm sore or exhausted, I will take the day off. I'm not obsessed, and am not trying to kill myself. And if I do, it is on day 7. But honestly, I enjoy going to the gym. Plus, since I teach I am off work all summer and usually don't have anything to do during the day, so I like going to the gym because it allows me to be social as well. And even on days when I have an actual social life, there is plenty of time to go to the gym.

Do you experienced and knowledgeable folks think I am overdoing it in regards to the strength training? Should I cut it back some and have some days of rest (cardio days) in between the strength training, even though I am already alternating body groups?

There's nothing wrong with cardio every day, right? I mean it's just being active every day, which is what we are supposed to do. It'd be no different if I played a sport every day with friends.

And in case it matters, I am 6'2" and currently weigh 249. I still have a good amount of fat to lose, and my goal is to gain some lean muscle and definition. I'm not trying to be a body builder here.

RaeannePemberton · July 2011

everyone is different and you are going to have to find what works for you....

that being said.... i can offer my advice/experience.

i worked out 7 days a week, and lived to burn cals.... it got to the point that if i didn't workout i felt like a loser... or like i would have to limit my intake. so it kind of turned into "what can i do to burn X calories, to eat X" and that's just not healthy. i was also eating low fat, and eventually i got very sick. i had the sickest year of my life and missed about 2 weeks of work.

turns out, our bodies need recovery just as much as they need activity. i HATE rest days but i force myself to take one every week (maybe not every week, LOL, but i don't do cardio everyday).

i am a runner, and on days i don't run, i just feel like something's missing... but to run everyday would seriously risk my ability to continue running long term.

so, back to when i was sick.... i developed shingles, and i was only 29 at the time... so that's NOT typical. it was extremely painful, and i was down for almost a whole month. it ended up swelling my cranial nerve and almost paralyzing my face permanently.... it was terrible. my neurologist attributes it to my fast weight loss, fat restriction, and EXCESSIVE ACTIVITY where my body couldn't recoup.

so that's my two cents...

hope it helps, and if not, that's okay too.... just take what everyone says and find parts that apply to you. you will find what's right with experience. if i hadn't gotten so sick, i may still be that crazy EVERYDAY cardio person who is insanely counting burned calories so she can EAT.

Todd1990 · July 2011

As long as you take the breaks when you feel you need to you should be fine , as for the body fat that your hoping to shed , it might be a good idea to take a look at your sugar intake , sugar itself is very likely to convert straight into body fat if the body is given more than it can burn , try to eat more wholesome foods or use sweetener instead of sugar based syrups in your coffee , to shed the body fat unfortunetly you need to be careful with your diet aswell as doing exercise, this is also something that i struggle with if you allow yourself a cheat day it can help to get over your cravings , i use this opportunity to endulge in ice cream sundaes and snickers bars , it also helps to keep your body guessing and prevent starvation mode

Chiqui74 · July 2011

I am not an expert nor a trainer but I am a runner and a cyclist so I feel I'm somewhat knowledgeable. Ideally, you should have one rest day a week. You don't get stronger/build muscle when you work out but when you rest and your muscles have a change to repair themselves. Same holds true for cardio activities.

How long have you been keeping this routine? I *think* that if you keep this up, with no rest, for an extended period of time you will burn out mentally if not physically. Rest is as important as workouts. HTH!

leftymac · July 2011

I've been doing the strength training stuff for only about two weeks now. Before that I was doing cardio every day or nearly every day.

I don't really get a lot of food cravings anymore, and if you look at my diary, you can see i don't really deprive myself of anything either. Fortunately, I don't go in with the mentality of "must exercise so I can eat more". I just like being active, which is nice after 33.5 years of being sedentary.

I like to think I eat pretty wholesome foods, though I know there is room for improvement. I do need to cut down on sugar and sodium though. Fortunately, I don't eat much that is processed. I usually overdo my sodium because I lunch out often.

I get the whole "your body needs rest thing". That's why I do not strength train the same muscle groups each day. So really, the different muscle groups get rest every other day. Do they need more?

I really cant see how doing cardio every day would be a bad thing. Welll, only if i wasn't feeding myself.

Not trying to be argumentative or difficult, I swear.

Stooooo · July 2011

Bump

Chiqui74 · July 2011

When you do cardio, your muscles also get micro-tears and they need to be repaired. If you do cardio every day, getting the tears every day, then they don't really get a chance to heal. It's like reopening a wound every day, it just won't heal. That said, for someone who runs say, 10+ miles every day (for instance) with intense intervals, farleks, whatever, a day of an easy 3 miles (again, for instance) is a rest day.

I think that unless you truly love exercising, your mind needs rest too.

mattbryan · July 2011

Wish I has something to add Lefty. You're a huge inspiration to me on here, and I wish I had advice to add. But honestly, I have the same questions as you. But my mindset is a bit different....I am still wanting to eat healthy most of the time, but enjoy other stuff on occasion too. Thuus, my mindset is slowly growing into "exercising so that I can eat" mentality, which I know isn't healthy either. Also, on days where I don't make it to the gym, I am feeling like a loser. That being said, I'm gonna sit back and listen to what others have to say.

I just wish you much success! I know you'll do well!

Stooooo · July 2011

OK, so I bumped this thread because I was away on vacation and wanted to come back to it. Keith, you are definitely overdoing it. You have to give you body a chance to recover. If you don't want to take a full day off, do some Yoga or stretching as well as going for a hike or something along those lines. You will not continue to build muscle if you do not let them heal.

Exercise can be and is addicting (hello endorphins). So it is easy to just keep going every day, but recovery is just as if not more important then the actual training.

Hope this helps, bro.

leftymac · July 2011

I get what you are saying. However, it was different muscle groups that were being worked each day. So the upper body did get a chance to rest while the lower body was being worked. So, I don't really understand why that's overdoing it. If i were working the same groups every day, i would understand it completely. And its not like doing the elliptical or arc trainer uses the upper body muscles.

Stooooo · July 2011

I get what you are saying. However, it was different muscle groups that were being worked each day. So the upper body did get a chance to rest while the lower body was being worked. So, I don't really understand why that's overdoing it. If i were working the same groups every day, i would understand it completely. And its not like doing the elliptical or arc trainer uses the upper body muscles.

Agreed, but you still need to allow the body to recover. You'll suffer from over training and your body will start to revolt against you.

Am I overdoing it?

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