Too much?

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Crook3456
Crook3456 Posts: 9 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
My current workout routine is 1.5 to 2 hours, 6 days a week. I focus on weights for about an hour, ab routine 10 min, then 20 min of HIIT. I've read conflicting articles about over training/ under recovery and just wanted insight. I'm 5'11" 178 lbs and trying to put on a little more lean muscle. Any thoughts?

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  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
    edited June 2021
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    Did you build up to that amount gradually, or add it all at once from nothing? Over-training is not one-size-fits-all. Do you feel like your training has stalled, or gotten harder? Are you constantly fatigued, or feeling burned out?

    If your goal is to add any muscle, you might want to reconsider your calorie goal of 1500 - although I see you're not actually logging your intake, anyway.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    "Too much" is individual and situational.

    Your too much won't be the same as others in your particular age demographic or even the same depending on your fitness and recovery capabilities which change throughout your lifetime.
    e.g. Last two weeks I've done 28 hours of cycling plus four sessions of strength training. Couldn't have done that a few years ago as I wasn't as fit. Couldn't have done that when I was dieting. Couldn't have done that before I retired.....
    In addition to your training load you should consider other stressors such as work, diet and lack of sleep.

    Even just saying the hours of training isn't much of a guide, the other day the guy next to me bench pressing did one set while I did four sets and I wasn't rushing. His phone got a good workout though! :o

    I'd question including HIIT if you are concerned about your recovery but suspect you don't mean maximal effort cardio intervals.


    There's some good stuff in here about over-training / over-reaching (if rather over-long and wordy!!)
    https://bodyrecomposition.com/training/guide-to-overtraining-overreaching

  • Crook3456
    Crook3456 Posts: 9 Member
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    No I've been building up. Been consistent since February. I stopped logging calories once I got a meal plan that worked. No one training gets easier I step it up a notch. I've lost 30 lbs in 4 months and am trying to add a little more size. Not sure if my cardio is causing me to not gain. I'm new to this fitness lifestyle and I get conflicting answers on Google so I figured I'd ask real people
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
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    Crook3456 wrote: »
    No I've been building up. Been consistent since February. I stopped logging calories once I got a meal plan that worked. No one training gets easier I step it up a notch. I've lost 30 lbs in 4 months and am trying to add a little more size. Not sure if my cardio is causing me to not gain. I'm new to this fitness lifestyle and I get conflicting answers on Google so I figured I'd ask real people

    But... You add size with calories. If you are losing weight, but you want to get bigger, your meal plan is not working.
  • Crook3456
    Crook3456 Posts: 9 Member
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    I wanted to trim down first. I hit my weight goal and now I'm trying to add more muscle.
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
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    I do not think your 20 minutes of cardio, 6X per week is causing you not to gain. I don't think that overtraining would cause you not to gain. I don't know if 4 months is long enough *for you* to build up to that level of training, so I can't say whether or not I think it's likely, but I read the article @sijomial linked to, and apparently, you diagnose overtraining by how long the recovery is, anyway - so that would be hard to predict. Your lack of caloric intake would cause you not to gain.

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    "Not sure if my cardio is causing me to not gain"

    Cardio is such a broad term going from maximal effort to gentle walking.
    If it was maximal effort done too frequently it could certainly harm your recovery.
    Depending on intensity and duration it can be complimentary to your strength training, neutral or antagonistic.

    There is a horrible old myth that cardio burns muscle, which is frankly cobblers.
  • michaelsmithpa
    michaelsmithpa Posts: 22 Member
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    Seems like a pretty solid routine to me. Do you feel like you are over training?? My routine is roughly the same with a little less cardio and I don't really feel like I am over training. I look forward to working out. If looking to gain size, it is a very long slow process. If you enjoy your current routine try and add in a few more calories.
  • Crook3456
    Crook3456 Posts: 9 Member
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    No I don't feel like I'm overtraining. I'll increase my calorie intake and see how that goes. I'm getting stronger, just not bigger. For instance when I started in February, I could do 6-7 pull ups with 45lb weight. I can now do 6 with 90 lbs, yet arms aren't any bigger. The training has definitely got me in great shape, I was just at a loss why I haven't really increased in size
  • Crook3456
    Crook3456 Posts: 9 Member
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    As far as the HIIT, I use workouts I find online and can complete them. I'm not going 50% on anything, I've made the decision to get healthy, have been consistent, enjoy it but just didn't know what I'm doing wrong to not increase size. I've used Google through my learning process but I wanted actual input from people.
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 905 Member
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    1 hour weights 10 mins abs and 20mins hiit

    Why are you training abs 6 days a week ?
    20 mins of actual hitt 6 days a week will affect recovery and muscle growth, have a read up on training modality compatibility in hypertrophy training

    First pick a goal, if that’s gaining muscle
    Then read up on the specificity in hypertrophy training, basically put eat, sleep, train and try to limit anything that with take away from recovery
  • michaelsmithpa
    michaelsmithpa Posts: 22 Member
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    4 months is definitely not enough time to put on any appreciable size. Without "enhancements" 3-4 years would be closer to the mark. How old are you?? Age can be a factor in the ability and time required to put on size.
    SLOW AND STEADY GAINS!! over years of lifting. Stick with it you have just started the journey and remember it's not a sprint it's a marathon
  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
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    Crook3456 wrote: »
    No I don't feel like I'm overtraining. I'll increase my calorie intake and see how that goes. I'm getting stronger, just not bigger. For instance when I started in February, I could do 6-7 pull ups with 45lb weight. I can now do 6 with 90 lbs, yet arms aren't any bigger. The training has definitely got me in great shape, I was just at a loss why I haven't really increased in size

    Training for hypertrophy and for strength overlap to some extent, but sounds like you may be doing strength training. I'm sure there's all sorts of info online about hypertrophy training - you need a reasonable amount of volume. My coach has currently put me on a hypertrophy block. Essentially I'm doing 5 sets of each exercise for about 12 reps with as high a weight as I can manage while still getting the rest, and only 60 seconds rest between each set

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