Overtraining
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at
3:13 am
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Things That Affect Overtraining
Overtraining is an emotional, behavioral and physical condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual’s exercise exceeds their recovery capacity. They cease making progress, and can even begin to lose strength and fitness. Overtraining is a common problem in weight training, but it can also be experienced by runners and other athletes. An example of overtraining would be lifting at high-intensity with the same muscle groups 2 days in a row.
Personally, I would suggest training each body part twice per week at high intensity with between 2 and 4 sets of 3 different exercises. A routine like this would increase size and strength as well as improving muscular endurance.
• Monday – Legs, Chest and Back
Tuesday – Arms and Shoulders
Wednesday – Legs, Chest and Back
Thursday – Arms and Shoulders
Friday – Rest
Saturday – Rest
Sunday – Rest
This workout puts high demand on the muscles, but gives them a day off in between and a large rest, or an opportunity to do cardio work, at the end of the week.
Nutrition:
Nutrition is vital in training. To build muscle, you should aim to get at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you go into the gym and lift to fail, your muscles straight away start the process of rebuilding, and if there isn’t enough protein to repair the muscle, the next time you workout and tear the muscle fibers they are going to be too strained and the result is going to be overtraining.
Genetics:
There is something that you should remember about overtraining and muscle recovery and that’s Genetics. Someone who has good genetics might be able to train with more sets and still make good gains without feeling they have overtrained, but most people don’t have these kinds of genetics.
Sleep:
Sleep deprivation can affect muscle growth and repair as your muscles grow while you sleep. If you do not get enough sleep your body cannot repair your torn muscle fibers for your next workout. I aim to try and get around 8 hours a sleep a night to allow for maximum muscle recovery and allow for me to have enough energy to hit the gym hard!
Some of the symptoms of overtraining are:
1. Fatigue
2. Overly sore joints and muscles
3. Lack of appetite
4. Insomnia
5. Recurring illness
When you lift heavy weights, your muscle fibres tear. It is while you are resting hat an increase in size and strength occurs. If you overtrain, your muscle fibers tear and your body does not have enough time to heal the muscles before you go back into the gym and tear the fibers again.
Overtraining can cause a loss in size and strength, rather than a gain.
Things That Correct Overtraining
The best thing to avoid overtraining is to take a rest from exercise to allow your muscles to fully repair. Take a week off every couple of months, or substitute a workout day for a day of rest or active recovery.


