Over training

[World B]

This subject came up in another discussion and I found it interesting and relevant to the forum.
Some members felt it was ----in' hard to over train. In weight training I tend to agree, however from reading posts I believe many members are cross training and participate in many active sports along with weight training. From tri training I found over training can sneak up on you or hit you like a truck. Combining weights with all the rest of the training is great but you'll be surprised by the symptoms. Check this link and remember gains are not made in the gym, they are developed during the rest and recovery/diet phase. Train hard lift more weight set higher goals and be aware of what your body is telling you. Sportsmedicine.about.com/od/strenghttraining/a/overtrainweight

 

[Typhon]

Over training is another one of those things that I’m sure is very real but gets thrown around far too often and the actual culprit for the symptoms are often either under eating or under sleeping.

People who suffer from over training are generally very dedicated and hard working people who put hours a day into their training whereas the people who are always asking ‘am I overtraining?’ are the guys that get drunk with their mates at the weekend, eat McDonalds, crisps and soft drinks, go to bed at 1am most nights and then think that maybe their 3x1hour gym sessions a week and 2 hours football training are the reason they feel ****.

Sorry, that didn’t mean to turn into a rant, I’ve just read too many posts on here

 

[Typhon]

Oh yeah, the link you gave doesn't seem to work, it just directed me back to the general sports medicine page full of links

 

[blackbeard]

Over training is another one of those things that I’m sure is very real but gets thrown around far too often and the actual culprit for the symptoms are often either under eating or under sleeping.

People who suffer from over training are generally very dedicated and hard working people who put hours a day into their training whereas the people who are always asking ‘am I overtraining?’ are the guys that get drunk with their mates at the weekend, eat McDonalds, crisps and soft drinks, go to bed at 1am most nights and then think that maybe their 3x1hour gym sessions a week and 2 hours football training are the reason they feel ****.

Sorry, that didn’t mean to turn into a rant, I’ve just read too many posts on here

I don't know about the guys you have seen training but i have seen people who go to the gym 6 days a week and some of them hit an area say chest and the next day they are doing chest exercises again. Then there are some guys who think that curls must be done every time one is in the gym (and presumably must be done in a squat rack).

These guys are definitely over-training because they are hitting the same muscles too regularly and ignoring other muscles.

 

[Typhon]

These guys are definitely over-training because they are hitting the same muscles too regularly and ignoring other muscles.

I still wouldn’t be too sure. There’s a difference between training a muscle too much for it to be optimal and ‘over-training’. Over training has deeper overall physical and physiological effects like illness, poor immune system, mood swings etc.
It takes a lot to get to the point of over training and the signs can be so subtle that you may think you’re suffering from something unrelated like depression rather than anything training related

 

[FunctionalTrain]

I still wouldn’t be too sure. There’s a difference between training a muscle too much for it to be optimal and ‘over-training’. Over training has deeper overall physical and physiological effects like illness, poor immune system, mood swings etc.
It takes a lot to get to the point of over training and the signs can be so subtle that you may think you’re suffering from something unrelated like depression rather than anything training related

I gotta agree with CCR, here. The line between overloading and overtraining is not as thin and fine as people make it up to be. I also agree that it is hard to do. I've made athletes puke and ran them until they couldn't move their legs. However, give them a few minutes rest and then they go in the weight room to bust out heavy power cleans and squats. This is done mutiple times during the week. It's what is done in between sessions that ultimately has an impact on if someone is going to over train. Most clinicians will say that plateauing is a sign of overtraining or even chronic muscle soreness is a sign of overtraining, because it's easier to tell people that.

Most people who do bicep curls or chest every day are not overtraining. You can't say you're overtraining one specific body part. As Typhon said, it's physiological that happens at all levels and all over the body.

 

[Sugarloaf]

"...guys that get drunk with their mates at the weekend, eat McDonalds, crisps and soft drinks, go to bed at 1am most nights and then think that maybe their 3x1hour gym sessions a week and 2 hours football training are the reason they feel ****."

This is a true dedication to fitness.

 

[Karky]

yeah, muscles hurting and not progressing from training them 7 days a week is not overtraining. Overtraining is more of an overall body response where you are fatigued at a pretty deep level. I think it has to do with balance in the autonomous nervous system, etc.

 

[i_love_muscle]

I thought your CNS got fried when you overtrained.

 

[BikeSwimLaugh]

Philosophy aside, I think the body tells you when you're over-training. You just can't say enough for the phrase "listen to your body". When I'm over-doing it...I'm sore, tired, fatigued and it takes a while to work through the stiffness and get moving. You just have to find the right balance...and that pretty much goes for all things in life.

 

[DEF]

Absolutely with Typhon on this one. It happens, but not 1/10 of the time it's tossed out there around here, though that's mostly due to the fact this type of site draws a high percentage of beginners.

 

[Janster]

Newbie here...with a basic question.

Where is the balance between reeping benefits & pushing it too hard?

No pain - no gain?

Assuming you're doing a mix of things (weight lifting, cardio, etc) and you're pushing yourself too hard and your muscles are sore? I don't mind having sore muscles from time to time - but backing off the weight/reps/etc to prevent muscle soreness....ultimately, makes you think you're not doing enough!?

Is it OK to have minor sore muscles after everytime that you work out?

 

[Typhon]

I thought your CNS got fried when you overtrained.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be why you feel ****ty and depressed.

 

[Karky]

Newbie here...with a basic question.

Where is the balance between reeping benefits & pushing it too hard?

No pain - no gain?

Assuming you're doing a mix of things (weight lifting, cardio, etc) and you're pushing yourself too hard and your muscles are sore? I don't mind having sore muscles from time to time - but backing off the weight/reps/etc to prevent muscle soreness....ultimately, makes you think you're not doing enough!?

Is it OK to have minor sore muscles after everytime that you work out?

Don't worry too much about soreness. The signs to look for are mainly mood swings, insomnia (can't sleep) and performance decrease or stagnation. Though, stagnation could just be that your body has gotten used to the training and you need to switch things up.
What I'm trying to say is: if you're having progress, you're all good, if not, it's time to reevaluate things.

On a more general note, I read a bit about overtraining in my sports psychology book. They use the terms way different than we do, and I sort of like their way of looking at it better.

Overtraining is simply training more than your recovery capacity. Overtraining is NOT the symptoms that overtraining for a long time can give, it's simply the actual training, the process of training harder than what you can recover from. When you do this you will eventually go into an overreaching stage, which is where your performance decreases. After a while you can taper off (take a lighter week or so), which is basically dual factor theory, or, if you keep the overtraining up, the overreaching will become so serious that you will go into a "burn out" a burn out being generally what we talk about when we say overtraining.

I think it makes more sense, since the way they use the word, overtraining is simply overtraining, with "over" referring to over your capacity for recovery.

 

[World B]

Great stuff. When I first started tri training I did all three events everyday, plus weights and basketball. I was in the greatest aerobic shape ever. After awhile I learned that I was training wrong. This was different than over training and I started reading about the effects I should be aware of. They were completely different from sore muscles and being tired.
Soreness and injury are different and should be monitored closely. I actually enjoy the soreness a day or so after my workouts. Makes me feel like I did the right exercise. I strained my knee during a dead lift quarter mile run routine and it wasn't from over training, but from an injury caused by other training mistakes. The mode swings I get sometimes makes me aware of over training and I adjust. Rest and recovery are essential and are something I need to pay more attention. At least I'm aware of things now and with the help I get here I learn more about Training / Over Training / Soreness / Fatigue / Plateauing / Injuries / Recovery and Excuses.

 

[Janster]

Don't worry too much about soreness. The signs to look for are mainly mood swings, insomnia (can't sleep) and performance decrease or stagnation. Though, stagnation could just be that your body has gotten used to the training and you need to switch things up.
What I'm trying to say is: if you're having progress, you're all good, if not, it's time to reevaluate things.

Thanks!
I'm far from being over-trained. I've found a new love for fitness here recently. I'm enjoying it. While I'm at the gym, I just keep going because it feels good at the time. The next day? Kinda like a hangover - fitness hangover. When you've indulged too much the day before.

I gotta find that happy medium....let things come back to normal again and go from there.