Am I Overtrained?

[bmihalov]

Hi!

I just signed up on the website and this is my first post on the forums, but I've been lurking for a while, collecting tips and tricks from all of you. I've just gotten into working out recently; I thought I had been making good progress but I'm having a little trouble.

Oh, some background info... I'm 17 years old, 5'7" and have a very thin build; I started with a bodyweight of 105 LBs, and have ended up at 132.

I only started working out because I took a weight lifting class that I didn't really participate in, but I figured I should get into shape (I've been loving it!) and have been following the program given to me by the instructor; my training program consists of:

Monday - bench press and squats
Wednesday - dead lift and power cleans
Friday - inclined bench press and inclined leg press thing

The program has the reps and weight on alternations of intensity and volume on a weekly basis; one week I'll do a lot of reps for lower weight, the next I'll do some sort of medium and the third week will be a max out week (high weight with lower reps). Each week it'll graduatelly increase. I think the program is something through this website:
http://www.biggerfasterstronger.com/home/home.asp
...but I'm not really certain.

Anyway... that was working well for a while; I gained a little over 27 pounds of lean body weight in about four months. However, I've been having trouble making any further progress, and I'm actually starting to feel weaker and a lot more fatigued.

For example: my bench press weight consistently got better from something like 95 up until about 160 pounds, which I could do fairly easily for a little while (about 10 reps). My max was 200 pounds for one rep during that little three week cycle of reps-medium-max out that the program had me doing, and ever since I finished that three-week cycle (and starting from the beginning of it) my progress has stopped completely and I feel like I'm getting worse. Before then, I was able to get 15 consistent reps with 150 LBs, and now I'm unable to hit 8 without feeling like ****.

Everything else is suffering as well. Even with auxiliary exercises I'd been doing, such as weighted dips, I'm unable to perform as I was during the peak of my gaining period. With weighted dips, I started with about 25 pounds and progressively moved up to 50 LBs at 15 reps. I'm barely able to get 5 of these out now.

I don't get sore after most of my workouts anymore; I just feel extremely tired and the muscles feel achy and fatigued, rather than the sore, ripped-muscle type feeling I got in the beginning.

I've tried lowering the weight and taking it a little easier, but I can't seem to get a good workout doing that; I never get sore, but I still get exhausted quickly and my muscles get that achy feeling.

So, I'd like some opinions. Am I overtrained? Should I take time off? I've been skipping out on a few days here and there, but I feel like I'm just wasting away if I sit and do nothing for a long period of time. If I should take time off, how much? How should I change my eating habbits?

I'm sorry for writing an essay; I didn't realize how much I'd written.
Thanks in advance!

[BlueFenix13S]

When in doubt, take a week off. Even if you aren't overtrained, it will probably benefit you.

[5G]

another place to start is by flipping Wends and Friday's workout. that'll give you a break. Squat and Dead 2 days apart?

[GW-LAX]

newb gains :-)

[bmihalov]

newb gains :-)

Lol.. I know, thanks :P...

[GW-LAX]

now helpful advice http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/s...inweight_3.htm

[gfundaro]

There's a really easy way to tell...

If your performance is increasing, you're fine.
If your performance is stagnating, you've adapted.
If your performance is decreasing, you're overtrained.

Of course that is a HUGE generalization, but when it comes to overtraining, it's pretty obvious. If everything else has remained constant (diet, sleep, etc), and only your performance is lacking, it means you need to rest. It's a good idea to take a few days off about every 8 weeks, especially since you're a beginner. Your nervous system, contractile proteins, and other elements of your muscles have had to adapt at full force. You've made really awesome progress, so take about a week off now and eat maintenance. Get a lot of sleep. Then hit the gym hard and I promise your strength will return.

[IraHays]

I agree with the others, take a week off and see what happens.

Also make sure you are increasing your calorie intake as you gain weight.

Congrats on the gains!

[gaberox]

Have you adjusted your calorie intake to match your weight gain?

[bigphishy56]

You aren't necessarily overtrained. I've had the same thing happen to me in the past, and have tried taking breaks. It never really seems to help. You probably aren't eating enough, so try upping the calories.

Don't assume that your progress is going to be linear, or always directly related to factors like sleep/food/"overtraining"... sometimes your body just increase and stagnates when it feels like. Up the calories, keep at it, and if your fatigue gets worse then try taking some time off.

True overtraining is a pretty serious condition that can take months to recover from.

[bmihalov]

You aren't necessarily overtrained. I've had the same thing happen to me in the past, and have tried taking breaks. It never really seems to help. You probably aren't eating enough, so try upping the calories.

Don't assume that your progress is going to be linear, or always directly related to factors like sleep/food/"overtraining"... sometimes your body just increase and stagnates when it feels like. Up the calories, keep at it, and if your fatigue gets worse then try taking some time off.

True overtraining is a pretty serious condition that can take months to recover from.

Alrighty, thanks.
Thank you all for your quick responses :]

[cncretecbwo]

actual overtraining is EXTREMELY hard to achieve. Think of all the college and professional athletes who are not overtrained and how much they work.

[hooked4life]

hmmm, it's pretty easy. Gurnantee all the skinny guys I see at my gym maxing out bench every single day as over trained. At least chest is.

[k9nacl]

actual overtraining is EXTREMELY hard to achieve. Think of all the college and professional athletes who are not overtrained and how much they work.

but they also eat like absolute monsters because they are under the guidelines of nutritionists. ever seen what NFL players eat at the combine or when training in the off season? they break an easy 6k+ cals a day. i know brian urlacher was eating like 6.5k+ a day just to maintain and he did it every day so he didn't lose mass or under perform.

[cncretecbwo]

but they also eat like absolute monsters because they are under the guidelines of nutritionists. ever seen what NFL players eat at the combine or when training in the off season? they break an easy 6k+ cals a day. i know brian urlacher was eating like 6.5k+ a day just to maintain and he did it every day so he didn't lose mass or under perform.

pros maybe, i know college athletes and they just eat whatever the hell they want and not nearly 6k.

I might be thinking of more psychological overtraining though...

[gfundaro]

actual overtraining is EXTREMELY hard to achieve. Think of all the college and professional athletes who are not overtrained and how much they work.

They also have a team of coaches, athletic trainers, and doctors that monitor all of their training, periodized cycles, high-end supplements and nutrition, and access to steroids. They don't just do the same thing day in and day out regardless of injury, and aside from training they eat and sleep. You can't even begin to compare an average lifter to a professional athlete, and you apparently don't understand the intricacies of overtraining. It's not 'hard' to overtrain, unless you have some odd obscure definition of it.

[cncretecbwo]

They also have a team of coaches, athletic trainers, and doctors that monitor all of their training, periodized cycles, high-end supplements and nutrition, and access to steroids. They don't just do the same thing day in and day out regardless of injury, and aside from training they eat and sleep. You can't even begin to compare an average lifter to a professional athlete, and you apparently don't understand the intricacies of overtraining. It's not 'hard' to overtrain, unless you have some odd obscure definition of it.

ok i may have a wrong definition, i am just regurgitating what i thought i saw elsewhere.

I do know, that college athletes do not all have huge teams monitoring periodized cycles, supplements and nutrition.

I go to college, i know plenty of athletes and might soon be one. The ones i know dont do anything like that or have those teams watching them. High level d1 football players, maybe.

granted i might not define overtraining right, but i know most college athletes dont do much different from me, except drink more maybe

[gfundaro]

ok i may have a wrong definition, i am just regurgitating what i thought i saw elsewhere.

I do know, that college athletes do not all have huge teams monitoring periodized cycles, supplements and nutrition.

I go to college, i know plenty of athletes and might soon be one. The ones i know dont do anything like that or have those teams watching them. High level d1 football players, maybe.

granted i might not define overtraining right, but i know most college athletes dont do much different from me, except drink more maybe

No, college athletes do have periodized cycles, athletic trainers, coaches, and doctors as well. Believe me, I don't go to a d1 school...we don't even have a football team...and I have worked personally with our teams AT's and have met some of the coaches. Periodization happens by default due to the shifting in pre/post/off/and competition seasons. They aren't going to do the same type of workout all year round. They may not eat as well as the pros, but that's due to personal choice. Honestly, if you don't know what overtraining is, why argue about it?

[The Solution]

Back down a bit if u feel over trained.. are you also doing a lot of cardio? that might cause you too feel fatigued or overtrained.

[willldabeast]

no harm will come from taking a little time off

[cncretecbwo]

No, college athletes do have periodized cycles, athletic trainers, coaches, and doctors as well. Believe me, I don't go to a d1 school...we don't even have a football team...and I have worked personally with our teams AT's and have met some of the coaches. Periodization happens by default due to the shifting in pre/post/off/and competition seasons. They aren't going to do the same type of workout all year round. They may not eat as well as the pros, but that's due to personal choice. Honestly, if you don't know what overtraining is, why argue about it?

well apparently i thought i knew...

[gfundaro]

well apparently i thought i knew...

That's okay, the key is to realize when you don't know so you can learn. No point in telling people the wrong stuff when they're looking to you for help, ya know?

[bmihalov]

Thank you all for your responses :]