am i over training?

[Superhoss]

about 8 months ago i started doing this program http://www.t-mag.com/nation_articles/257ovt.jsp

it was ok for a while but after about a month i felt like a week between each body part was way too long. so i started doing each body part twice a week. well that was great for a few months but i have recently wanted to step up my training intensity. so i started doing 6 exercises instead of the normal 4 for each body part. i think i might be over training but i'm not sure and wanted your opinions on it.

if your curious i use 4 day splits and they look like this:
day 1 - chest last abs
day 2 - shoulders legs lower back abs
day 3 - biceps triceps abs
day 4 - off

[Lee_5]

so, are you still following that workout from t-mag, but doing it twice a week?

[Superhoss]

twice a week and adding 1 more superset(2 more exercises)

[Lee_5]

then you are overtaining.

That workout is too much work if even done once a week - and you're doing it tiwce.

so per week you're doing about 40- sets per muslce.
Rule of thumb
10 sets for chest, back, legs
5-7 for shoulders
about 6 for bis and tris
(-give or take a couple)

[Superhoss]

"10 sets for chest, back, legs
5-7 for shoulders
about 6 for bis and tris
(-give or take a couple)"


would doing that twice a week be too much?

[Lee_5]

for some people it might, but it also might not for others.

Look into the ROB approach. You work each muslce twice a week with that.

go to www.robthoburn.com to find out about it.

[hyp3r3xt3nsion]

i don't think that's a very good split. just from a quick glance the most basic of problems

-only 42hrs between back/bicep
-24hrs. between chest/shoulder
-24hrs. between shoulder/tricep
-42hrs between chest/tri

esp. when you need ~72hrs for complete muscle recovery.

[emmtampa]

According to your workout, and in my opinion, you surely are overtraining. Every body recovers differently but you probably are working the muscles too frequently. If you work out with intensity, you might be sore for 1-2 days, need another 2 days for growth before training again. Young people can handle it but won't grow as quickly. I am sure that most people overtrain and would be surprised at how little time is really needed in the gym to get bigger. If you are drug free, hitting each bodypart once every week or 6 days should be sufficient. It is better to up the intensity with drop sets and forced reps than add more total work sets. Save this question and look back again in 5 years and you will wonder why you did so much work for so few gains....

GOOD LUCK!!

[Lee_5]

Originally posted by emmtampa
. It is better to up the intensity with drop sets and forced reps than add more total work sets.

GOOD LUCK!!

shouldnt use those every workout or it can take even longer to recover.

[dookie1481]

Originally posted by emmtampa
According to your workout, and in my opinion, you surely are overtraining. Every body recovers differently but you probably are working the muscles too frequently. If you work out with intensity, you might be sore for 1-2 days, need another 2 days for growth before training again. Young people can handle it but won't grow as quickly. I am sure that most people overtrain and would be surprised at how little time is really needed in the gym to get bigger. If you are drug free, hitting each bodypart once every week or 6 days should be sufficient. It is better to up the intensity with drop sets and forced reps than add more total work sets. Save this question and look back again in 5 years and you will wonder why you did so much work for so few gains....

GOOD LUCK!!

I agree w/ most of what you said, w/ the exception of the drop sets and forced reps. IMO, this is NOT the way to increase intensity. You don't need to destroy your muscles in order to make progress. Just lift heavy weights (w/ good form, of course) and that is intensity enough.

[emmtampa]

I agree about the drop sets and forced reps...not good to do on a regular basis. My reference point was giving advice to a young guy that was hell bent on working out frequently and possibly overtraining so I figured if he was gonna increase intensity, better to do it within the context of the sets he was using rather than just adding more sets. Those methods are a way to increase intensity but not good on a regular basis. But, I remember being young and sore or not, if it was chest day....damn, it was chest day....HAHA.....

[dookie1481]

Originally posted by emmtampa
I agree about the drop sets and forced reps...not good to do on a regular basis. My reference point was giving advice to a young guy that was hell bent on working out frequently and possibly overtraining so I figured if he was gonna increase intensity, better to do it within the context of the sets he was using rather than just adding more sets. Those methods are a way to increase intensity but not good on a regular basis. But, I remember being young and sore or not, if it was chest day....damn, it was chest day....HAHA.....

I know what you mean. I used to toast the **** out of my muscles, and when I started educating myself, I found I was doing too much, and I adjusted accordingly. Then I made great progress. Coincidence? I think not.

[emmtampa]

In Tampa, I joined a Gold's here about 2 years ago. There are guys there that have not gotten one bigger since I started there. Two in particular come to mind....two 20 somethings that work out hard...except legs....never squat....their leg workouts are some extensions and a few sets of hacks or regular presses and that's it. Both wear tank tops and pants....little wonder... and their arms are always shaved and I guess they think they are some true bodybuilders with their filtered water and protein drinks. I train back, bi's and forearms....and I am done and they are STILL doing biceps....no wonder they aren't growing....

Just once I would love to see them squat....they seem to be nice enough guys but if gaining mass is their goal, they are wasting so much time for so few results...

After 2 years of busting my as, if I were the same size, I would rethink my strategy......I hope they do.....

[dookie1481]

Originally posted by emmtampa
In Tampa, I joined a Gold's here about 2 years ago. There are guys there that have not gotten one bigger since I started there. Two in particular come to mind....two 20 somethings that work out hard...except legs....never squat....their leg workouts are some extensions and a few sets of hacks or regular presses and that's it. Both wear tank tops and pants....little wonder... and their arms are always shaved and I guess they think they are some true bodybuilders with their filtered water and protein drinks. I train back, bi's and forearms....and I am done and they are STILL doing biceps....no wonder they aren't growing....

Just once I would love to see them squat....they seem to be nice enough guys but if gaining mass is their goal, they are wasting so much time for so few results...

After 2 years of busting my as, if I were the same size, I would rethink my strategy......I hope they do.....

Yeah, I agree, dude. There's a cat in my gym who's trainer has him doing plyos and circuits 3 days/week. Nothing wrong w/ plyos, but when your bench press has been stuck at 75 lbs. for the last 6 mos., somethings wrong. Oh yeah, never seen a squat, deadlift, clean, or snatch the whole time. Incidentally, the trainer looks like he doesn't even work out. Not just poorly, mind you, the guy looks like he's never touched a weight in his life. Would you want a trainer that looks like the average American?

[Superhoss]

thanks for the help guys

[dookie1481]

Originally posted by Superhoss
thanks for the help guys

Anytime.