Overtraining ??

[StartinOver-68]

I'm afraid I'm overtraining at the moment. Well at least I hope that is what it is. I have been feeling tired early and late in the day. Sometimes it is hard to get going when I start my workout. I really have to step back and take a good long hard look at my routine. Maybe one of you can critique it for me.

I workout every other day for about an hour, with about 20-24 sets total each day. I do no cardio or leg work (leg injury) So in essence I am working only upper body. On off days I will do some partial bodyweight squats, Orbitrek work, and light leg extensions. Usually if I miss these days I'm not to concerned about it.
I vary my routine from time to time with different movements but this is essentially the way it looks.

Day 1 (all 3x8)
Bench Press
DB flies
Pullovers
Cable Crossovers
Skullcrushers
Cable extensions
Pressdowns
Kickbacks

Day 2 (most 2x8)
Seated cable rows
Lat pulldowns (3x
Incline narrow grip pulldown
Upright cable raises
Seated press (3x
Lateral raises
EZ curl (3x
Alternate DB curl
Preacher curl

[o0hardcore0o]

D?finitions de overtraining en Anglais sur le Web :

A physical and metal state which occurs due to excessive training without adequate recovery Overreaching The initial level of overtraining
www.topendsports.com/testing/glossary.htm

when volume and intensity exceeds recovery capacity
http://www.completetrackandfield.com...finitions.html

This implies that the ability of the muscles to adapt to training is being overwhelmed by the amount of stress they are being subjected to. Strength training works thanks to the body?s ability to adapt and to repair the damage resulting from regular bouts of exercise. ...
http://www.medicineonline.com/refere...h-Training.htm

Overtraining 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. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overtraining

Trouver des d?finitions correspondant ? overtraining en : Anglais N?erlandais Toutes les langues

[Most Muscular]

What many people fail to realize is that you don't grow muscle in the gym you grow it when you rest and feed it. If you're working out every other day your muscles hardly have any time to recouperate and rebuild. As we get older, this is even more important.

Your total number of sets is also quite high. More isn't better. Better is better.

nuff said...

[djl_ottawa]

Might be the time of year also. I think I am fighting either a cold or flu. I am not sick, but everyone around me is. Including the wife.

I do my multi-vits every morning, but this week been adding zinc and echinacea.

This week though by the end of the day I am beat. The last time I did a work out was monday night and I felt so drained after. Today is not bad, I intend to go.

I always wanted to go get tested for Sad (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

[IR45N]

So68, Happy Thanksgiving!

My 1c,

Dbell flyes - cable crossovers...pick one.

Cable extensions - kickbacks...pick one.

EZ curl - preacher curl...pick one.

That will cut things back a bit.

[Bob45]

I hope I can do all that at 69. Congrats on that. I'm sure going to try. It does look like a lot to me. I like doing compound lifts that hit several parts at once. Recover and get back to them. Hitting everything hard from every angle twice a week is hard to recover from.

[bodyhard]

Originally Posted by StartinOver-68

I'm afraid I'm overtraining at the moment. Well at least I hope that is what it is. I have been feeling tired early and late in the day. Sometimes it is hard to get going when I start my workout. I really have to step back and take a good long hard look at my routine. Maybe one of you can critique it for me.

I workout every other day for about an hour, with about 20-24 sets total each day. I do no cardio or leg work (leg injury) So in essence I am working only upper body. On off days I will do some partial bodyweight squats, Orbitrek work, and light leg extensions. Usually if I miss these days I'm not to concerned about it.
I vary my routine from time to time with different movements but this is essentially the way it looks.

Day 1 (all 3x8)
Bench Press
DB flies
Pullovers
Cable Crossovers
Skullcrushers
Cable extensions
Pressdowns
Kickbacks

Day 2 (most 2x8)
Seated cable rows
Lat pulldowns (3x
Incline narrow grip pulldown
Upright cable raises
Seated press (3x
Lateral raises
EZ curl (3x
Alternate DB curl
Preacher curl

From what you have accomplished I don't think there are many here who can advise you, but if we have to take a stab at it I think most would agree that maybe the volume is a little high.

Also training every other day means that you are only giving your nervous system only 24 hours of rest. Maybe you should switch your routine up a little maybe, 2 days on 2 days off, or maybe Mon, Wed, Fri, On - Tues, Thur Sat & Sun off

[sytennison]

When I've ovetrained myself, I've had the following symptoms:

Tired all the time
Sore all the time
Loss of enthusiasm for lifting
Loss of lifting progress
Emotional crankiness
Difficulty sleeping at night

The cause of all this is inadequate recovery time between lifting. Assuming that there's nothing wrong with your ability to rest and eat appropriatly for recovery, the way to fix over training is to either split your routine so that you're not working the same body parts every time you workout or to switch to a periodized routine. Periodization means that you vary the intensity of your workouts over the week. For instance, I currently do a high-volume day on Monday, a light day on Wednesday, and I try to get my new PRs on Friday. The light day on Wednesday and the weekend break gives my body a little more time to recover than when I was going at it full-blast MWF.

Oh, and if your test levels are low, that can also effect your ability to recover. But from what I've heard you say in the past, low test levels aren't your issue.

[freebirdmac]

In addition to checking your routine and diet, check your fluids. When it cools off outside we tend to drink less water during the day. Make sure you are consuming enough.

[StartinOver-68]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I do believe that although the weights are not huge, they do make me strain. That in an of itself means the intensity level and frequency is probably too much for this old bod. So I guess I'll make up an easier routine and cut back on the frequency. It's just hard for this old warhorse's mind to accept that I can't do what I've done years ago.
Maybe its a good thing I can't do heavy deads and squats anymore, I'd probably kill myself !!

Thanks again guy's.

[Samraiwise]

There's no one here but you, who has ever accumulated "overtraining" this long.

Take care.

[Whiskeyjack]

Originally Posted by bodyhard

switch your routine up a little maybe, 2 days on 2 days off, or maybe Mon, Wed, Fri, On - Tues, Thur Sat & Sun off

Good advice. I suggest 2 on/2 off.

[Intenceman]

Every other day is 3 to 4 times a week. 1 on 1 off. I do this, but insert extra rest days as needed. Cut back in this way first. 2 on 2 off is more volume, not less.

[dmangiarelli]

Originally Posted by sytennison

When I've ovetrained myself, I've had the following symptoms:

Tired all the time
Sore all the time
Loss of enthusiasm for lifting
Loss of lifting progress
Emotional crankiness
Difficulty sleeping at night Due to Hot Flashes

Stenny, that's not over training, that's MANOPAUSE!

[sytennison]

Originally Posted by dmangiarelli

Stenny, that's not over training, that's MANOPAUSE!

Doh! I always get those two confused... Hey, I got mis-quoted!

[bgnb]

Originally Posted by IR45N

So68, Happy Thanksgiving!

My 1c,

Dbell flyes - cable crossovers...pick one.

Cable extensions - kickbacks...pick one.

EZ curl - preacher curl...pick one.

That will cut things back a bit.

I agree ... WAAAAY too much arm stuff ... your arms already
get hit through exercises for big body parts and then you
jump on them with 3 or 4 more????

too much.

IMHO if you have that much energy left over to hit arms that
hard you are cheating yourself on the big stuff that does make
you grow ...

if you can lift your arms after a good chest routine you didn't
do enough ... to go on to do that much arm stuff means its time
to drop the arm stuff, stop cruising through the tough stuff and
get back to basics!

just my two cents but there it is ...