Does longer recovery time mean I'm overtraining?

[cast iron shore]

I have been working out/lifting 5-6x/wk alternating body parts for several months now, but I'm just starting to notice a (non-injury) soreness that takes longer to subside than it ever has before. I did a moderate leg workout on Monday and was still feeling sore on Thursday. Usually the soreness would go away in a day from the kind of workout I did, if I felt any at all.

Should I respond to this by doing anything differently, such as working out less frequently, or waiting until all soreness goes away before working that part again? Or should I just keep working out as usual?

[Dac_10]

i think you need to take a week off.

[solid_intensity]

Eat more, do less. Maybe just a few days off on the specific part.

[Salaam86]

every 6 to 10 weeks you need to either take a week off or deload for 1 or 2 weeks.

[cast iron shore]

I should add I'm not feeling any soreness in the joints or tendons (just the muscles), and I have the energy and motivation to keep working out. That's why I don't want to take a week off. However, I also don't want to undo any gains. Would that be the result if I kept working out anyway?

[FlyingIllini]

You don't lose anything after taking a week off. I usually come back stronger after having topped out before the break.

[zich_52]

Originally Posted by FormerFatBoy86

every 6 to 10 weeks you need to either take a week off or deload for 1 or 2 weeks.

i dont think this is very good advice. you only neeed to take a break about once a year. just make sure you are getting enough food and recovery time in. you are suggesting taking about 5 or 6 weeks off a year.. doesnt make sense to me. solid improvements could be made with that time instead of giving your body a break it really doesnt need...

training 6 days a week naturally is a lot. so maybe bumb it down to 4-5 times.

[DJAuto]

To avoid over-exertion:

1. Have 4-5 weeks off evenly spaced throughout the year; or,
2. Utilize deloading periods.

[Salaam86]

Originally Posted by zich_52

i dont think this is very good advice. you only neeed to take a break about once a year. just make sure you are getting enough food and recovery time in. you are suggesting taking about 5 or 6 weeks off a year.. doesnt make sense to me. solid improvements could be made with that time instead of giving your body a break it really doesnt need...

training 6 days a week naturally is a lot. so maybe bumb it down to 4-5 times.

i purposefully kept the weeks spaced out like that for people to implement based on their percieved individual needs and there is also the option, which i prefer, to deload for 1 or 2 weeks rather than actually take a full week off. After lifting for 8 weeks straight go a week or two at 60 or 70% intensity and then resume normal lifting and tell me you dont feel refreshed. I think deloading periods are great if not an essential part of successful training cycles.

[Salaam86]

Originally Posted by cast iron shore

I should add I'm not feeling any soreness in the joints or tendons (just the muscles), and I have the energy and motivation to keep working out. That's why I don't want to take a week off. However, I also don't want to undo any gains. Would that be the result if I kept working out anyway?

instead of taking the week off, just go at 60 or 70% of your normal intensity (see post above).

[mybody001]

this is why i never have a fixed schedule for lifting. i come back to the same body part when it ceases to be sore, and each time i try to lift at least 2-5 extra lbs per group. i dont think it's necessary overtraining until you keep working out when you're not completely recovered. so take a couple off. it will only do your body good.

[cast iron shore]

Thanks for the great advice, guys. I actually didn't know what "deloading" was, so I looked it up and it actually can be complicated; there are so many different ways of doing it. But I did go to the gym today, didn't do any reps to failure and worked for a shorter period of time. So I'll keep doing that for a few more days and see what happens.

[solid_intensity]

Yeah just give the overtrained muscle a rest.. take 15 grams of glutamine, stretched it a bit in 48 hours it should be good as new. However if you're truly over trained like tired, low libido, etc. A week wouldn't a bad idea to take off. Figure 2 to 5 days off if you feel you're over trained.

[ntrllftr]

Originally Posted by FlyingIllini

You don't lose anything after taking a week off. I usually come back stronger after having topped out before the break.

X2 I agree

Originally Posted by mybody001

this is why i never have a fixed schedule for lifting. i come back to the same body part when it ceases to be sore, and each time i try to lift at least 2-5 extra lbs per group. i dont think it's necessary overtraining until you keep working out when you're not completely recovered. so take a couple off. it will only do your body good.

I have a 4 day split for example lets say:
chest / bi's
back / tri's
day off
shoulders / traps
Legs
Day off Repeat whatever day it lands on. By this day chest is normally fully rested and can be hit again. If i feel that I need another day rest I will. Then I will start the cycle over again.

Originally Posted by solid_intensity

Yeah just give the overtrained muscle a rest.. take 15 grams of glutamine, stretched it a bit in 48 hours it should be good as new. However if you're truly over trained like tired, low libido, etc. A week wouldn't a bad idea to take off. Figure 2 to 5 days off if you feel you're over trained.

If you do take the glutamine it is best to take 5grams when you wake up and 5 grams with your post workout meal. Some people will take another 5grams at bed time but i don't. 10 grams does me fine.

You got some good advice going on here...

[zich_52]

Originally Posted by FormerFatBoy86

i purposefully kept the weeks spaced out like that for people to implement based on their percieved individual needs and there is also the option, which i prefer, to deload for 1 or 2 weeks rather than actually take a full week off. After lifting for 8 weeks straight go a week or two at 60 or 70% intensity and then resume normal lifting and tell me you dont feel refreshed. I think deloading periods are great if not an essential part of successful training cycles.

yeah i somewhat see your point now. throughout the year its good to go through the mental cycles and back off a little bit for a week or two so that come dieting time you are really ready to focus all of your energy towards strict diet and training.

[cast iron shore]

I have been taking your advice, and am amazed to find that NOT working out has decreased by bf by 1% and increased my muscle mass by 2 lbs. Think of my gains I'll have if I never work out again!! (joking). Honestly, deloading, which I had never done before, is much harder for me than not going at all. My instinct, even when using 60% of the normal weights, is to keep lifting until failure, and I have to keep reminding myself to stop after x reps whether it's easy or not.

[cast iron shore]

Originally Posted by ntrllftr

If you do take the glutamine it is best to take 5grams when you wake up and 5 grams with your post workout meal. Some people will take another 5grams at bed time but i don't. 10 grams does me fine.

Anyone know where to find glutamine in 5 g increments? I've been looking and the lowest I can find is 10 g.

[jked4life]

Originally Posted by cast iron shore

I have been taking your advice, and am amazed to find that NOT working out has decreased by bf by 1% and increased my muscle mass by 2 lbs. Think of my gains I'll have if I never work out again!! (joking). Honestly, deloading, which I had never done before, is much harder for me than not going at all. My instinct, even when using 60% of the normal weights, is to keep lifting until failure, and I have to keep reminding myself to stop after x reps whether it's easy or not.

Taking a week off every 6 weeks or so really helps me. I just get nagging injuries or little problems that just go away after a week away from the gym.

I usually return to the gym at at least the same strength, if not stronger.

I read somewhere that as long as you keep your diet in check, it takes 4-6 weeks away from the gym to actually loose muscle size. Problem is, when people walk away from the gym, the diet usually goes too which compounds the problem.

[Salaam86]

Originally Posted by cast iron shore

I have been taking your advice, and am amazed to find that NOT working out has decreased by bf by 1% and increased my muscle mass by 2 lbs. Think of my gains I'll have if I never work out again!! (joking). Honestly, deloading, which I had never done before, is much harder for me than not going at all. My instinct, even when using 60% of the normal weights, is to keep lifting until failure, and I have to keep reminding myself to stop after x reps whether it's easy or not.

Thats whats up man, i'm happy to see things are going so well for you. I bet you'll feel like a new man once you get back in there and ramp things up again.

[Defiant1]

Originally Posted by cast iron shore

I have been working out/lifting 5-6x/wk alternating body parts for several months now, but I'm just starting to notice a (non-injury) soreness that takes longer to subside than it ever has before. I did a moderate leg workout on Monday and was still feeling sore on Thursday. Usually the soreness would go away in a day from the kind of workout I did, if I felt any at all.

Should I respond to this by doing anything differently, such as working out less frequently, or waiting until all soreness goes away before working that part again? Or should I just keep working out as usual?

Maybe; maybe not.

As you get stronger/more able to focus, your workouts will take more out of you.

You might need to spread your split out a little (go from a 2 way split to a 3 way split).

This is why many people are successful starting with full body 3x per week, then going to a 2 way split, then a 3 way, and so on.