symtoms, causes, and results of overtraining? how do you know if your overtraining?

[Chris1999]

i am curious to learn, i have read about it, but i am still a bit unclear in how to figure out if i am overtraining.

can you combat minor overtraining by increasing your protein intake, if its lacking a little bit? would not eating enough protein cause the same symptoms of overtraining?

I am trying a very volume intensive workout (arnold S.'s level 1 beginner workout), and i noticed that on some of the days, i do not do as well, on certain workouts as i did 3 days before. the decrease isnt significant, maybe a rep or two, and 5 lbs less. and it doesnt happen all the time, i just noticed it a few times, on the same days..


is this because i am overtraining?

not waiting long enough between recovery?


not eating enough protein? <I dont count that closely, but i have 40 or so in the morning, 40 or so at lunch, and 60or so at dinner, and i am 188 lbs at about 13% body fat.

[Big H]

Definition of Overtraining- Too many sets, reps, or excersises for the overwork that causes muscle tissue loss, hromone depletion, stringy appreaence, lack of sleep, weakness.
Signs-
Persistant soreness
Heavy-leggednes
Loss of interest
Depression
eadache
Loss of appetite
Loss f weight
Fatigue
Diarahea.

Response: "Overtraining is bull****. How does your body do that."

Big H's answer: Overtrainig stops the central nervous system from pumping blood into caplilaries that normally would be pumped full. This in turn causes loss of muscle etc..

[jdstl1977]

Overtraining is characterized by persistent plateau or worsening performance that doesn't improve with rest periods or reduction in training.

It also disturbs mood, sleep, loss of appetite and weight, muscle soreness.

You should try first changing out exercises or manipulating exercise sequence while maintainiing the same intensity.

If that doesn't work try manipulating volume, intensity, and frequency. But keep reps within 8 to 20 range if there are no other pre-established recommendations.

The best way to avoid this is just using periodization.

[labouche]

ill tell you how i know i should have taken my off-week 7 days ago: my strength has decreased and so i cant lift as much weight as normal and i start to NOT want to go lift.

[finehaymakerday]

I can tell you it is really obvious if you are seriously overtraining. It won't be a "maybe" this or "I'm not sure if" that. If you are seriously overtraining you can start to develop cold like symptoms caused by your body not being able to build up what you are breaking down. If you feel you are getting close, take a day off... trust me, don't try to push through it, it will get worse and worse.

I work out typicaly 7 days a week while on deployment, (what else am I going to do on a Naval ship with no-where to go for 4-6months at a time?!) and I will tell you that I have been there a few times. Thats where I am at right now. I was debating about taking a day off yesterday (feeling a little tired etc) but I figured put it off for one more day... I just had a lot of motivation to tear up the good old Back. Boy am I regretting it today, mild fever, aches.... it blows.

Just listen to your body, it knows best!!!

[tmac4919]

For me, it was an increase in colds and flu-like symptoms. Like 4 years worth of colds in about 8 weeks. I pinned it as overtraining because I had added squats and DL's to my routine twice a week. Now that I train each muscle group once per week, I have had no such problems.

[Beachman]

This thread is from 2002. I think he's figured out if he's overtraining or not. Imho he wasn't.

[FlexinMike]

Never posted in a thread from 2002 before. Agreed I am sure he has figured it out lol

[robo1471]

Never posted in a thread from 2002 before. Agreed I am sure he has figured it out lol

Hey its 2002 post, But its 2010 now, and i am reading it and gaining knowlege, keep posting the usfull information everyone. Thats what forums are for

[jaymen]

Hey its 2002 post, But its 2010 now, and i am reading it and gaining knowlege, keep posting the usfull information everyone. Thats what forums are for

I agree. Seems like if you ask a question the first response is search it because there is a lot of information. This has helped me and look at this it's 8 damn years later. Thanks to those (past and present) who have replied to this.

[Doune]

Knowledge knows no expiration date.

I just started getting serious over the summer, and I made the n00bs mistake of overtraining. I can tell from the amount of times my dad said "Bless you!" the other day!

There's a phrase out there saying "Only idiots get colds in the summer"... well wouldn't you look at that?

[jamie93]

in on 2002 thread.

[chazzy1864]

Knowledge knows no expiration date.

I just started getting serious over the summer, and I made the n00bs mistake of overtraining. I can tell from the amount of times my dad said "Bless you!" the other day!

There's a phrase out there saying "Only idiots get colds in the summer"... well wouldn't you look at that?

Props for searching, finding your answer, and bumping a thread with good info.

[notorius1]

The first indicators are usually cold-like symptoms. A runny nose is the biggest red flag so stop what you are doing, take two days rest plus some tea with lemon and you're golden!

[ehmt]

i know i'm posting in an old thread..but i'm in that overtraining stage right now and i can't seem to get out of it so i need help.

i've been training for about 2-3 years now. the most recent year was insanely intense when i had a sudden urge to be super cut so i did a 6 days/week with 530am/6am weight lifting session, then uni/work during the day, then 6pm spin class/interval training.

i kept this up for around 2months before i couldn't keep it up any more and started doing weights one day, interval cardio training on alternate days. i lifted fairly heavy with 6-8 reps.

all this time i was getting tired but i persisted because......i'd never had the problem of over training before so i FELT like i was recovering fine etc.

then the cardio stopped because i couldn't find the energy to go so i just did weights and did mainly compound exercises -bench, deadlift, squat, cleans, 3 times a week

but now, i'm tired, really tired. i'm often lethargic throughout the day and sometimes in the afternoon at around 3-4pm, i actually sometimes doze off if im sitting down. i have no mood to do anything other than gym and sit at home.

i actually read up on overtraining recently and realised that all the symptoms applied to me so i've taken about 5 days off now.

but the problem is everyday that i'm not at the gym, i feel like im getting fatter and weaker. and i just realllllllly want to get back into the gym pump some iron but i know it's not the right thing for me to do given my current circumstsance.

so...how long should i wait before i go back to the gym? how do i KNOW i'm ready and won't lapse into that whole fatigued/moody stage again?

[chazzy1864]

but the problem is everyday that i'm not at the gym, i feel like im getting fatter and weaker. and i just realllllllly want to get back into the gym pump some iron but i know it's not the right thing for me to do given my current circumstsance.

so...how long should i wait before i go back to the gym? how do i KNOW i'm ready and won't lapse into that whole fatigued/moody stage again?

If after a week off from working out, (and a fair amount of calories) you should actually feel refreshed and energized.

I mean sleep to your body's content (if your schedule allows), and don't totally pig out, but don't restrict your calories really.

[ironwill2008]

but the problem is everyday that i'm not at the gym, i feel like im getting fatter and weaker. and i just realllllllly want to get back into the gym pump some iron.. but i know it's not the right thing for me to do given my current circumstsance.

This is the mind-set that got you in your present condition. You need to figure out why you're so compulsively drawn to try to train every day, and then correct it. Taking a week off now is the right thing to do, but then going right back to what you were doing previously will only have you chasing your own tail. Treat the problem, not the symptom.


You won't de-condition if you take scheduled days off. With a good routine, 3 or 4 training days a week should be plenty, leaving you with adequate off days to rest/recover.