overtraining

[kariev34]

is not being able to sleep a sign of overtraining? for the past two weeks i have been having trouble sleeping and i think its attributed to that b/c i have changed my program some. i only workout an hour a day and i take the weekends off so its hard for me to believe its that but i can't think of anything else that would cause it. heres my routine:
monday:30min weights(pretty heavy)30min intense cardio
tuesday:30min weights(different muscles than monday)30min cardio
wensday: 45 min spin class
thursday: same as monday
friday:same as tuesday
sat and sunday are off. please any advice would be great.

[kariev34]

heres a little more detail:

mondays: quads,hams,bis,tris,abs cardio is done at 85%of HRmax each day
tuesdays: chest,back,inner/outter thigh,shoulders,calves,abs
wensday:spinning
thursday:same as monday
friday: same as tuesday
sat and sunday complete rest
the last whole week rest break i took was a few months back when i got sick. diet is about 1800 cals a day with about 160 grams of protein, about the same in carbs and around 30-50 grams of healthy fat depending on the day. i get 4-6 small meals. i avoid caffiene and drink tons of water.

[Ms. Highside]

Your workout is quite different than most, but it still doesn't seem like you're overtraining with 5 hours a week... but wait to see if other's respond otherwise.

Have you been stressed out over anything lately??... or thinking about something alot?? When I have trouble "thinking" too much, I write down every thought in my head so I don't forget it later... and then I find it easier to go to sleep knowing that I won't forget anything that I tought of... (if that makes sense)

Are you drinking water close to bedtime?? (sometimes this wakes me up multiple times throughout the night and it's hard to get back to bed.

I know alot of people drink protein shakes before bed... but they seem to give me too much of an energy boost, and I can't sleep after drinking one.

Do you do things late at night that keep your mind busy, llike hanging out on the internet?? The more entertained I am or excited I am about something, the harder it is for me to feel sleepy.

I wish you luck getting to bed tonight.

[kariev34]

thanks for the advice. i know my split is different but i like it. i got to bed around 2 and my body doesn't allow me to sleep in for some reason so i was up at 6:30. i feel like a zombie but i can't go back to sleep. today i will need an energy drink. i figured i wasn't working out too much to cause overtraining but since i added some more cardio to my routine (b/c i love it) a couple a weeks ago it seems like i haven't been sleeping as well. mabe its too intense? this sucks

[pinkfairy]

Just out of interest, have you cut down your food to take into account your lessened physical activity?

If you haven't, it may be because you haven't tired your body out enough.

[mommy*2*3]

Are you working out at night or in the morning? Are you taking any supplements?

[kariev34]

i haven't lessened my training, if anything i added to it by increasing my cardio and i kept my diet the same. i workout in the morning. the only supplements i take is whey protein powder after a workout and a multivitamin. you guys are great, thanks so much for responding.

[gymbabe2000]

heres a little more detail:

mondays: quads,hams,bis,tris,abs cardio is done at 85%of HRmax each day
tuesdays: chest,back,inner/outter thigh,shoulders,calves,abs
wensday:spinning
thursday:same as monday
friday: same as tuesday
sat and sunday complete rest
the last whole week rest break i took was a few months back when i got sick. diet is about 1800 cals a day with about 160 grams of protein, about the same in carbs and around 30-50 grams of healthy fat depending on the day. i get 4-6 small meals. i avoid caffiene and drink tons of water.

Everyones body is different. too me i would say u are overtraining..first you arent getting enough carbs for energy, which is really hard on ur body, expecially as you are working hard and doing lots of cardio...secondly i wouldnt train each body part twice a week, train it just once for max results...muslces take up to 7 days to fully recover and grow so if you arent giving them enuf time to heal then u wont get result....if u want more advice as to how to set up a schedual..just as me

[kariev34]

i've read in different magazines and forums that hitting a muscle once a week is not enough so thats why i have been doing what i have been. i'm only looking to maintain. i'm already very lean (14% bf) and have good definition but i've always been confused about splits and how much is enough when it comes to weight training.

[jessedi]

Working out actually helps a person to sleep better. The only thing I could think of is that if you work out right before you go to bed then that may make it difficult for you to wind down enough to fall asleep. Also if you're taking any stimulants in the afternoon.

[Defiant1]

Your workout is quite different than most, but it still doesn't seem like you're overtraining with 5 hours a week... but wait to see if other's respond otherwise.

Have you been stressed out over anything lately??... or thinking about something alot?? When I have trouble "thinking" too much, I write down every thought in my head so I don't forget it later... and then I find it easier to go to sleep knowing that I won't forget anything that I tought of... (if that makes sense)

Are you drinking water close to bedtime?? (sometimes this wakes me up multiple times throughout the night and it's hard to get back to bed.

I know alot of people drink protein shakes before bed... but they seem to give me too much of an energy boost, and I can't sleep after drinking one.

Do you do things late at night that keep your mind busy, llike hanging out on the internet?? The more entertained I am or excited I am about something, the harder it is for me to feel sleepy.

I wish you luck getting to bed tonight.

All excellent points.

In addition, it is important to remember that:

1. Any routine that is producing results will eventually produce overtraining, unless the routine is cycled. See "Selyes" General Adaptation to Stress" or GAS

http://www.psypress.com/pip/resource...pic=ch05-sc-05

This explains why you see people that train all the time, but don't make gains (they are not in the "growth zone", so do not overtrain), and why you see people "yo-yo" in the gym, workout like crazy, grow, and then lay-off, come back like crazy etc (they enter the growth zone, but don't cycle correctly).

2. Related to what Ms Highside said, overtraining is essentially a nervous system event, not a muscular one. Muscles can take TREMENDOUS stress and recover, yet a bad day at work can overtrain you in a day.

Plug nervous system leaks, and try backing off your training (reduce frequency, volume but maintain weight) and see how it goes.

For short term overtraining, try doing some light high rep workouts with non taxing exercises and non taxing weights until the "urge" to train hard comes back.

[kariev34]

do any of you think isolation exercises are a waste of time? on the oxygen forum i'm having people tell me that and to stick with compound movements. i know that compounds are great but i would think you should do both. also in the routine i stated above, i do chest and back the one day and bis and tris the next is this bad since i'm working my bis and tris indirectly when i do chest and back? i'm so confused on whay to do. i don't cycle my workouts either so mabe i should periodize my workout.

[Defiant1]

do any of you think isolation exercises are a waste of time? on the oxygen forum i'm having people tell me that and to stick with compound movements. i know that compounds are great but i would think you should do both. also in the routine i stated above, i do chest and back the one day and bis and tris the next is this bad since i'm working my bis and tris indirectly when i do chest and back? i'm so confused on whay to do. i don't cycle my workouts either so mabe i should periodize my workout.

Definately not a waste of time.

For one, depending on what "scale" you use to judge exercise effectiveness (NMA, which is amount of neuro-muscular activation an exercise gives you or IEMG studies of specific exercises) you will see that some isos rank high.

Example: on the NMA scale, free weight isos (like flyes) rank higher than machine compounds (like smith presses).

Example 2: look how high leg extensions are for the Rectus Femoris in IEMG studies (and I think they actually are better for the Vastis Medialis-right above the knee)

Bottom line:

Use compounds to start, but if one of your bodypart or parts is not responding, attack it with isolation exercises.

It is not resistance that matters, it is targeted resistance that matters.

So, if you are working your, say, QUADS, which are not growing, with a lot of compounds, like SOME people , it may be good for you to add leg extensions if your butt is doing a lot of the work (which is good for your butt, but not quads)

As a side note, I think it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to effectively train your delts with presses only. Especially side delts, which add a LOT to your look.

Keep in mind too, that some exercises are isolation AND max leverage, like shrugs and calf/wrist raises/curls, so you get the best of both worlds

[mommy*2*3]

Definately not a waste of time.

For one, depending on what "scale" you use to judge exercise effectiveness (NMA, which is amount of neuro-muscular activation an exercise gives you or IEMG studies of specific exercises) you will see that some isos rank high.

Example: on the NMA scale, free weight isos (like flyes) rank higher than machine compounds (like smith presses).

Example 2: look how high leg extensions are for the Rectus Femoris (and I think they actually are better for the Vastis Medialis-right above the knee)

Bottom line:

Use compounds to start, but if one of your bodypart or parts is not responding, attack it with isolation exercises.

It is not resistance that matters, it is targeted resistance that matters.

So, if you are working your, say, QUADS, which are not growing, with a lot of compounds, like SOME people , it may be good for you to add leg extensions if your butt is doing a lot of the work (which is good for your butt, but not quads)

As a side note, I think it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to effectively train your delts with presses only. Especially side delts, which add a LOT to your look.

Keep in mind too, that some exercises are isolation AND max leverage, like shrugs and calf/wrist raises/curls, so you get the best of both worlds

Excellent post!