Thread: Overtraining

depends on your body... listen to it, if you need more rest take it

I think working a muscle twice a week is overtraining unless you're using something. I got the best results doing each body part once and keeping the sets pretty low, like 9-12 sets per bigger body part and 6-8 sets for the smaller body part. For a good pump why don't you try increasing the intensity of your workouts.

I've been told the 'pump' is quite overated though when measuring the 'success' of a workout ?

Originally Posted by Celtic Bhoy

How can one know or identify when their overtraining.If ya were working each muscle twice a week what would be a suitable number of sets?Or should ya keep trainin til ya get that "pump" feeling and then do another few sets or what?

Interesting thread:

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=376612

That is, indeed, an interesting thread. I've thought about it before, too: what about people who are forced, for one reason or another, to do strenuous physical work each and every day? Why do those people not get overtrained? I mean they're just regular people like you and me.

Another example is of the army. Those people do strenuous exercises each and every day and there's no doubt that they're very strong. Plus, they don't really get days off where they can just lounge around and rest (or at least I'm assuming; I wouldn't really know), and, still, they don't get overtrained.

I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Well I don't believe in overtraining. So I can't help you. This old man works out 5 days a week with weights and does cadio 5 days a week. I may in a couple of weeks give a 3 day a week training a try. Probably won't like it. Great ATTITUDE PT

Thanks very much T-man, that was an interesting thread.I dont take "anything",just a high protein-low fat diet.I was at the gym yesterday and did a very intense workout;chest 16 sets, triceps 12 sets, shoulders 10 sets.3 of the sets were pushups I did in between flys,so they didnt exactly "kill" me but I did them to failure.I kept a 6-8 rep range.This morning my outer chest and to a lesser extent my tris and shoulders are aching, which I havnt felt in a long time, but thats good coz it means they were put under alot of stress and are recovering now,right?

I thought doing each muscle once a week was for sheer bulk and made ya lose firmness.I read somewhere if ya leave a muscle for more than 96 hours it starts to break down.

I don't think there is such thing as over traning.I learned from my dad because he would lift weights everyday twice a day and he would run everyday and he some how made good gains traning everyday.That links a good read.

Back in the 70"s I was as big and strong as the come and I work out 6 days a week. there were a lot of times i worked out twice a day also. Now I don't know if i could of got bigger by doing less but hey I was hugh then and did it for 7 straight years. Maybe it depends on the individual but overtraining for me is a myth.
I went by feel. There were days I did 25 sets for chest and days that I only did 12-15 sets. When I felt tired it was done for the day. If i didn't feel tired then keep going. Today is an example. I worked arms only. Did 6 sets of Bi's and 7 set's of Tri's. Usally I do 10-12 sets for each and from this day forward this is the way I'm going to lift. If I feel strong keep going and if not STOP.