Thread: Overtraining Question

Why only go Monday and Friday if you have Wednesday available too? Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a 3-day split. Hit each muscle group once a week. (For example, push-pull-lower.) Are you saying you do a total body workout on Mondays now or just your chest? I'm sure if you post your entire routine others here can offer some more advice.

I've been doing my whole body each day 3 times a week. I need some advice on what i could do for a 3 day split

Originally Posted by Detroit_4_Life

I've been doing my whole body each day 3 times a week. I need some advice on what i could do for a 3 day split

Your workouts should be different each time you perform them in order to allow your body to progress and not be able to adapt.

It is perfectly fine to perform 3 full-body workouts each week. I do and I love it.

Here is a sample of what my week looks like.

Monday
9-10am Wake up and have Power Mixed(Muscle Milk with some other added super-nutrients) Protein shake or Eggs with No Sugar added whole wheat berry toast and low-carb OJ.

12:30pm Another identical shake

1:00-2:00pm
Brazilian Jujitsu Training

(Meal about 30 minutes post training and one every 2-3 hours thereafter.
Meals are always clean and as close to nature as possible. I believe in the "Garbage In/Garbage Out" theory.)

8:00
30 min. High Intensity Circuit Resistance(full-body)

Tuesday
Same diet structure every day...

1:00pm
12-15 min. Interval Training

1:00pm
30 min. High Intensity Circuit Resistance(full body)


Wednesday
1:00-2:00pm Brazilian Jujitsu Training
Rest from resistance and cardio, but keep perfect diet



Thursday
Same diet and same circuit training day as Monday.


Friday
Same diet and same interval training day as Tuesday.


Saturday
Same diet and always rest.


Sunday
Same diet and 30 min. High Intensity Interval Training
Often times I practice my boxing and jujitsu on my own.

I sleep between 8-9 hours a night so that my body is fully recovered.

Hope that helps.

Week 1. upper/lower/upper
Week 2. lower/upper/lower

Repeat as necessary.

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

Week 1. upper/lower/upper
Week 2. lower/upper/lower

Repeat as necessary.

Sure that's one way of doing things, but why not work the body the way nature intended- synergistically.

It depends on the volume and intensity that you are using for each workout. The chest can certainly be trained twice each week if you don't go overboard. I wouldn't do 15 working sets each workout, but something like 6 working sets of chest-centric work each session would probably be fine if you're not hitting failure and keeping your intensity at reasonable levels.

Originally Posted by alwaysbelieve1

Your workouts should be different each time you perform them in order to allow your body to progress and not be able to adapt.

It is perfectly fine to perform 3 full-body workouts each week. I do and I love it.

Here is a sample of what my week looks like.

Monday
9-10am Wake up and have Power Mixed(Muscle Milk with some other added super-nutrients) Protein shake or Eggs with No Sugar added whole wheat berry toast and low-carb OJ.

12:30pm Another identical shake

1:00-2:00pm
Brazilian Jujitsu Training

(Meal about 30 minutes post training and one every 2-3 hours thereafter.
Meals are always clean and as close to nature as possible. I believe in the "Garbage In/Garbage Out" theory.)

8:00
30 min. High Intensity Circuit Resistance(full-body)

Tuesday
Same diet structure every day...

1:00pm
12-15 min. Interval Training

1:00pm
30 min. High Intensity Circuit Resistance(full body)


Wednesday
1:00-2:00pm Brazilian Jujitsu Training
Rest from resistance and cardio, but keep perfect diet



Thursday
Same diet and same circuit training day as Monday.


Friday
Same diet and same interval training day as Tuesday.


Saturday
Same diet and always rest.


Sunday
Same diet and 30 min. High Intensity Interval Training
Often times I practice my boxing and jujitsu on my own.

I sleep between 8-9 hours a night so that my body is fully recovered.

Hope that helps.

sleep 9 hours a night, brazillian training....dont work huh?

Why would a person need three days to train a bodypart? Personally, I couldnt grow on a 3 day routine. Perhaps a 1 bodypart a day routine would be more beneficial?

Originally Posted by juggernaut

sleep 9 hours a night, brazillian training....dont work huh?

What?

[quote=alwaysbelieve1;1516803]What? [/never mind, I'm being a wiseass.

Originally Posted by Detroit_4_Life

If i do my chest hard (full blown everything) on monday, i know your suppose to have 3 rest days in between, So i'll go again on friday.

But do you think i'll be overtraining if i go mondays and fridays? So i'll only have 2 rest days over the weekend if i go friday then monday but im limited to only Monday, Wendsdays and Fridays in the weight room.

read the stickies, train movements not bodyparts, there is no way someone can tell you if you will be overtraining or not, it depends on alot more than how many days between your chest workout

total body 3 times a week

[QUOTE=juggernaut;1516809]

Originally Posted by alwaysbelieve1

What? [/never mind, I'm being a wiseass.

Ah! I see.

I don't understand the reason to do a full body workout....it seems more like a cardio type of training....It doesn't make sense if you are trying to gain muscle.

Originally Posted by TrojanMan60563

I don't understand the reason to do a full body workout....it seems more like a cardio type of training....It doesn't make sense if you are trying to gain muscle.

I gain muscle all the time. It all depends upon your diet.

Originally Posted by TrojanMan60563

I don't understand the reason to do a full body workout....it seems more like a cardio type of training....It doesn't make sense if you are trying to gain muscle.

how so? I don't understand how it would be like cardio training?

Also, the strongest men ever...like Paul Anderson, JC Hise, etc...all trained total body.

Brad Gillingham trains total body 3x's a week and is a world champion powerlifter.


learning to manipulate training variables is the key element. For most people, they can't do it, they don't know how to do it and they fail.

Originally Posted by P-funk

how so? I don't understand how it would be like cardio training?

Also, the strongest men ever...like Paul Anderson, JC Hise, etc...all trained total body.

Brad Gillingham trains total body 3x's a week and is a world champion powerlifter.


learning to manipulate training variables is the key element. For most people, they can't do it, they don't know how to do it and they fail.

I couldn't agree with you more! I train full-body 3x per week as well as interval cardio training 3x on top of that. I will be adding a 1 day "steady state" cardio day for distance beginning this week. I also practice BJJ a couple times a week as well. I love sport and I love training. I wish my body instantly recovered just so I could do more.

Originally Posted by P-funk

how so? I don't understand how it would be like cardio training?

Also, the strongest men ever...like Paul Anderson, JC Hise, etc...all trained total body.

Brad Gillingham trains total body 3x's a week and is a world champion powerlifter.


learning to manipulate training variables is the key element. For most people, they can't do it, they don't know how to do it and they fail.

Its cardio in the sense you go from one thing to the next to the next with little break. That keeps the heart rate into a cardio/fat burning range the whole time.

I keep my lifting to an hour...sometimes slightly more on back/leg days. I don't think you can hit any muscle group 100% by doing full body workouts. There is not a BBer alive that does a full body workout. It might be good for an athlete looking for muscle endurance....but for overall growth and strength I think its no good. I grew up powerlifting and have lift with some of the best in the world. None of them train like that...and the rest time between sets can be up to 10 minutes or more when going heavy.

I don't see any benefit of doing full body works if you are trying to BB'd or powerlift. I can see doing something like that if you are a basketball player...fighter...something that requires full body endurance.

Originally Posted by TrojanMan60563

Its cardio in the sense you go from one thing to the next to the next with little break. That keeps the heart rate into a cardio/fat burning range the whole time.

I keep my lifting to an hour...sometimes slightly more on back/leg days. I don't think you can hit any muscle group 100% by doing full body workouts. There is not a BBer alive that does a full body workout. It might be good for an athlete looking for muscle endurance....but for overall growth and strength I think its no good. I grew up powerlifting and have lift with some of the best in the world. None of them train like that...and the rest time between sets can be up to 10 minutes or more when going heavy.

I don't see any benefit of doing full body works if you are trying to BB'd or powerlift. I can see doing something like that if you are a basketball player...fighter...something that requires full body endurance.

who says you have to go from one thing to another right away??????? you can take as much rest as you want.
Train movements not bodyparts, one total body can be focused on vertical push-pulling and hip dominant, the other can be focused on the opposite, it is not like you have to do the exact same exercises every day. Full body workouts are good because of their high frequency, you just have to know how to set up the intenity properly so you don't overtrain. Almost all powerlifters train fullbody, I actually haven't heard of one that does not.

Originally Posted by TrojanMan60563

Its cardio in the sense you go from one thing to the next to the next with little break. That keeps the heart rate into a cardio/fat burning range the whole time.

I keep my lifting to an hour...sometimes slightly more on back/leg days. I don't think you can hit any muscle group 100% by doing full body workouts. There is not a BBer alive that does a full body workout. It might be good for an athlete looking for muscle endurance....but for overall growth and strength I think its no good. I grew up powerlifting and have lift with some of the best in the world. None of them train like that...and the rest time between sets can be up to 10 minutes or more when going heavy.

I don't see any benefit of doing full body works if you are trying to BB'd or powerlift. I can see doing something like that if you are a basketball player...fighter...something that requires full body endurance.

Bodybuilders don't do full body programs because it's not accepted. That doesn't mean it doesn't work. There are powerlifters who use full body programs, and strongmen competitiors do full body programs and competition days (Which can only be described as full body). Both types of athletes have lots of competitors that could easily compete in bodybuilding should they decide they wanted to use even more drugs, pay closer attention to their diets, and talk themselves into starving and dehydrating themselves come time (Which they do to some extent if they are in a weight class already).

Is there anything else you are basing your statements on, or is it just the bias that split routines are better because bodybuilders have been doing them for a long time?

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Bodybuilders don't do full body programs because it's not accepted. That doesn't mean it doesn't work. There are powerlifters who use full body programs, and strongmen competitiors do full body programs and competition days (Which can only be described as full body). Both types of athletes have lots of competitors that could easily compete in bodybuilding should they decide they wanted to use even more drugs, pay closer attention to their diets, and talk themselves into starving and dehydrating themselves come time (Which they do to some extent if they are in a weight class already).

Is there anything else you are basing your statements on, or is it just the bias that split routines are better because bodybuilders have been doing them for a long time?

To say all strong men do a full body workout is jumping to conclusions...I do not know any strong men, but I have grown up around world class powerlifters. I have NEVER known a powerlifter to come in and train for his bench...move on to his deads, and finish with squats.....They typically do a three day split....bench on one day with the focus on bench with a few extras like dips, pec deck, military press, and pushdowns with a rope or straight bar....then a deadlift day with extras like lower back work such at weighted hyper extention, lat pull downs, shoulder shrugs,and t-bar rows. Third day squating with extras like heavy squat machine, leg pressing sled, leg extensions, and leg curls...and heavy calve raises. Some use a forth day for things like curls and shoulder work like lateral raises etc....I would say MOST powerlifters workout 3-4 times a week. I have lift with guys doing 600+ benches, 900+ deadlifts, and 1000+ squats. Matter of fact my father is still involved in the sport and is the current APF world champion for his age and weight. I know what I am talking about in the field of powerlifting. At age 14 I set four IL state records, and at 16 won the APF worlds at my weight....I have been surrounded by many great powerlifters and have not known one that did a full body training plan.

My personal belief is that you MUST DO full body training to develop a balanced symmetry.

In addition, developing overall strength and muscle control is key to both metabolism and potential.

My bias is personal observation and limited, but growing, experience.

Originally Posted by TrojanMan60563

Its cardio in the sense you go from one thing to the next to the next with little break. That keeps the heart rate into a cardio/fat burning range the whole time.

I keep my lifting to an hour...sometimes slightly more on back/leg days. I don't think you can hit any muscle group 100% by doing full body workouts. There is not a BBer alive that does a full body workout. It might be good for an athlete looking for muscle endurance....but for overall growth and strength I think its no good. I grew up powerlifting and have lift with some of the best in the world. None of them train like that...and the rest time between sets can be up to 10 minutes or more when going heavy.

I don't see any benefit of doing full body works if you are trying to BB'd or powerlift. I can see doing something like that if you are a basketball player...fighter...something that requires full body endurance.

why do you have to take little rest? You can rest longer between movements!

A lot of athletes train on a total body workout beause it is efficient and leaves time for game specific practices or speed and agility work. They still increase their strength......it isn't a circuit or anything like that.

I don't think you can hit any muscle group 100% by doing full body workouts.

a) trying to hit everything 100% doing any program is just silly. It is best to have one focus/concentrate and then have assistance lifts.

b) who thinks in muscle groups? think in movement patterns and you will be much better off.....thinking in muscle groups is where you run into the problem of limiting your training options because you can't hit everything at "100% intensity".

In terms of fullbody workouts..

... what's the best exercises you guys can think of - utilizing the overall use of the body's capability?

I'll list them. Looking for experience, here.

For example: While waiting for an oil change, I read about a rock climber's routine of overhead DB presses and squat combo. I loved the possibilities!

Originally Posted by JimSnow

In terms of fullbody workouts..

... what's the best exercises you guys can think of - utilizing the overall use of the body's capability?

I'll list them. Looking for experience, here.

For example: While waiting for an oil change, I read about a rock climber's routine of overhead DB presses and squat combo. I loved the possibilities!

you mean combination exercises??

squat and press
squat and row
lunge curl and press

stuff like that?

Originally Posted by P-funk

you mean combination exercises??

squat and press
squat and row
lunge curl and press

stuff like that?

Yeah, throw together some combos... maybe, some "most effective" supersetting. I'm enough in shape to benefit from this.

There was a thread about football training exercises. Maybe some exercises w/ a similar mindset to the stuff you see in "The World's Strongest Man" Comps on ESPN. Pulling a truck, walking a refridgerator (Franko Columbo breaking a leg, eek)... hefting the progressively heavier stone rocks.

Anybody have some unique combos or "strongman" exercises? The full range... from strength... hypertrophy... to cardio?

I wanna bust my balls before I die of senility (well on my way)!

Originally Posted by JimSnow

Yeah, throw together some combos... maybe, some "most effective" supersetting. I'm enough in shape to benefit from this.

There was a thread about football training exercises. Maybe some exercises w/ a similar mindset to the stuff you see in "The World's Strongest Man" Comps on ESPN. Pulling a truck, walking a refridgerator (Franko Columbo breaking a leg, eek)... hefting the progressively heavier stone rocks.

Anybody have some unique combos or "strongman" exercises? The full range... from strength... hypertrophy... to cardio?

I wanna bust my balls before I die of senility (well on my way)!

I don't use combo exercises to much in training people just because the loading has to be decreased for them to get through it (ie....you can't overhead press as much as you can for 8 reps, if you have to do a squat and press with it). That said, I do use it for some people (usually women who are working on building strength and endurance) and I do use it as part of a warm up sometimes.

Usually, I like to use non-competiting supersets or tri-sets for people to get them moving. you may benefit from a program like that, if that is what you are looking for.

For the younger kids that I have taught olympic lifts to, we sometimes do complexes.

There are strongman circuits you can do....like a carry and drag.....farmers walk some heavy DBs for a set distance and then pull a sled for a set distance.

Originally Posted by P-funk

I don't use combo exercises to much in training people just because the loading has to be decreased for them to get through it (ie....you can't overhead press as much as you can for 8 reps, if you have to do a squat and press with it). That said, I do use it for some people (usually women who are working on building strength and endurance) and I do use it as part of a warm up sometimes.

Usually, I like to use non-competiting supersets or tri-sets for people to get them moving. you may benefit from a program like that, if that is what you are looking for.

For the younger kids that I have taught olympic lifts to, we sometimes do complexes.

There are strongman circuits you can do....like a carry and drag.....farmers walk some heavy DBs for a set distance and then pull a sled for a set distance.

I'm in nice shape. I do a farmer's walk.

I'm looking for some ideas for a "Saturday Blowout". Once in a great while I like to do something extreme and heavily taxing - then rest a couple of days and reside with my usual routine again.

Anybody compete in these strongman events?

Originally Posted by JimSnow

I'm in nice shape. I do a farmer's walk.

I'm looking for some ideas for a "Saturday Blowout". Once in a great while I like to do something extreme and heavily taxing - then rest a couple of days and reside with my usual routine again.

Anybody compete in these strongman events?

Here's a great one for you to try. It will kick your butt and make you feel like you got hit by a Mack Truck when you're done.

I love it!

In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. This can be done in 3 and 5 round versions. The stations are:

1. Wall-ball- 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
2. Sumo Deadlift high-pull- 75 pounds (Reps)
3. Box Jump- 20" box (Reps)
4. Push-press- 75 pounds (Reps)
5. Concept2 Row Machine- calories (Calories)

The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.