# Overtraining, is it real ?



## Fsuphisig (Jul 2, 2015)

Would love to hear everyone's thoughts on overtraining ? Is it a real thing ? Is there a difference between pl and bb overtraining ?

I know you can fry your cns on a demanding powerlifting program I witnessed that first hand but what about overtraining the muscle itself, you hear body builders all the time say it's not possible but they're on 60000 calories and a gram of test. For the regular lifter is overtraining a concern ? Is too much volume a bad thing ? Is it a matter of failure vs volume, heavy vs light ? Chime in !!!!!'


----------



## DocDePanda187123 (Jul 2, 2015)

Overtraining is real but you don't overtrain a muscle. You overtrain the body's ability to recover.


----------



## ECKSRATED (Jul 2, 2015)

Snake once did 165 sets of 20 reps on calf raises. If that isn't over training than I don't know what is....


----------



## Pinkbear (Jul 2, 2015)

Define over training...

Gymrats need to stop comparing themselves to pros. Pros are just that.... Professional trainers. It's there job to eat sleep train and that's it.... If I didn't need to work of course I could train 2x a day everyday with 10 hours of sleep and 5000 cals a day... But we're not. We are just everyday gymrats. Working long hours ...kids...family...stress... So yes I believe that everyday Joe's can overtrain.


----------



## HDH (Jul 2, 2015)

Gotta agree with Doc on this from experience. 

I went through a time a few years back when I had to start training differently. I was having to many back, neck and shoulder problems, couldn't get the full benefits from my workouts and just couldn't afford to be at the chiro every week.

I had do get away from heavy weights. I had to go back through a rebalance of cals in vs cals used, rest time, diet, cardio and a set program I could continually progress from.

I did a lot of volume training, supers, tris, giants with light weights, holds negatives, just not what I was used to and at a pretty high pace trying to make up for the weight not being there.

I like to run things to the edge. I started off overworking myself. It's easy to see after some time in. The feeling of lethargy, moody, feeling like I got hit by a truck in the mornings. It was a sure sign my body wasn't able to recover efficiently.

Of course aas and lots of food have a direct impact on growing, always have and always will. I just look at it as a way to train harder and ride the optimal recovery boarder line.

I found it best to make small adjustments like take some cardio away or get more rest time in each day and try to get more sleep. I usually have a good handle on my maintenance cals so they usually don't play a factor. That's as simple as watching the scale. Gaining weight or losing, it's up to me to gain in the correct places. Eating good as opposed to sloppy has an impact on how I feel as well.

After I'm getting all the rest and sleep possible, including cardio, I go for the training. I like to run 4 to 5 sets of supers, tris or giants for an exercise. I started by dropping  a set for each exercise like 5 down to 4 or 4 down to 3. It can be a matter of more hours at work or outside stresses not allowing me to get proper rest.

Each adjustment makes a difference and the amount of adjustment will be determined by how run down the feeling is. It's all about the balance of everything. Diet, training, drugs, work, rest, cardio, etc... Everyone is different and has to find their own balance to max it out.

You know when you have it because you can kill it at the gym and still feel good, energetic and healthy throughout the week and still have the scale moving in the direction you want it to. With the exception of DOMS of course.

It's all about knowing our body and it's limits which can vary from time to time. Everything is a factor when trying to push the limits.

H


----------



## JAXNY (Jul 2, 2015)

Most peoole shouldnt worry about overtraining,  but be more concerned with under training.


----------



## AlphaD (Jul 2, 2015)

DocDePanda187123 said:


> Overtraining is real but you don't overtrain a muscle. You overtrain the body's ability to recover.



^^^ This is what I believe.   Most people do not do enough to recover properly.....


----------



## stonetag (Jul 2, 2015)

There are a lot of variables when it comes to overtraining, and like mentioned most of us are gymrats whether BB or PL and probably will never meet all those variables. I believe if a person has trained for "X" amount of years their body would pick up on an over traning state in a hurry.


----------



## transcend2007 (Jul 2, 2015)

JAX statement is prolly the bigger worry for the average person ~ under-training.

I also believe people confuse plateaus with over training.  If you do the same work-out for more than 6 months if you've been training for years its very likely your results will suffer.  Same goes for diet....you've got to mix the macros and calorie surplus / deficit.  My point is you must keep learning what works for you and then change it up before you stop getting results.

Anyone serious about this question about over-training should log their workouts.  See just how many workouts you miss in one week, one month, or a 3 month period.  If you miss just 1 work out a week and your on a 5 day regimen that's 20%.....same goes for diet.  How many days per week, month, 3 months do you go off the diet reservation?

To answer this question one has be pretty serious about putting their actions under scrutiny.  Most people will just make excuse to take more days off or short-change their diet IMO.


----------



## Fruity (Jul 2, 2015)

Overtraining is gods way from stopping us strong willed people spending the entire day in the Gym. I dont like it but it is what it is


----------



## SFGiants (Jul 2, 2015)

DocDePanda187123 said:


> Overtraining is real but you don't overtrain a muscle. You overtrain the body's ability to recover.



For those that Powerlift and especially run something like Westside it's usually the CNS, I guess it's the same for a gym rat or Bodybuilder but it happens much faster for a Powerlifter.

Run something like Westside correctly and your needed a deload on the 4th week.


----------



## McDuffy (Jul 2, 2015)

i consider it overtraining when by week 6 or 8 of a cycle im so beat to shit that i need to take a week off just to recover mentally and possibly physically. I think its the physical exhaustion that leads to the mental exhaustion. I've always done a 4 days rotation occasionally taking a day off. next cycle i will work each muscle group once a week and take one to two days a week off and see if i don't end up overtraining.


----------



## Milo (Jul 3, 2015)

I can definitely feel it when I need a break. No intensity in the gym and always tired are the usual signs.


----------



## ECKSRATED (Jul 3, 2015)

I've felt like I needed a deload once in my life and that was during pillars peak program for my meet. That asshole wouldn't let me take one. But I'm glad he didn't. Lol


----------



## TheLupinator (Jul 3, 2015)

Leading up to a competition, yes. There is a cumulative stress put on your body from training and even though you'll adapt and grow stronger without fully recovering from your last workout, you want to recover as much as possible before competing.


I'll go through phases of breaking myself down (in the gym everyday) even when I'm "overtrained" - eventually you will adapt. When I want to recover I'll do light recovery workouts coupled with daily stretching and light cardio - stay active while recovering. I don't like traditional deloading, bc you usually use the same lifts as your normal workouts - switch up the exercises and focus of your workouts i.e. endure and flexibility rather than strength.


----------



## PillarofBalance (Jul 3, 2015)

IN BB and also PL to an extent you can over train a muscle. When you are intensely sore after for almost a week you went too far.

In PL it's more like just not wanting to get out of bed. Lethargy. Almost depression. Loss of gym aggression etc...


----------



## theBIGFISH (Aug 5, 2015)

I totally disagree with this statement.
 Far too many people spend way too much time training and get in a catabolic state





JAXNY said:


> Most peoole shouldnt worry about overtraining,  but be more concerned with under training.


----------



## DocDePanda187123 (Aug 5, 2015)

theBIGFISH said:


> I totally disagree with this statement.
> Far too many people spend way too much time training and get in a catabolic state



Training itself is catabolic.


----------



## MrRippedZilla (Aug 5, 2015)

The chances of overtraining on a bodybuilder type routine (brosplits, etc) is pretty slim compared to training for performance (PL, OL, athletes in general, etc).

I find it amazing that people even question whether its real or not - there is a tonne of studies showing that it certainly is. Hell, most serious athletes follow programs with build in light/rest days for this very reason.


----------



## {'Calcul08'} (Aug 5, 2015)

Of course - especially if there's not enough time for the body to rest properly.. 

I've seen people not knowing where those limits are, trying to reach weightlifting goals without taking breaks/rest days and that leading to some serious injuries.


----------



## Cobra Strike (Aug 5, 2015)

The vast majority of bodybiulders dont train hard enough to over train. Sure maybe the extremely dedicated can but most of the guys in the gym take way to long of rest periods, talk, and text to overtrain. Unless your some kind of professional that requires intense training and you have been doing it for awhile then the last thing you need to worry bout is overtraining. You should be worried about training harder. And if your asking about overtraining than your definitely not overtraining


----------



## Live2Train (Aug 6, 2015)

Cobra Strike said:


> The vast majority of bodybiulders dont train hard enough to over train. Sure maybe the extremely dedicated can but most of the guys in the gym take way to long of rest periods, talk, and text to overtrain. Unless your some kind of professional that requires intense training and you have been doing it for awhile then the last thing you need to worry bout is overtraining. You should be worried about training harder. And if your asking about overtraining than your definitely not overtraining



I totally agree brother.  I train my ass off in the gym and I make great gains.  I had a few guys that are built well and spend their fair share of time in the gym giving up on a few of my drop sets.  They couldn't believe how hard it was.  I do 10 tens on each side of the bar for 10 reps, drop one, do ten, and keep dropping one each time until you get to the bar, then build your way all the way back up to 10 tens doing 10 reps each time you add one.  It's very intense and not many make it through.  The point I'm making is that these guys thought they lifted until they tried working in with me and the dudes I'm currently training.  People always think they are working hard, but in all reality they aren't doing much.  I'm not talking about any of you guys, because the guys on this site better be beasting it up in the gym.  I'm just going by what I see every day by the vast majority of people in my gym.  A lot of them have been in there for years, but have yet to make any noticeable changes and then they wonder why.  LOL!


----------



## Cobra Strike (Aug 6, 2015)

Live2Train said:


> I totally agree brother.  I train my ass off in the gym and I make great gains.  I had a few guys that are built well and spend their fair share of time in the gym giving up on a few of my drop sets.  They couldn't believe how hard it was.  I do 10 tens on each side of the bar for 10 reps, drop one, do ten, and keep dropping one each time until you get to the bar, then build your way all the way back up to 10 tens doing 10 reps each time you add one.  It's very intense and not many make it through.  The point I'm making is that these guys thought they lifted until they tried working in with me and the dudes I'm currently training.  People always think they are working hard, but in all reality they aren't doing much.  I'm not talking about any of you guys, because the guys on this site better be beasting it up in the gym.  I'm just going by what I see every day by the vast majority of people in my gym.  A lot of them have been in there for years, but have yet to make any noticeable changes and then they wonder why.  LOL!



Holy $hit!!!! You are still alive!!! Good to see you post my man!


----------



## DieYoungStrong (Aug 6, 2015)

No one is going to overtrain doing a bro split with an "arm day" and a "calves and abs" day.

When peaking for a meet, I feel like I'm constantly toeing the line between pushing the limits and overtraining.


----------



## Live2Train (Aug 6, 2015)

Cobra Strike said:


> Holy $hit!!!! You are still alive!!! Good to see you post my man!



Much appreciated brother.  I took a little time off from lifting, but now I'm back and I have a project that I'm working on.  I'm going to change a few lives and I love doing that.  I took on a new partner in the gym.  I would say client, but I don't make them pay, I just do it to help out and show people that I know my shit.  Having them there makes me and my original partner work much harder as well.  Fun times ahead.  I'll try and hang out here a little more.  Hope all is well with you homie.


----------



## Govols (Mar 24, 2016)

Sure, it's real. I would doubt th da the most lifters don't come close enough weight, volume or intensity wise to overtrain.


----------



## waviniron (May 2, 2016)

I think overtraining is real if you don't eat enough and rest enough. Also literally doing too much in the gym can lead to eat


----------



## Bigmike (May 2, 2016)

Yes 
10 chars


----------

