Almost anyone that's picked up a set of weights
has or will experience symptoms of over-training at one point in there muscle
building program. Over-training can lead to serious injury, chronic fatigue,
and even muscle loss.
Over-training is very common amongst athletes
and particularly bodybuilders, since they figure that training as much as
possible is the fastest way to massive muscle gains.
This couldn't be any further from the truth
however...
Training too much, or at too high of an
intensity will lead to over-training.
Now this doesn't mean you don't have to put
plenty of effort in to see some decent results... Whether you are a
bodybuilder, athlete, or just someone that wants to add some additional mass to
your frame, you need to train hard and be consistent-that's a given. In order
to get the most out of your genetics, you have to progressively overload the
muscles by increasing the weight and / or intensity of each weight training
workout.
The problem is however, that many of us increase
the intensity of our workouts or get insufficient amounts of rest, or even
worse, a combination of both. The trick is finding the right balance between
workout volume and intensity, and rest and recovery. And that is exactly what
I'll cover in this article.
The Effects of Over-Training on Bodybuilders
First, let's take a look at some of the effects
of over-training and how one can prevent over-training from happening in the
first place.
The Effects of Over-training on the Nervous
System
Over-training effects both the sympathetic and
parasympathetic nervous systems in the following negative ways:
- Higher
resting heart rate
- Weak
appetite
- High
blood pressure
- Weight
loss
- Trouble
sleeping
- Increased
metabolic rate
- Irritability
- Early
onset of fatigue
If you are experiencing more than one of the
symptoms outlined above, you may be in a state of over-training, and should
evaluate your routine as soon as possible.
The Effects of Over-training on Hormone Levels
Many studies have indicated that over-training
negatively effects the levels of hormones, as well as the hormone response in
the body. Since hormones play such an important role in the muscle building
process, this can have a detrimental effect on your training progress.
Over-training has been show to:
- Decrease
testosterone levels
- Decrease
thyroxine levels
- Increase
cortisol levels
The increase in cortisol levels along with the
decrease in testosterone levels is a deadly combination, since this leads to
protein tissue break down. This will ultimately lead to a loss of muscle
tissue.
The Effects of Over-training on the Immune
System
perhaps one of the most alarming repercussions
of over-training is it's negative impact on the immune system-you're bodies
first defense against harmful viruses and bacteria.
Over-training can drastically decrease the
levels of antibodies and lymphocytes in your body, making you much more
susceptible to illness. Simply put, this means that if you are in a state of
over-training, you are much more likely to get sick. Since you will have to
skip workouts while you are sick, your muscle building progress will slow
considerably.
The Effects of Over-training on the Metabolic
System
Here is a list of how over-training can effect
the metabolic system. These symptoms are the ones that are most commonly
discussed, and are ones we can't ignore:
- Micro
tears in the muscle
- Chronically
depleted glycogen levels
- Slow,
weak muscle contractions
- Depleted
creatine phosphate stores
- Excessive
accumulation of lactic acid
- Extreme
DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)
- Tendon
and connective tissue damage
- So
you must get the point by now... Over-training effects the entire body,
and can seriously impact the results of your muscle building program.
Is it Worse to Over-Train With Cardio or
Weight Training?
Any form of over-training is a bad thing,
however, I've personally experienced both types of over-training and can
honestly say that over-training in the weight room is much worse, and much more
prevalent than over-training through cardiovascular training.
Here are some of the reasons why:
In order to grow, muscles must fully recover
from their last workout, every workout. If you are over-training and work the
muscles before they have fully recovered, you will break down the muscle tissue
before it has rebuilt-making it impossible to build muscle!
Over-training with weights makes you more
susceptible to nervous systems hormone and immune system issues, which all pose
serious health risks.
It can lead beginners down the wrong path,
perhaps wasting money on unnecessary supplements, or even worse, steroids.
I personally believe that only competitive
athletes such as swimmers, runners and bikers run a serious risk of reaching a
state of cardiovascular over-training, since there are often training for two
or more hours daily.
The bottom line is that it is much easier for
the average person to over-train while weight training than while
cardiovascular training, and I think the effects can be more serious.
How do I Determine if I'm Over-training?
Determining if you're currently over-training is
fairly simple. If you're in tune with your body, you can often see the signs of
over-training before they get serious. If you are losing interest in workouts,
are having trouble sleeping, and feel weak and irritable, you may be in a state
of over-training and should take a week or more off.
If you are experiencing two or more of the
symptoms outlined earlier in the article, this should raise a red flag.
Another variable you can use to determine if you
are over-training is by tracking the performance of your workouts.
Has your physical performance improved compared
to your last workout?
For example, let's say last workout you were
able to perform 8 pull-ups using your body-weight, but were only able to
perform 6 pull-ups the following week. This means that you have not "out
done" your previous workout, have not fully recovered, and therefore are
likely over-training. You nave to re-asses your program and make modifications
so that you see progress every workout.
How Can I Prevent Over-training?
n order to avoid over-training, you need to take
a multi-facited approach. Determining the correct training volume and
intensity, eating the right foods, and getting the right amount of rest and
recovery must all be taken in to consideration. Now let's take a look at each
of those factors in more detail.
Correct Training Volume
Determining the correct training volume can be
difficult, especially when you are first starting out. You have to determine
how much weight to lift, how many repetitions and set to perform for every
single workout.
You need to use your own judgment in this case,
based on your recovery ability and your recovery methods. Remember that the
goal is that you improve every single workout, and if this isn't happening, you
have to decrease the intensity of your workouts.
This is where many people go wrong though. You
begin your workout and realize that you have not fully recovered. You can
either continue to train at a lower intensity than the previous workout, or
skip the workout entirely.
As hard as it may be, skipping the workout is
the right way to go. Just turn around and go home! Your body is telling you
that it needs more rest, and you must listen to it!
There is no point in training at a lower
intensity, further breaking down the muscle tissue. By doing this you will
increase your risk of injury, and make it harder for your body to fully
recovery for your next training session.
Your diet plays a huge role in your muscle
building program. It helps regulate hormone levels, provides energy, and provides
the raw building blocks that are used to create new tissue.
Here are some dietary recommendations that will
limit the chance of over-training:
- Do
not skip breakfast. This is one of the most important meals of the day.
Skipping breakfast is very catabolic, and can promote muscle loss.
- Never
let yourself get hungry. If you're trying to build muscle mass, you have
to constantly feed your body quality foods so that it never has the chance
catabolize muscle tissue.
- Unless
you are trying to build muscle and lose fat, make sure you have eaten
prior to your training session and are not hungry.
- Have
the largest meal of the day within an hour after your workout. Do this
every single workout!
- Consider
taking proven supplements like creatine, and antioxidants to increase
performance and fight free radicals.
- Eat
every 2-3 hours to ensure that your body remains in an anabolic state.
- Keep
glycogen levels at full capacity to inhibit muscle tissue breakdown.
- Rest
& Recovery
Rest and recovery is essential when it comes to
avoiding over-training. Make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each
night, and that you are on a consistent schedule. As for recovery time, it's
important that you have days off between weight training workouts. Try to have
one rest day between weight training workouts, and never train the same muscle
groups on consecutive days.
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