Hi LWL. I'm a regular lurker here and have learned a lot from you all.
I've been lifting now for about two years and really, really like it. I found a program in "The Body Sculpting Bible for Women" that I've been doing and would like some advice please.
I don't know if anyone's familiar with it, but there is an advanced six week routine in the book that I've been doing. I mainly tried it to ramp things up a bit and to just plain old give myself a challenge. I've been on a very long weightloss plateau and thought I'd give this a try. I'm in week six now and it's kicking my butt!
The workout progresses in two week increments. You workout six days a week, cardio and lifting. Lifting exercises are divided up into three days (which you repeat during the week). They are divided into bicep & tricep day, leg day and chest & back day. The first two weeks are modified compound supersets, weeks 3 & 4 are supersets and then weeks 5 & 6 are giant sets. There's a lot more details, but I'll spare you all.
Anyway, to make a long post longer, how do you know when you're overtraining? I have felt great this whole six weeks, up until this week. I'm pooped and sore and my joints are hurting. I haven't lost any weight, but I do notice a change in shape.
I'm thinking of finishing the week and then doing a week of pure cardio and no lifting to let my muscles have a break and then starting the whole six week program over again. Do you all think it's too much? Is my body trying to tell me to cool it, or would it be beneficial to do it again? I would appreciate your thoughts!
Quite possibly if you have been training at a high intensity. I try to avoid training to failure on heavy exercises (Squat, Deadlift, Incline press etc.), although i don't worry about it so much on isolation work and grip training.
Here is what my friend Steve Brose posted about it on the HGRT:
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Overtraining is a big theme in abbreviated circles. I think that it is important to have a good means of monitoring your overtraining because it will tell you when a break will help your progress, as opposed to just guessing if you are overtrained or not.
As I'm sure a lot of us have discovered, it is easy to overtrain when using abbreviated systems by overdoing intensity for too long. I overtrain much easier on a low volume, high intensity type routine than one that uses much more volume and training frequency but less intensity (staying further from failure). This is one reason I think it's important to have markers of overtraining.
Here are the ones I use the most:
1) Bar speed and form. When my bar speed decreases a lot and the moves become awkward all of a sudden, chances are I need a little break.
2) Tap test. Here is how I use it. Sit in front of a table. Now tap the table as fast as you can. Repeat it a few times per week. If suddenly you find yourself not nearly as able to tap the table quickly you might be overtrained.
3) Training enthusiasm. If I suddently hate my training and don't feel like going into the gym I am often overtrained.
I think that these are more useful than monitoring if you're getting sick, trying to analyze your mood, and so forth because they tend to be more objective and less subject to the whims of how other things are going. Also they help to catch overtraining in its early stages and help you to reverse it by either backing off in poundages or taking a short break.
I am aware of other markers of overtraining that people use. Morning temperater and blood pressure I understand are also used; has anyone had any results trying these?
Wow, I'm no expert, but I"m intrigued by your post. I think it's funny that you'd see this now instead of earlier, unless you are increasing the weights you're lifting. But, I am not an expert in this field. I wanted to suggest you try another form of exercise that would get the same result. Have you ever heard of the Firm video series? YOu can get most at the library, esp. older versions of the vhs tapes. They do cardio with handweights and it is very effective. Their motto is results in 10 workouts, which is about 2 weeks. I might give that, or something similar, a try rather than giving your muscles a whole week off and going back to the same old same old.
Looks like I'm taking a lifting break next week! That was very helpful Robert. I have noticed my form is not as good and my speed is down. Also, I'm having to make myself go to the gym some days, instead of looking forward to it. Great post!
hrbabe, Thanks for the suggestion. I have used the Firm workouts and think they're really good. The only bad thing is tht my living room is not a very good workout space, but I may give it a shot.
I took a week off from lifting last week and feel MUCH better for it although I was pretty antsy about doing it.
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how do you know when you're overtraining? I have felt great this whole six weeks, up until this week. I'm pooped and sore and my joints are hurting
I think you nailed the answer to your question unless you are getting sick. I find that when I'm overtraining, I feel tired all the time, have trouble sleeping even though I'm exhausted, my resting heart rate is a bit higher, but the most obvious sign is that it takes me longer to recover from workouts or any little injury. When muscle soreness just never seems to go away and you are always tired, it's time to take a week off!
Overtraining?
