Blondie_Bombshell
New member
As bodybuilders train hard for more strength and size, they increase their chances of overtraining and putting their progress at risk. As you train, you must be vigilant of your body and how it feels and reacts. Look for lack of desire to workout, lack of energy, loss of strength, decreased appetite, loss of muscle size, increased colds or flu, and poor sleep quality. Any one of these should alert you to the possibility that you're in an overtrained state.
The goal is not to get in an overtrained state. If you become overtrained, then injury, illness, or lack of motivation will cause you to stop training. This interruption, though usually temporary, will slow your muscle building progress. You don't want this to happen. So, how do you prevent yourself from becoming overtrained? Well, there are seven things you can do to prevent overtraining:
1. Schedule Periodic Layoffs - Take a complete "vacation" from the gym every 6-8 weeks for one week to rest, recuperate, and recharge. Take the "time off" to design a new routine and refocus your motivation and energy. Do this even if you think you don't need it. If you don't...you will later.
2. Keep Workouts Short - Design your weight training program for 45 minutes in length and no longer than 60 minutes. The hormones levels within your body begin to decrease and your energy stores become depleted after 45 minutes. The same rule applies to cardio training - limit to 45 minutes.
3. Schedule Heavy and Light Workouts - You cannot continue to pound your body with heavy weights every workout and expect to make gains. You'll plateau and burnout very quickly if you push the heavy weights to failure every workout. Schedule a "light" workout every two or three workouts. In the "light" workout, keep your exercises, sets, and repetitions the same but reduce all your work set weights by 10-15%.
4. Get 7-8 Hours of Sleep Regularly - Establish a regular sleep schedule every night and make sure you get 7-8 hours of quality sleep in a cool, quiet and dark room.
5. Eat Properly - Some bodybuilding experts subscribe to the belief that "overtraining is a result of undereating". While there's no scientific proof of this, it certainly makes sense to ensure that you're eating 5-6 meals per day with lean proteins, complex carbs, high fiber, and healthy fats for each meal or snack. Nutritious food will help the body recover and rebuild.
6. Learn to Relax - The daily stresses of work, family and finances can cause your body to "stress out", which compromises your rest and recovery. If you're not resting and recovering adequately, then you'll certainly promote the onset of an "overtraining" state.
7. Be Ever Vigilant of Your Body - This is why it's important to keep a workout journal or log to record your exercises, sets, reps and loads for each workout. Keeping a food diary will also help you evaluate if you're eating properly. You'll be able to see a pattern in your progress (or lack of progress) over time. Then you will be able to quantify these changes to determine when you're approaching or are in an overtraining state and make the appropriate adjustments.
Don't let overtraining derail your progress. Follow the above seven suggestions to help prevent overtraining.
fitnessparadiseworld
The goal is not to get in an overtrained state. If you become overtrained, then injury, illness, or lack of motivation will cause you to stop training. This interruption, though usually temporary, will slow your muscle building progress. You don't want this to happen. So, how do you prevent yourself from becoming overtrained? Well, there are seven things you can do to prevent overtraining:
1. Schedule Periodic Layoffs - Take a complete "vacation" from the gym every 6-8 weeks for one week to rest, recuperate, and recharge. Take the "time off" to design a new routine and refocus your motivation and energy. Do this even if you think you don't need it. If you don't...you will later.
2. Keep Workouts Short - Design your weight training program for 45 minutes in length and no longer than 60 minutes. The hormones levels within your body begin to decrease and your energy stores become depleted after 45 minutes. The same rule applies to cardio training - limit to 45 minutes.
3. Schedule Heavy and Light Workouts - You cannot continue to pound your body with heavy weights every workout and expect to make gains. You'll plateau and burnout very quickly if you push the heavy weights to failure every workout. Schedule a "light" workout every two or three workouts. In the "light" workout, keep your exercises, sets, and repetitions the same but reduce all your work set weights by 10-15%.
4. Get 7-8 Hours of Sleep Regularly - Establish a regular sleep schedule every night and make sure you get 7-8 hours of quality sleep in a cool, quiet and dark room.
5. Eat Properly - Some bodybuilding experts subscribe to the belief that "overtraining is a result of undereating". While there's no scientific proof of this, it certainly makes sense to ensure that you're eating 5-6 meals per day with lean proteins, complex carbs, high fiber, and healthy fats for each meal or snack. Nutritious food will help the body recover and rebuild.
6. Learn to Relax - The daily stresses of work, family and finances can cause your body to "stress out", which compromises your rest and recovery. If you're not resting and recovering adequately, then you'll certainly promote the onset of an "overtraining" state.
7. Be Ever Vigilant of Your Body - This is why it's important to keep a workout journal or log to record your exercises, sets, reps and loads for each workout. Keeping a food diary will also help you evaluate if you're eating properly. You'll be able to see a pattern in your progress (or lack of progress) over time. Then you will be able to quantify these changes to determine when you're approaching or are in an overtraining state and make the appropriate adjustments.
Don't let overtraining derail your progress. Follow the above seven suggestions to help prevent overtraining.
fitnessparadiseworld
