General Overtraining Question

[Winter]

Why is overtraining on a constant basis bad? I know that you will not grow as much and whatnot, but why is this so? I have cut down drastically on my reps/sets and yes, I have seen a big difference in my strength/size, but what I don't understand is how less volume will actually help you grow more compared to beating the shit out of your body parts. Logically, you would think the more you do, the more you will get out of it, but workingout is different.

Anyone have a logical & scientific reason behind all this?

 

[ManOfMuscle]

There is a point of diminishing returns on anything you do, especially physiologically.

 

[jackcity10]

I think it has something to do with the words catabolic and anabolic, as in the state of your body.

 

[Winter]

Please explain, I'm not getting what you're trying to say.

 

[Vennom96]

I know I feel the same way. It should be the harder you bust your ass then the better your gains will be. In almost anything in life, lets say football, you have 2 people competing for the same position, well whoever busts their ass more is gonna get the spot. Or in school, whoever works harder is usually gonna be better at what it is. Most things in life you get out of it what you put into it. It's almost like saying in the weightlifting world who doesn't work the hardest is gonna win. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Winter]

Makes sense, but it doesn't answer my question.

Why is it that when you overtrain for weeks on end, your body won't grow as much as if you were to cut down the volume?

 

[AngryMuscles]

hmmmm...maybe because beating a piece of meat over and over again will prolly kill it???
kill in the sense of not growing

 

[Slayer]

Your muscles do not grow while you are lifting weights. They grow as part of the recovery, or healing process. If you are overtraining you are not giving your muscles the rest and time they need to heal and grow. Also if you work out all the time your body burns calories to do the work, that could otherwise be used to build muscle.

I am not expert, but that is how I understand it.

 

[Winter]

Your muscles do not grow while you are lifting weights. They grow as part of the recovery, or healing process. If you are overtraining you are not giving your muscles the rest and time they need to heal and grow. Also if you work out all the time your body burns calories to do the work, that could otherwise be used to build muscle.

I am not expert, but that is how I understand it.

Ah okay, seems logical enough. Thanks.

 

[MANOWAR]

Good thread, I've always been confused about the same thing

 

[Keith303]

I worked out the same muscles everyday for 1.5 months 6-7 days aweek and gained 20 lbs. But I am thinking I will change it up more now.

 

[PARKER27]

As your body achieves an anabolic state through strenuous activity(lifting weights)it will only stay anabolic for about 1 hour in most healthy males,while using the nutrients for energy is how the body keeps going while its anabolic.After the body has diminished the nutrients while being in a anabolic state it then has no option than to go catabolic...this is the worst thing you could let happend if you're trying to gain lean muscle mass.When the body goes catabolic it then relies on its only source of energy (muscle) it would be great if it relied on fat however it doesn't work that way.So in a nutshell when you're busting your ass for an hour while throwing around some poundage and you feel so strong you don't want to stop....so you hit it for another hour,you've just wasted 2 hours of your time because while the body was anabolic for the first hour is when you achieved hyperplasia(an abnormal increase in muscle tissue)allowing the nutrients that were stored to be used to feed the muscle,then when your body goes catabolic it literally eats the muscle because the body has no other source for energy.Hints the fact why its crucial to eat so frequently! The muscle is torn-fed whats stored-heals-then grows.

 

[Winter]

As your body achieves an anabolic state through strenuous activity(lifting weights)it will only stay anabolic for about 1 hour in most healthy males,while using the nutrients for energy is how the body keeps going while its anabolic.After the body has diminished the nutrients while being in a anabolic state it then has no option than to go catabolic...this is the worst thing you could let happend if you're trying to gain lean muscle mass.When the body goes catabolic it then relies on its only source of energy (muscle) it would be great if it relied on fat however it doesn't work that way.So in a nutshell when you're busting your ass for an hour while throwing around some poundage and you feel so strong you don't want to stop....so you hit it for another hour,you've just wasted 2 hours of your time because while the body was anabolic for the first hour is when you achieved hyperplasia(an abnormal increase in muscle tissue)allowing the nutrients that were stored to be used to feed the muscle,then when your body goes catabolic it literally eats the muscle because the body has no other source for energy.Hints the fact why its crucial to eat so frequently! The muscle is torn-fed whats stored-heals-then grows.

Great read bro. Makes tons of sense now. Thanks

 

[PARKER27]

Great read bro. Makes tons of sense now. Thanks

No problem,I always thought the harder and longer I worked out the bigger&stronger I would get...that was common sense in my eyes however It's so far from the truth.Now when you talk to the guy at the gym who's always studenting everybody(every gym has that guy)and he's telling you he just hit it for 3 hours and you should try his split....tell him he's a ing moron. REST & FOOD MAKES YOU BIGGER & STRONGER NOT PUMP AND SWEAT. I go by a simple rule of thumb -- pump in - pump up - pump out! and I'm just a little guy!!

 

[Vennom96]

As your body achieves an anabolic state through strenuous activity(lifting weights)it will only stay anabolic for about 1 hour in most healthy males,while using the nutrients for energy is how the body keeps going while its anabolic.After the body has diminished the nutrients while being in a anabolic state it then has no option than to go catabolic...this is the worst thing you could let happend if you're trying to gain lean muscle mass.When the body goes catabolic it then relies on its only source of energy (muscle) it would be great if it relied on fat however it doesn't work that way.So in a nutshell when you're busting your ass for an hour while throwing around some poundage and you feel so strong you don't want to stop....so you hit it for another hour,you've just wasted 2 hours of your time because while the body was anabolic for the first hour is when you achieved hyperplasia(an abnormal increase in muscle tissue)allowing the nutrients that were stored to be used to feed the muscle,then when your body goes catabolic it literally eats the muscle because the body has no other source for energy.Hints the fact why its crucial to eat so frequently! The muscle is torn-fed whats stored-heals-then grows.

Good post and good info but when I played football in HS and college back in the day, the coaches would always have us lifting in the off-season in 2 hour sessions. I hated it b/c I wanted to lift on my own, only I know my body after I've been w/ it ten, 15, 20+ years, not some guy who has a whistle. And they always had us do full body MWF. But the guys got bigger and stronger even while doing those 2 hour long lifting sessions.

 

[MANOWAR]

Hah I know what you meen Venom. Highschool weight rooms are filled with noobs doing too much weight, with bad form, not making any gains but bragging about how successfull they are, but mostly coaches overtraining their kids

 

[PARKER27]

But the guys got bigger and stronger even after those 2 hour training sessions. Of course they got bigger....that's all they knew...nobody told them how to properly train,example...eat a lot of weightgainer and ofcourse you'll grow however you'll lack in many areas,eat whole foods and you'll not only grow you'll also excel far beyond then if you got your source of protein and cals from weight gainer.My point is ...it comes down to what you know,coaches go off of simple standard which is lift heavy regardless of form and lift a long time to achieve maximum growth,did you ever get a meal plan that was worth a shit in highschool...absolutly not.Consider this...think if you had a HS football team that's weight training program was lead by one of the mods here w/20 years expierence that kept them on a diet&training regimn,you'd have a whole team of all-americans...thats a fact jack!

 

[Lifting_To_Failure1]

i agree parker...typical HS coaches are pretty unaware, but I'm sure their are some good ones out there.

Signs of overtraining Anyone?

 

[bouncer88]

Winterlong, the above posts are right. Growth happens during rest. I'll give an extreme but personal example.

In 1993 I was drastically overweight and was 34 yrs old. I worked constantly, never took time off and ate for energy. At 6', I weighed 385. I joined the gym, and 6 days a week I did 45 min of weights with a split routine-hitting each bodypart twice a week, followed by an hour of varied aerobic work. I did the low fat thing back then as well.

After 12 months I weighed 250, and my 48" gut had went down to 38" I then decided to up the protien, up the rest, and lower the carbs just a bit to see if I could put on some muscle and strength-two things that are hard to do, when losing weight rapidly and training like I did.

In the next 6 months, training 3-4 times per week and dropping the aerobics to 20 minute sessions, I made the best gains of my life. Upper Arms went to 19.5, chest went to 59" waist was 34" thighs were 30", and calves went to 20". Gains continued, but that 1st 6 month period was a quantum leap. Hell, I was doing seated barbell behind the neck for a top pyramid set of 3 reps with 315. I was also lifetime natural.

This is an example of what a formerly overtrained body can do once it's had a chance to recouperate.

If your goal is to work out alot-go ahead. If your goal is to make the best gains you can in the shortest amount of time, back off to a more balanced approach.

 

[MANOWAR]

Is 50 minutes on the elliptical 5 times a week overtraining? It brought down my bodyfat pretty drastically, but I think I should cut down the time.