"scared" of overtraining

[ZestyT]

So ive been lifting for around 2 years now and i was lifting with a competing bodybuilder for awhile during his cut

ive been doing a 5 day split
monday-legs
tues-chest
weds-back
thurs-shoulders
friday-arms
saturday-abs

around 20 sets a little more, a little less each day...does anyone think this is too much?

my workouts last around 45-60 min

ive been loving how things have been going but tons of people on other forums (specifically bodybuilding.com) are saying im over training...decided i would come over here to the pros and see what yall have to say about this

[mr intensity]

see bro, i am not a pro....but all i can say is the time when you see you are not progressing despite of putting your best efforts.... its probably because you are overtraining...... thats the reason these training system.....dc training, slingshot training have their own periodiztion protocols..... mainly to prevent overtraining...... but nothing is set in stone.... you need to know your body..... learn your rthyms

for me its after 8 weeks of intense training i usually need a week to get my sanity back..... and its after 8 weeks my gains seems to slow down....

so if you are overtraining the first sign is 1 . you are not able to perform well in the gym
2. lack motivation

[TheTransformator]

Maybe you are undereating...? That is if you're bulking...as this guys is cutting...what is your goal...oevrtraining you feel by being depressed...legthartic....being ill etc etc!

[Team Franco]

Very hard to overtrain.
And if you are doing one bodypart per week, I then I would really not worry about it.

Good advice from above.
I would just add, that sleep, eating and proper training are all keys. But if you feel burnt out from the current routine, change it up.

[NATURAL-1987]

Post above me said it right.
If you do feel burnt out I would drop every bodypart to 3 exercises, and put bi's with chest and tris with shoulders. Take wednesday off completely. This is actually my exact current routine. tues and thursday is a bit longer adding something in, however from not training wednesday and sunday, only abs saturday, I feel rested enough to get through those days. Hope this helps.

[bodyhard]

So ive been lifting for around 2 years now and i was lifting with a competing bodybuilder for awhile during his cut

ive been doing a 5 day split
monday-legs
tues-chest
weds-back
thurs-shoulders
friday-arms
saturday-abs

around 20 sets a little more, a little less each day...does anyone think this is too much?

my workouts last around 45-60 min

ive been loving how things have been going but tons of people on other forums (specifically bodybuilding.com) are saying im over training...decided i would come over here to the pros and see what yall have to say about this

If things are going well, i.e progression in strength/size, why would you think you are over training?

The only time you are over training is when you start to feel:

1) Lethargic/Tired

2) Lost of interest in training/Focus

3) Getting sick

4) Workouts getting harder instead of progressing.

[ZestyT]

see bro, i am not a pro....but all i can say is the time when you see you are not progressing despite of putting your best efforts.... its probably because you are overtraining...... thats the reason these training system.....dc training, slingshot training have their own periodiztion protocols..... mainly to prevent overtraining...... but nothing is set in stone.... you need to know your body..... learn your rthyms

for me its after 8 weeks of intense training i usually need a week to get my sanity back..... and its after 8 weeks my gains seems to slow down....

so if you are overtraining the first sign is 1 . you are not able to perform well in the gym
2. lack motivation

yeah i have never really done that week off break...seems like a long time to me...im just obsessed with lifting anyway..i should give that try in a bit though


Maybe you are undereating...? That is if you're bulking...as this guys is cutting...what is your goal...oevrtraining you feel by being depressed...legthartic....being ill etc etc!

i might be, i was on a very long cut during summer and my stomach size and appetite is that of a girl so im trying to bring it back up


Very hard to overtrain.
And if you are doing one bodypart per week, I then I would really not worry about it.

Good advice from above.
I would just add, that sleep, eating and proper training are all keys. But if you feel burnt out from the current routine, change it up.

yeah, today is weds..my back day..and i feel so sore from yesterday...maybe i could keep my routine..but have an offday on weds..i dont know...im supposed to be in the gym in like 20, but i dont know if i feel up to it.


If things are going well, i.e progression in strength/size, why would you think you are over training?

The only time you are over training is when you start to feel:

1) Lethargic/Tired

2) Lost of interest in training/Focus

3) Getting sick

4) Workouts getting harder instead of progressing.

this is only my 2nd week...i kind of want to go into today and see how i feel...especially after i take my pre-workout NOshotgun...might be feelin' pumped...and if i not ill know its cause ive been putting too much strain on myself

[ZestyT]

thanks for all of the replies too btw, i really appreciate it. A lot more educated and experienced lifters on here then on bodybuilding.com

[TheTransformator]

You said it yourself...start eating...best of luck!

[bodyhard]

Only 2 weeks? Way WAY too early to determine anything.

After some months under your belt with this routine, listen to your body, trust me it will tell you.

[ZestyT]

Only 2 weeks? Way WAY too early to determine anything.

After some months under your belt with this routine, listen to your body, trust me it will tell you.

it seems over training is a little overestimated..i had a great back workout today...deadlifts, latpulls, seated cable rows, t-bar rows, and one-armed dumbell rows...did a little light ab workout too


appreciate all the help guys

[GDavis]

There is no such thing as overtraining, only under recovering. Increase sleep & Food. After that then reduce training. Often times I think once we hit a "plateau" we automatically assume overtraining. Most often it is a nutrient issue.

[rockhard]

There is no such thing as overtraining, only under recovering. Increase sleep & Food. After that then reduce training. Often times I think once we hit a "plateau" we automatically assume overtraining. Most often it is a nutrient issue.
I agree completely. It is VERY difficult to overtrain, it is most likely a case of undereating and not enough quality rest. Take an elite athlete like Michael Phelps, he spends up to 6 hours per day training: swimming, weightroom, and dryland. He does this day after day for months at a time preparing for a major event. I never here of him, or other elites, suffering from overtraining. He takes in massive quantities of food and makes sure his recovery needs are met.

[devo09]

I WANT to overtrain, not because it's necessarily beneficial. But because I want to know HOW MUCH I can handle, if you never vear into the "overtraining" zone you'll spend your entire life undertraining.

[Northman]

So ive been lifting for around 2 years now and i was lifting with a competing bodybuilder for awhile during his cut

ive been doing a 5 day split
monday-legs
tues-chest
weds-back
thurs-shoulders
friday-arms
saturday-abs

around 20 sets a little more, a little less each day...does anyone think this is too much?

my workouts last around 45-60 min

ive been loving how things have been going but tons of people on other forums (specifically bodybuilding.com) are saying im over training...decided i would come over here to the pros and see what yall have to say about this


Tell them morons over at bb.com that it's not what your split looks like, it's what you do inside your split that determines if you are over training.

[sassy69]

I WANT to overtrain, not because it's necessarily beneficial. But because I want to know HOW MUCH I can handle, if you never vear into the "overtraining" zone you'll spend your entire life undertraining.

There's a part of all of us that wants to go balls to the wall until we drop. The thing is that burn out isn't really as dramatic as all of a sudden you can't lift anymore - its more a state of diminishing returns and CNS overload.

This is where the second best thing you can learn about training, after "tight form", is that "training" consists of more than just how hard can you lift. If you want to continue (i.e. the "lifestyle") you need to lift, eat, sleep and pace yourself w/ the same intensity that you want to lift. If you're younger you can maybe get away w/ the simple brute force lifting, but if you don't learn about & apply the other aspects of the "lifestyle", you will eventually hit burn out, maybe hurt yourself.

In my own experience, "overtraining" was finally recognized when the rest of my life started having problems - depression, exhaustion, can't sleep, etc. The lifting suffered as well, but I didn't actually recognize it as "time to take a break" and instead of trying, almost in desperation, to lift harder.

[ZestyT]

Thanks for your guys answers

the knowledge and experience on this forum is at least 10 times better than bb.com...none the less they got great deals

[AVBG]

Unless you're going all out balls to the wall with each of the 20 sets, then I would hasten to say that you are probably undertraining.

[Ryan Wacht]

If things are going well, i.e progression in strength/size, why would you think you are over training?

The only time you are over training is when you start to feel:

1) Lethargic/Tired

2) Lost of interest in training/Focus

3) Getting sick

4) Workouts getting harder instead of progressing.



I'd add decreased sex drive to that list as well, especially if you're training as a nattie.

[juiceinator3000]

I grow more with less sets and reps and heavier weights. call me fucking nuts but i can lift heavier (thus increasing strength more frequently. more strength generally produces an increase in muscle) knowing my workouts aren't going to be 20 sets with high reps. plus i find it a lot less taxing to my joints and particularly my rotator cuff. since overtraining taxes your cns and heavy squats and deads tax your cns as well, it seems to me that more people overtrain than they think. like someone else said, that's why particular programs are periodized, to avoid overtraining symptoms. however, some people tend to experience symptoms more easily than others. like every single aspect of BB, it's all personal, and all a matter of opinion. there's no cut and dry answer as to what works and what doesn't for everyone.