Am I Overtraining?

[2Shy]

I'm exhausted and have felt this way for the past two or three weeks. Getting enough sleep, so that's not it.

I train Westside and love it. Not sick or anything (I know that can be a symptom of overtraining) but tired all the time.

Could the intensity of the Westside method be too much for a relative beginner?

If yes, what training method would you recommend for someone interested in powerlifting.

If no, I guess I'll get over being tired eventually.

 

[Exodus]

I'm exhausted and have felt this way for the past two or three weeks. Getting enough sleep, so that's not it.

I train Westside and love it. Not sick or anything (I know that can be a symptom of overtraining) but tired all the time.

Could the intensity of the Westside method be too much for a relative beginner?

If yes, what training method would you recommend for someone interested in powerlifting.

If no, I guess I'll get over being tired eventually.

maybe...... your overtraining but wsb is not to hard for beginers. if your over training cut back your volume and work on bringing up your g.p.p.

hows your nutrition

X

 

[slobberknocker]

Can you post a sample workout for yourself, 2Shy?

 

[Debaser]

Check out this article I posted:

http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=269045

It might be of use to you..

 

[2Shy]

Really, I don't think I'm doing too much. Hit two big PRs with my deadlift and bench so far. I really like Westside and have used it before. I do 3-week cycles with main moves. I have tried to switch up my usual workout days around. Maybe that's what's doing it.

SAT ~ ME Lower
Rack Pulls to 1RM (main move)
Low Box Squat (2nd Move ~ usually to 3RM but since I'm finding
it difficult getting lower have switched to reps 3x8)
Accessory work:
Stiffies or Pull-throughs for hammies 4x8
Leg Press (Normally wouldn't but right now want the quad
work--I squat wide so don't get a lot that way) 4x8
Back extensions (no reverse machine) 4x10
Abs ~ Usually 2 moves. Body weight now because I am
really weak here.

MON ~ ME Upper
3 Board Press to 1RM (main move)
Incline to 3RM
Accessory work:
Close-grip bench 4x8
Chest supported rows 4x8
Face Pulls 4x8 or 4x10
Rotator cuff rehab

WED ~ DE Lower
Box squat 10x3
GMs 10x3
Pull throughs 4x8 or 4x10
Leg Press 4x8 or 4x10
Back Extensions 4x10
Abs

FRI ~ DE Upper
4 Board Press 10x3
Rack Lockouts 10x3
Close grip bench 4x8
Chest supported rows 4x8 or 4x10
Face Pulls 4x8
Cuff Work

I am trying to lose body fat while maintaining as much muscle as I can. I pretty much stick to 50/25/25 or 40/30/30 with 5 to 6 small meals and shoot for 2000-2700 cals. I might go a little higher on w/o days by adding in either additional oatmeal or sweet potato and with higher GI post workout. Also take a multivitamin, calcium/magnesium and fish oil capsules.

Breakfast:
1/2 cup oatmeal with Splenda and cinnamon
2 whites and 1 whole egg

Mid-morning:
Normally some sort of protein--chicken from night before maybe, although sometimes I save the eggs for here instead of with the oatmeal.

Lunch:
4-6 oz. Chicken breast fried up with olive oil or 4 oz. tuna or leftover beef or turkey if I have it.
Sweet potato (sometimes)
On w/o days I may splurge and have the tuna in a sandwich with low carb bread
broccoli or cauliflower or green beans

Mid-afternoon:
Natty peanut butter & celery

Dinner:
6-8 oz. Beef or chicken ~ some sort of meat.
Broccoli, green beans or cauliflower
Sweet potato (if workout day)
Lettuce salad with scallions, zucchini, etc., with oil & vinegar.

Evening (or post-workout)
Protein shake (50 g Pro. 0 CHO) with 1/2 water and 1/2 1% milk, 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa and Splenda. Sometimes peanut butter. If post-workout I trade out Splenda for sugar since I don't have maltodextrin.

I drink tons of water.

 

[coolcolj]

your overreaching - CNS going kaput.

 

[2Shy]

So, what would be your suggestion? I do two moves that are "main" because I had read on the WSB training methods thread that's what some people do. So, for a beginner, drop one of those?

 

[slobberknocker]

2Shy, are you sticking with each main move for 3 weeks and then switching? I would start switching main moves every single week. I think that might help lessen the beating on your CNS a bit.

By the way, I think you're doing an awesome job so far. As long as you're still getting PR's, that's the bottom line. It looks like you really have it together as far as diet and training. Keep up the great work!

 

[Exodus]

2 shy here's some advice. switch up to 2 weeks per main move, then rotate......... if you have used wsb before, no reason to keep with the same ME movements for more than 2 weeks.

on me lower - i would keep 2nd movment to a 3 rep max. no reason to do sets and reps just becuase of not getting lower. set the box low, and hit a 3 rep max. but i would switch it up every 2 weeks when you switch your 1 rep max move to something different. also instead of doing stiff legs..... do rack pulls. well your already doing them as your me main move. the do gm's instead. and on weeks where gm's is one of your main move's do rack pulls.

me upper - keep changing your 1 and 3 rep max moves every 2 weeks as well. and ditch the close grip bench. do either rack lockouts or board presses. for example. your 1 rep max move is board presses. so you do rack lockouts here. if the next time your doing rack lockouts, then you do board presses here. just like above with the rack pulls and gm's.

de lower - looks great. but whatever accessory work you did on me lower day for your hams ( either rack pulls or gm's like i told you) then do the other one this day.

me lower - do your speed sets without the board, if you dont want to do them full rom bench, then do speed floor presses. also on your rack lockouts. just like i said for de lowerbody. what every accesory exericse you use on me upper day (rack lockouts or board presses) then do the other one here on this day.

the only other thing i do is this, move your abs on leg days up to your 2nd accesory work exercise. after you do rack pulls, or gm's. that way your abs will help stretch out your back, and give it a break, and teach you how to use your abs when doing the rest of the exercises that work your back.

X

 

[2Shy]

I have been switching every 3 weeks because I read (I think at elitefts) that beginners should do that. Lightbulb just illuminated as I typed this. I might be getting tired because I've stuck with the main moves too long. That's the reason people who train WS regularly switch up more frequently.

I'll start switching every 2 weeks. Even more fun. I really enjoy the variety of moves you can do with WS.

I guess I've been doing abs last out of habit, but I see what Exodus means by getting a stretch from them after hitting the back.

Exodus, why lose the CG bench? It really seems to hit my tris, which is what I want. Those or JMs. I sometimes do those in lieu of the close grip. What would be your suggestion? (Keep in mind that the last time I attempted a new triceps move I clocked myself on the side of the head with two dumbbells and sported twin bruises for 3 weeks. ) IOW, I am a klutz.

I'll go back to 3 reps on the box squats. I don't remember being this tight before, but lately I've felt really tight in my hip joints and thought lower weight/more reps would let me concentrate on form as well as stretch out the hips some.

 

[coolcolj]

I personally don't think switching moves will do much to allow system CNS recover, anything heavy is going to be taxing. All the body knows heavy is heavy. Its the exertion not the exercise.

 

[Debaser]

I personally don't think switching moves will do much to allow system CNS recover, anything heavy is going to be taxing. All the body knows heavy is heavy. Its the exertion not the exercise.

Beat me to it.

 

[Exodus]

well........ coolcolj and debaser dont follow wsb so take that with a grain of salt. they have great info, but your someone who trains wsb style, not an oly lifter like coolcolj or debaser who follows dogcraps bodybuilder routine.

im just saying if you want info about wsb, take it from people who have or do train wsb, not from people who dont or never have.

but the reason why to ditch the close grips and jms is a good one. belive me, i love both of those movement a lot. and it was hard for me to let them go.

but think like this........ the last 6 inch's of a bench lockout is just that a Tricep lockout........ so for triceps which is the last 6 inch's, train those last 6 inches.

i stole this from Mule from Metal Militia. mule told me, if you want strong triceps train triceps with the lockout and nothing else. it makes sense because your training in the plain you bench, and you can use more weight that way. but on weeks where my ME movements are rack lockouts i use 3 board presses instead, and what every i use for triceps, (either rack lockouts or 3 board presses) i use the other one on DE day, so that way i get to use them both each week.

think like this. say i did elbow out ext (one of my fav triceps exercise) for 6 x 8. i can do that with 40's..... so thats a total amount of 3840 lbs of pressure put on my triceps... if i do 4 inch rack lockouts....i can use 405 x 6 x 8. thats a total amount of 19440 lbs of pressure put on my triceps....

i have switched to these for the last 8 weeks...... and trust me you will love the results, they may wear you down a little at first, but even metal militia says that. then you get used to it and start reaping the rewards.

X

 

[2Shy]

Ah, okay. I see what you mean about rack lockouts. I'll give them a try. I may not see as much benefit as you do since I don't press anywhere near your numbers (i.e., might not get as much advantage from piling on more pounds). Only trying will show me.

I was doing rolling triceps extensions when I beaned my temples. I liked them until then!

As I understand it, the reason why WSB allows people to consistently work at 90% max is that they do change up their main moves so frequently. Louis Simmons has been doing this for years, so I gotta go with him.

Then again, I might just be tired because I am old and decrepit.