Define OVER TRAINING

[nouse4one]

Researchers say that a muscle begins to atrophy three days after it was
last worked. Yet majority of people firmly believe 72 hours is the least amount of time you should award to recovery.

I would like to shed some light on this subject as it seems to be incongruent across the boards.

With respect to variable like genetics, age, sleeping & eating habits, weight room experience, and supplement influences. There has to be some general rule here to getting optimal results . I have seen people have great results using programs like the ones used by U.S. Navy Seals and Bulgarian training (Leo Costa) which disregard the common belief that you should wait at least 3 days before training that muscle group

 

[Developer]

Ok, recently i been training 5 times a week, and have gained strength size, and tone. I have insomnia, so sleep is fucked up for me, usually get like 2 hours a night, yet when i wake up, i feel tired, but after 20 mins i feel fully energised ready to hit the gym. i have saturdays and sundays off, no aches, no pains, only gains. So i have no idea, read alot of contradicting theorys, i guess its just down to what works for you

I dont think ive ever over trained, but i think overtraining for me would be not being able to perform at my regular standard and mabye being in pain/ or having aching

 

[future]

Over-training is very individual. There are lots of variables that impact recovery. Frequency is only one factor.

 

[Developer]

If going to the poll, i wait 72 hours before i hit the same body part again, apart from legs, where i hit them monday then tuesday, weds off then thurs and friday again, just lighter on the 2nd day

 

[nouse4one]

Over training seems to me like big foot, feared but rarely seen.

 

[JDid23]

Over-training is very individual. There are lots of variables that impact recovery. Frequency is only one factor.

yeah.. and this is also an educated guess, but in developers case, you never get any sleep with insomnia so you not getting any sleep and someone who usually gets 6-8 hours of sleep are very different.. Your body is used to it and the other guys body isn't used to it

 

[future]

Over training seems to me like big foot, feared but rarely seen.

Well its gonna be felt but should be seen in your numbers for your training journal that you keep. If you stagnate then thats a clear indication. Also just being constantly achey is a big indicator as well.

 

[C.K.]

It depends weather your lifting for size or endurance...

 

[glennpendlay]

The title of this thread is "Define Over Training". This has little to do with training frequency. I had talked a lot about this before, back years ago when the old Meso board was popular. The important thing is how much training you do in a given time frame, like a week, a month, etc... at least when it comes to overtraining. If a 2-4 week taper will not cause you to supercompensate and be bigger and stronger, then, you have trained too hard. And thats the bottom line.

glenn

 

[future]

Actually you are wrong. Training frequency is certainly part of the equation for someone to train. Duration is also a factor.

 

[joe d]

it cant be done simple as that. just your examples would alone show that everyone will be different. signs of overtrtaining are lack of motivation, lack of energy, shakeyness, loss of stregnth/size, frequent and lasting aches ect. they are also signs of other things like poor diet and lack of sleap lol. only time will tell

 

[future]

Very true bro! It has lots of variables. Hell just this economy can lead to overtraining with the stress levels.

 

[glennpendlay]

Actually you are wrong. Training frequency is certainly part of the equation for someone to train. Duration is also a factor.

There is actually a fair amount of peer reviewed and published info that shows that given the same total work volume, whether you accomplish it in one or two days per week, or 3 or 4 days pwer week, is not all that important to whether you "overtrain" or not. So training frequency is not the most important variable, but total work volume is.

Let me try to explain a different way... lets say you do 10 sets of squats per week. you 3 sets per day, 3 days per week (throw in a 4th on friday to make it equal 10, lol) or 5 sets per day, 2 days per week, or, train once per week, and do all 10 sets in one day. None of these differences should lead to any big increase in the likelehood of overtraining.

However, if you switched to say 20 total sets per week, that would have an increase.

And, as per the actual, accepted definition of overtraining, if you can taper and supercompensate, by definition, its not overtraining!

glenn

 

[future]

Total volume is certainly a factor but still I wont discount frequency either. Its still a strong factor.

Thanks for clarifying but I am still gonna disagree.