Over training???

[SFCSNOW]

Guys and girls, I have been lifting on and off for about 15 years. Back in the day, you didn't hear and read moch about over training BS. You just went to the gym and worked until you almost passed out, puked, or you had to leave to pick up the friend girl for the night. You didn't write down every rep/set and log it into your dbase. You didn't map out your next three weeks worth of workouts in advance. YOU JUST WORKED OUT! I have a power rack, good bench, d'bells, and #500s of weights on the way for the house.

I am 33 y/o, 5'11" 245 @ 16%bf. I'd like to get down sub 10%. Would I be too terribly wrong in hitting it two on one off and working out "till I get tired". I leave the gym now some days feeling like I left only because the clock said it was time to leave. Not because I had enough. I am not in it for any reason except to look and feel good. Come on guys, what do you say?

OVERTRAINING... is it only a word for the weak at heart or something I should be concerned with?

 

[Singleton]

Overtraining is mosty systemic -- not on the muscle.

You overtrain your CNS with too much weightlifting. The easiest way to overtrain is high volume (lots of sets/reps), high intensity (maximal weight).

Basicall, you have volume, intensity, and frequency [, and maybe rest between sets].

I do vary these factors in my training, but what works best for me (if I had to pick one set way to train) is moderately high intensity, high frequency, low volume.

Build up some conditioning. Sleep well, drink water, take naps. It will be hard to overtrain.

 

[Madcow2]

Yeah, so Singleton is correct. A good program is a balance of frequency, volume, and intensity (% 1RM). This program is dialed into the goal and conditioning level of a given lifter. Granted, there is a neurotic paranoia about overtraining as if after the Xth set of curls some monster is going to leap out and attack you but it's something you want to be aware of. Probably the best thing to do is to understand how the resultant factors from training, fitness and fatige, accrue and disipate at different rates. The is kind of the foundation of periodization and is known as dual factor or fitness fatigue theory: http://www.higher-faster-sports.com/PlannedOvertraining.html

Anyway, as long as the right balance is struck any given frequency can work. Just don't expect to be squatting or pulling high volume for > 90% on a consistent basis. A lifter can be conditioned to very high volumes. Some people look at Arnold's old workouts and say he was overtraining or genetically unique - in reality it's a simple matter of his being conditioned to handle high volume (his consistent growth and results prove there was no incredibly adverse effect even though he was obviously drugged to a large degree).