Avoid Overtraining and Unlock Pounds of New Mass

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By: Callum Mahoney

Avoiding overtraining is one of the hardest things for an over-enthusiastic lifter to do. Most probably start off 6 days a week but eventually cut it back to 3 or 4. Then they probably start off with 20 sets per body part and cut that back to 6-12. But they still overtrain. How? Well I would say 80-90% of you reading this overtrain. Yes even you mob who do a limited number of sets 2-3 days a week and those who hit each body part so rarely you verge on undertraining.

Overtraining is more than reps, sets and sessions. Avoiding overtraining also involves taking weeks off all together, and on a regular basis. A lot of trainees would train for months at a time. They probably would have cycles of 8-12 weeks but not take a week off between them. No wonder so many people complain they cannot get big.

Arthur Jones, of Ironman and HIT fame, claimed he could put 1/2 an inch on any athletes arm in one session. The first step however was to have a week off completely. Apparently Jones made good on his claim more often than not with most lifters arms being bigger in the days after the session. Whether this is a load of mumbo jumbo or not it underlies the importance of time off.

When to have time off
As a natural lifter you should never train for more than 12 weeks straight, 8-10 even better. So every 8-12 weeks you really need to take a week off or just give up on your quest for size. Also if your are a believer in training to failure you probably should have a week every 4-6 weeks where you do not take the week off but where you stop all sets 2 reps short of failure.

So a 12 week cycle of a trainer who trains hard may look like this:

Week 1: To Failure
Week 2: To Failure
Week 3: To Failure
Week 4: To Failure
Week 5: To Failure or Two reps short of failure
Week 6: To Failure
Week 7: To Failure
Week 8: Off Completely
Week 9: To Failure
Week 10: To Failure
Week 11: To Failure
Week 12: To Failure

I have always been I big advocator of the week off. However recently I fell into the trap of not taking one. I was punishing my body like never before (up to 10 sessions a week, weights and cardio) and was wasted. I got sick, had no energy and was drastically overtrained. I took the week off, got over my illness and rediscovered my desire to train. My new split involves no more than 6 sessions a week both gym and cardio (4:1-2). After the week off I have improved dramatically both in strength and size.

Remember systematic weeks off ensure you do your best to avoid overtraining by any definition.


Overtraining is the trainee's number one "enemy" next to training injuries. Overtraining results from an imbalance between the amount of stress applied to your body, and your ability to adapt to it. Overtraining results in losses in size and strength and actually also increases the probability of illness.
Here is a list of some of the symptoms of overtraining:

Decreased muscle size and strength.
Longer-than-average recovery time after a workout.
Elevated waking pulse rate.
Elevated morning blood pressure.
Increased joint and muscle aches.
Headaches
Hand Tremors
Tiredness
Listlessness
Insomnia
Loss or decrease in appetite.
Injury
Illness


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So what biochemical mechanism leads to this over trained state? After the onset of high-intensity training exercise the body pumps out cortisol which breaks down protein into their constituent amino acids and routes them to the liver for conversion to glucose.

The longer the workout, the more cortisol is pumped in and the more protein is destroyed.

This causes a "catabolic state" as the largest supply of protein lies in the muscles so that is where the cortisol goes first.

Research by Costill and Nieman et al., has shown that one hour of intense strength training will increase the protein stores in our immune and skeletal systems, but that any further training will only begin to deplete these stores.

Overtraining can force the body into a weakened physical state, which, at best can produce a cold or the flu and, at worst, can tear muscles ligaments, and tendons once these body parts lose their structural integrity protein loss.

The culprit is a built-in "survival" drug hormone called cortisol. Immediately following a high intensity effort, the body pumps out this hormone whose function is simple: It carries off the proteins to the liver, where they are converted into glucose, for energy use in the body.

Why does this weaken our defense mechanisms? Because all our immune systems are based on proteins, and the influx of control in our biological mix steals the proteins that make up our immune system.

Nieman, a researcher at Loma Linda University found that athletes who train twice as intensely as normally prescribed will wind up with twice as many colds, and viruses.

Nieman investigated the athletes for cortisol. He found that astonishingly, after only ONE grueling strength training session, their bodies revealed a 60% increase in cortisol production.

Among the first proteins to go were the T-cells that make up our front line of defense against viruses. This watchdog system was depleted by more than 30 percent. However, this shortfall lasted only 6-8 hrs.

So you're probably thinking "What's the big deal? Is putting your body at risk for only 6-8 hours such a high price to pay?"

Well, Nieman and other researchers found that after a few days of such exercising, the "at risk" time became longer and longer, until the T-cells stopped rejuvenation.

In addition, the body's first line of defense against bacteria and viruses an antibody known as IgA, which is found in the saliva, was reduced to nearly non-protective levels.

The conclusion of the researchers was that athletes can over train themselves into illness.

Thus the logical conclusion would be that high intensity strength training should be limited to one hour or less to restrict the amount of protein destruction.



Other ways to reduce the risk of overtraining: Emphasize carbohydrates: make them 60-70% of your total diet. Take carbohydrates two hours prior to exercising and immediately following exercise. Research has shown that your fatigued muscles seem most responsive to energy storage within the first 30 minutes following your workout. There is a lesser response for the next 10 hours. Take protein one to two hours before and immediately following exercise. Again I use regular food, but I see no problem with supplementation to save time (at the expense of more money however). Research has also shown your body to be more receptive to protein immediately following a workout. Continue eating high carbohydrate foods every 2 hours during the first 4 to 6 hours after hard training. During the first 6 hours post-exercise, simple sugars appear to replace muscle glycogen better than complex carbohydrates. Post-exercise muscle glycogen storage can be enhanced with a combination carbohydrate-protein supplement as a result of the interaction of carbohydrate and protein on insulin secretion. The addition of protein with carbohydrates can allow for a more rapid return recovery. Drink a re-hydration beverage during and after exercise, for example, Gatorade.

Take periodic layoffs. Use the best "miracle supplement" there is - WATER. You can't "overdose" on water. The worst side effect you can get as mentioned previously, is a few more trips to the washroom. Your body functions optimally when it is fully hydrated. A general recommendation is to consume at least 128 ounces (one gallon) of water a day. During hot weather you should double or triple this amount.

LEAVE YOUR WORKOUT IN THE GYM Give your undivided attention to your training when your in the gym. But when you're outside the gym, cast your attention to other things in life. Establish your other priorities, set goals, and keep busy. There are many athletes who fall into the trap of letting their mind continually dwell on training. Train hard when your in the gym, but try and relax more when your not. Stress has been shown to increase levels of CORTISOL in the body - the catabolic hormone, so try to find ways to manage stress in your life and relax, and your results will be improved