Overtraining?

[DirtyHippieUTE]

So I'm trying to work out my work out...

Last year I was:

Lifting 4x a week...

Running every other day...

Swimming 1x a week...

Biking on the days I didn't run or swim...

Now I've picked up a new thing on Wed & Fri that absolutely kicks my arse...

How do I know when I'm over training? Obviously I'll be sore and tired for a while, but how long should I keep it up before I decide that I'm burning out or getting better?

[marsupial]

Show off!

I think as long as you give your muscles a chance to recover you're fine. After I work a muscle group I wait 48 hours before I work that group again. That's with strength training though. I could burn out my legs doing squats and lunges but it wouldn't keep me from going out and doing a run the next day or hitting spin class.

[DirtyHippieUTE]

Show off!

This would be the case if I had something to show for all of this working out. I remain about 50 lbs overweight and otherwise just plain "tubby."

[MikeWaters]

what is your fitness goal? I don't think we can advise you until we know what your goal is.

[DirtyHippieUTE]

I honestly don't have one specific goal.

I'd like to lose about 50 lbs (over a year or so) and just be in much better shape. I am 5'11" 255 lbs with depression, migraines, and a potential blood sugar problem.

I ride because I love it.

I run because I'd like to do a short triathlon.

I lift because it's a social thing.

I take Krav Maga because it interests me and it relieves stress.

My only real worry is that I will do too much and my body will break down rather than get more fit.

[MikeWaters]

I honestly don't have one specific goal.

I'd like to lose about 50 lbs (over a year or so) and just be in much better shape. I am 5'11" 255 lbs with depression, migraines, and a potential blood sugar problem.

I ride because I love it.

I run because I'd like to do a short triathlon.

I lift because it's a social thing.

I take Krav Maga because it interests me and it relieves stress.

My only real worry is that I will do too much and my body will break down rather than get more fit.

I say do what's fun for you. If you like going balls out, go balls out.

[Archaea]

There's no such thing as overtraining, but there is undertraining. Right now, injuries are limiting me to undertraining.

[All-American]

I honestly don't have one specific goal.

I'd like to lose about 50 lbs (over a year or so) and just be in much better shape. I am 5'11" 255 lbs with depression, migraines, and a potential blood sugar problem.

I ride because I love it.

I run because I'd like to do a short triathlon.

I lift because it's a social thing.

I take Krav Maga because it interests me and it relieves stress.

My only real worry is that I will do too much and my body will break down rather than get more fit.

The human body is remarkably resilient. It has a way of surviving just about anything you can throw at it. If whatever you're doing doesn't cause pain (different, of course, from mere discomfort and/or soreness), then I personally wouldn't worry to much about the body breaking down.

The reason people talk about over-training is because effort is wasted. Twice as much work does not usually result in twice the results. This is where setting goals becomes important. This summer, I was sitting at a cool 190 lbs and I wanted to drop down to 175, and I focused workouts to that end. Once I got there, I wasn't happy with how scrawny I looked, so I shifted the focus on building muscle mass. I'm now up to 205 or so, with less body fat now than when I was at 175. You get better results when you focus on a particular goal and work towards achieving it.

One other thing I learned: the body is not usually able to anabolize and catabolize simultaneously. If you want to build muscle mass and lose fat, trying to do both at once is usually counterproductive. Best results come from focusing on one or the other.

[pelagius]

There's no such thing as overtraining, but there is undertraining. Right now, injuries are limiting me to undertraining.

Not even in powerlifting? Heavy deads, squats, and presses every day would lead to overtraining. (Of course, I will defer to your judgment since you were clearly a more impressive lifter than I have ever been).

[Archaea]

Not even in powerlifting? Heavy deads, squats, and presses every day would lead to overtraining. (Of course, I will defer to your judgment since you were clearly a more impressive lifter than I have ever been).

Hyperbole, my friend.

[pelagius]

Hyperbole, my friend.

Sorry, I am a little slow today (must be working too hard on my current paper).

[Archaea]

Sorry, I am a little slow today (must be working too hard on my current paper).

There are four things in life where you can never have too much, money, sex, health and time to do what you wish. With the foregoing, you can always develop friendships.

[pelagius]

There are four things in life where you can never have too much, money, sex, health and time to do what you wish. With the foregoing, you can always develop friendships.

Well, at least the paper is about money. (I am presenting the paper at Wharton in three weeks so I am trying to crank on it at the moment).

[bluegoose]

There's no such thing as overtraining, but there is undertraining. Right now, injuries are limiting me to undertraining.

Huh??? Since when???

Overtraining is seen in nearly every sport which involved a high volume of intense training. Cyclists can overtrain quite easily if not careful. Thats why intervals are only recommended twice, or at the very most, three times weekly. Top guys keep a close eye on their powermeters throughout the spring to make sure they peak at the right time. If overtrained, effort goes up, but power goes down.

Weight lifters same situation. Gotta get some rest. Marsupial brings up a good point about waiting 48 hours between intense exercise for a certain muscle group. I've got a colleague who advocates even longer recovery times for builder mass, sometimes up to 14 days if needed.

[il Padrino Ute]

So I'm trying to work out my work out...

Last year I was:

Lifting 4x a week...

Running every other day...

Swimming 1x a week...

Biking on the days I didn't run or swim...

Now I've picked up a new thing on Wed & Fri that absolutely kicks my arse...

How do I know when I'm over training? Obviously I'll be sore and tired for a while, but how long should I keep it up before I decide that I'm burning out or getting better?

When you're to the point that you find yourself wanting a small plate of fruit and veggies for lunch instead of a brat, you've been overtraining.

[Venkman]

When you're to the point that you find yourself wanting a small plate of fruit and veggies for lunch instead of a brat, you've been overtraining.

LOL, that's probably a good indicator.