Am i overtraining?

[folkprophet]

Originally Posted by RickB

How long have you been doing this? And do you enjoy it? I assume yes to the 2nd one

But really, I've done this long enought I know when I need to back off. If I lose that "ready to go" feeling for too many days in a row....that's a pretty clear indication something needs to change. If my sleep time and diet are in line...that's my only choice...right?

I'm just saying that backing off from over-fatigue is not the same as backing off of overtraining. I'm not saying it isn't wise to do the first. Just that it's not the same thing. A lot of people worry about overtraining because someone said to worry about it. But everyone experiences fatigue and motivation at a different level. It's expecially hard for new lifters to get a handle on this. Being able to recognize the difference between, "I'm tired because I'm busy and I work hard," and "I'm too tired because I'm too busy and I work too hard," is a learned skill. Some people cannot even recognize the latter...but because of their personality just keep pushing and pushing.

As for how long I've done it and my enjoyment...11+ years and not always. I have moments I love and moments I hate. I'll tell you what though...if fatique dictated my training I'd be one of those Monday guys. Hit it hard on monday and then I'd be too tired the rest the week. Pushing past the tired, pushing past the hard, pushing past the sore, pushing past...well, you get my point...is the key to being success in my A.D.D. little world. But because I've been doing this a long time, I also know when to back off. Well...usually. Sometimes I still fret that I'm whimping out when I shouldn't.

I'm extremely busy, extremely active, extremely stressed, etc., etc... I just have to live with tired sometimes. That's life. If I didn't work out when my body said, "You're sore. You're tired. You need a nap..." well.... I can't listen to my body in those regards.

For me, most the time, that 'ready to go' feeling comes from downing a pre-workout supp.

[Bodybygamma]

It all depends, I used to workout 4-5 days a week intensely, however it was Senior year in high-school, I only had I think 3-4 classes, Slept a lot, took naps after classes, and was trying to gain weight(25lbs in 6 months, then 25lbs more by the time the year went by) There is no over-training, only under eating and under sleeping, the key elements of recovery.

[Bodybygamma]

Originally Posted by Bodybygamma

It all depends, I used to workout 4-5 days a week intensely, however it was Senior year in high-school, I only had I think 3-4 classes, Slept a lot, took naps after classes, and was trying to gain weight(25lbs in 6 months, then 25lbs more by the time the year went by) There is no over-training, only under eating and under sleeping, the key elements of recovery.

Just packs of Ramen and Eggs, Quarts of Milk used to be 1$ from 7/11 so I used to get 2 a day, plus the 4-8+ pints of chocolate milk I used to drink in school, 2 for 3 whopper Tuesdays,food court at the mall and THY COVETED STACK ATTACKS. All depends on your overall structure.

[bwys61]

sleep and nutrition are mucho importanto.

Fp-maybe those who are not advanced lifters are not able to feel or tell when their body is being overtrained or close to it. I'm fairly sure, though not 100%, that most of us with years of lifting experience knows really fast that it is coming and how to re-program our own workouts to avoid overtraining and still making progress

[folkprophet]

Originally Posted by bwys61

sleep and nutrition are mucho importanto.

Fp-maybe those who are not advanced lifters are not able to feel or tell when their body is being overtrained or close to it. I'm fairly sure, though not 100%, that most of us with years of lifting experience knows really fast that it is coming and how to re-program our own workouts to avoid overtraining and still making progress

Agree. My thoughts are definately not directed toward advanced trainers.

[bwys61]

We all sometimes forget that more than just "our" types are actually living among us

Originally Posted by folkprophet

Agree. My thoughts are definately not directed toward advanced trainers.