Over Training is when the volume and intensity of a workout routine exceeds the individual’s recovery capacity. When this happens the individual will cease making progress in the gym, and may actually start to lose strength and back track.
Just the other day I received a message through the TFB Workout App from one of my followers, “Ezekiel”, and he was asking…
Hi Lee, I’ve been following your workout videos on YouTube and my current routine consists of: Monday – Chest, Shoulders, and Biceps. Tuesday – Back and Triceps. Wednesday – Legs. Thursday – Chest, Shoulders, and Biceps. Friday – Back and Triceps. Saturday – Legs. Sunday – Rest Day. Am I over training with this routine?
Unfortunately, there is no universal guideline for “Over Training” because we all have different fitness levels, different work capacities, and other factors that can affect your rest and recovery.
For example…
Someone who works a physically demanding job will generally not be able to handle the same volume of weight training as someone who works a desk job.
A new parent who is constantly being waken throughout the night by a crying baby will not get as much rest and recovery as someone who can sleep soundly throughout the night.
Or if you are under a lot of stress at work, school, or family situations then this will have a negative impact on your recovery from your workouts.
Now in Ezekiel’s case, the workout split that he is following is a good one because he’s training all major muscle groups in balance and proportion.
But weight training 6 days a week maybe a bit much, depending on your recovery levels. In my own training I personally find that I make my best gains when I lift weights every other day (i.e. workout one day and then take the next day off).
Or at most workout 2 days on and then take 1 day off. Scheduling in off days between workouts will allow your body time to fully rest and recover so that you can train harder during your workout days and thus make better progress in the gym.
In order to find out if you are Over Training or not, I suggest that you monitor your progress and pay attention to the little cues that you feel from your body.
Ideally you should be getting stronger on a regular basis with your workouts, now it doesn’t have to be huge gains, but you should see some form of measurable progress every week or two, such as getting an extra rep per set, adding another 5 pounds to your big compound lifts, or just being able to complete your workout routine feeling stronger and energetic, rather than feeling exhausted and drained. If you are making progress like that, then it’s unlikely that you are over training.
However, if you are not making strength gains, or worse you even start losing strength (meaning you can’t lift as much or get as many reps as you used to). Or you are constantly feeling tired, sore, and exhausted from your workouts. Then these are signs that you maybe over training and need to give your body more rest time between workouts.
Bottom line, if you are in doubt and feel like you’re not getting enough recovery, then schedule more rest days into your workout routine.
During these rest days you can still keep active by doing low intensity activities such as going for a walk, stretching, etc. But don’t push it hard with high intensity weight training or high intensity cardio.
If you’d like me to personally help coach you with your workouts and follow along with your progress to ensure that you’re on the right track to reaching your fitness goals, then I encourage you to join the Total Fitness Bodybuilding “Inner Circle” Coaching Club at: http://www.totalfitnessbodybuilding.com
As a member of the “Inner Circle” you’ll get access to Brand New Workouts every single month that cycle through various levels of training volume, intensity, and frequency to help keep you on the edge for maximum muscle growth. This takes the confusion and guess work out of selecting new training programs to follow because each month you’ll get a new program that is specifically designed to build on the progress that you made from the previous months program. This allows you to make steady gains in muscle and strength month after month.
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