Am I Overtraining?

Training
41

Thanks man I appreciate the response. Yeah I may lower my rep range cause like I said before I have been doing 10-8-6. Also I have another question if anybody is still lurking this thread, if not ill start another. This is a total noob question but in terms of putting on size and strength in the arms are compound exercises as good as isolation? I know bigmac says isolation is important for mass and I don’t doubt you one bit.

However I have heard people say that the bench press and rows will build just as big of arms as curls and tricep extensions. Is this true? I know they work them, but will completely replacing my 3 sets of curls with more rows have the same results?

42

[quote]bulkNcut wrote:
Thanks man I appreciate the response. Yeah I may lower my rep range cause like I said before I have been doing 10-8-6. Also I have another question if anybody is still lurking this thread, if not ill start another. This is a total noob question but in terms of putting on size and strength in the arms are compound exercises as good as isolation? I know bigmac says isolation is important for mass and I don’t doubt you one bit.

However I have heard people say that the bench press and rows will build just as big of arms as curls and tricep extensions. Is this true? I know they work them, but will completely replacing my 3 sets of curls with more rows have the same results? [/quote]

I was actually saying that IMHO isolation moves PLUS compound moves are best for size. So yes, I was suggesting that things like lighter curls/extensions (and just isolation moves in general) can be used to teach your body to feel the biceps and triceps working BUT that the compound lifts would be better for building mass once you get good at feeling the muscles at work.

So for example:

cable curls=useful for learning how to feel the biceps at work
rows/chins=useful for adding biceps mass

rope pushdowns=good for learning to feel the triceps at work
bench/military press=good for adding triceps mass

I do think that things like barbell curls and skullcrushers fall into a sort of gray area though. You can perform them slowly with holds/extended negatives/etc and shoot for feel, but you can also go heavier on them and use them more like compound moves.

Lol I’m still playing around with arms to figure out what I like best. But I do think that you need to at least use some isolation exercises in addition to the compound lifts if you want to focus on size gains. Otherwise I think a lot more powerlifters/olympic lifters would end up accidentally being great bodybuilders lol

43

Well thanks for the replies guys. Well today I’m doing my routine for Friday, shoulders, squats and arms and my chest I’s still sore from wednesday and my arms are a tiny bit sore but I’m not concerned about them.

Should I train today? Mg decision has nothing to do with being uncomfortable or pain, just want to make sure I’m allowing my muscles time to heal and not overtraining. Any input? And I am eating enough and I sleep 8 hours a night.

44

Also this hasn’t really happened to me before with this routine, slways been fully recovered for next session. I’m considering not doing as much each day but I really don’t want to do that. I have also been increasing the weight whenever I can

45

I think you need to look up the definition of overtraining so you can stop worrying about whether or not you’re at risk for it, and stop asking that question and just kill shit in the gym.

46

[quote]bulkNcut wrote:
Well thanks for the replies guys. Well today I’m doing my routine for Friday, shoulders, squats and arms and my chest I’s still sore from wednesday and my arms are a tiny bit sore but I’m not concerned about them.

Should I train today? Mg decision has nothing to do with being uncomfortable or pain, just want to make sure I’m allowing my muscles time to heal and not overtraining. Any input? And I am eating enough and I sleep 8 hours a night. [/quote]

Honestly, dude…guys like you don’t ever get big.

Why? Because the guys that do would never have even thought the words “should I train today”. You know what makes me say that sentence? FLOODS, HURRICANES, MY BEST FRIEND IS IN THE HOSPITAL, THE END OF THE WORLD or ZOE SALDANA IS ON THE PHONE.

But you…you are just worried randomly. You aren’t basing your decisions on any concept of performance.

Guys like that don’t get that big. Guys who get big aren’t afraid to push to their true limits.

47

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]bulkNcut wrote:
Well thanks for the replies guys. Well today I’m doing my routine for Friday, shoulders, squats and arms and my chest I’s still sore from wednesday and my arms are a tiny bit sore but I’m not concerned about them.

Should I train today? Mg decision has nothing to do with being uncomfortable or pain, just want to make sure I’m allowing my muscles time to heal and not overtraining. Any input? And I am eating enough and I sleep 8 hours a night. [/quote]

Honestly, dude…guys like you don’t ever get big.

Why? Because the guys that do would never have even thought the words “should I train today”. You know what makes me say that sentence? FLOODS, HURRICANES, MY BEST FRIEND IS IN THE HOSPITAL, THE END OF THE WORLD or ZOE SALDANA IS ON THE PHONE.

But you…you are just worried randomly. You aren’t basing your decisions on any concept of performance.

Guys like that don’t get that big. Guys who get big aren’t afraid to push to their true limits.[/quote]

when Hurricane Irene hit here, my entire area was flooded. the only highways open were clogged with traffic. I checked two or three local gyms for 1-day passes but everything was closed.

on another day, my gym had a power failure and they closed for the day. I drove about ten miles to train at a different one.

it’s probably gonna snow about three inches through tomorrow. doesn’t matter, I’m going to the gym.

my lower back has been so sore and stiff from my back sessions that getting out of bed was hell, but I had to deadlift that day. I got to the gym anyway, foam rolled and had a good session.

THAT should be the attitude of anyone willing to make progress, at minimum. I think anything less and you’ll just end up like every other schmuck at the gym spinning his wheels.

48

[quote]bulkNcut wrote:
Also the reason I began lifting 3 days a week is because I am a firm believer in Mark Rippetoes program and philosiphies. It is also what I was advised to do by people in my life.[/quote]

I hope for your sake that the people in your life have the results to show for it since you seem to be holding their views over the advice given here. Sooner or later you’re going to have to break free from the dogma and develop your own philosophies.

I’m curious as to why overtraining is a concern for you now when you’ve had an intensive summer job in the past? I worked the baling season as a teen. Yes, it’s hard work, but you adapt to the demands of the task just as you do in your lifting.

You don’t hear of farmers suffering from overtraining. If you lose weight on that job it’s because you are expending more calories than you’re consuming.

If as a species we weren’t built to withstand hardship we’d all be dead by now.

A sore muscle only becomes an issue if it limits your performance in an exercise or if it doesn’t have adequate rest to grow. Growth and strength are the main things you need be concerned with. Soreness is not an issue when you are moving forward in those two areas.

Understand that all muscular rest is active in the sense that you can’t switch a recently trained muscle group completely off and turn it back on again fresh for the next training day. It will be stimulated by life, even on off days, yet it still recovers.

49

[quote]bulkNcut wrote:
Also the reason I began lifting 3 days a week is because I am a firm believer in Mark Rippetoes program and philosiphies. It is also what I was advised to do by people in my life.[/quote]

What? You believe in Mark Rippetoe’s program and his philosophy? Your program has nothing to do with his except the idea of a 3 day split. Take a few minutes and read up on Mark Rippetoe’s book or responses. Each workout of the Starting Strength program only consists of 3 main exercises and 1 assistance AT MOST. Rippetoe’s philosophy. He preaches about novice strength and size gains, utilizing the compound lifts, while you have cable flies, several curl exercises, and lateral raises? You claim not to be bodybuilding but yet you isolate muscles. Do you have imbalances, or is it that you love to have huge bicepts.
Don’t go around designing your own program, when you have no idea why you’re overtraining. This forum is filled with programs; sports, olympic lifting, PL, and bodybuilding.

And as for the overtraining, if you’re just sore, it shouldn’t be a problem. The guy above me explained it well enough. Warm up properly get the blood flowing, and don’t get injured. I used to squat heavy 3 times a week on SS, legs were always sore. It’ll go away, and you’ll adapt.

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[quote]Zerpp wrote:
or is it that you love to have huge bicepts.[/quote]

bicepts? SRS bro?

51

[quote]bigmac73nh wrote:

[quote]Zerpp wrote:
or is it that you love to have huge bicepts.[/quote]

bicepts? SRS bro?[/quote]

lol, nah

52

Thanks guys, yeah I went to the gym adn did my regular workout. Started light and warmed up for longer than usual. Didn’t have soreness during the lifts or a decreased range of motion. The reason I was debating on working out or not is because I wanted my muscles to repair fully before lifting again. After all that is how they grow right? Just wanted to make sure haha didn’t mean to get anyone upset. And yeah I know I have slipped away from rippetoes program by a landslide and I hate myself for it. However I got into doing this and I enjoy it, thats why i lift anyways because i find it fun. I only started lifting halfway through the last season of my summer job and was lifting pretty light. At that point I was more focused on nutrition and getting myself to a healthier weight. Could somebody give me a sample program that is focused around compound movements but also implements isolation exercises? Also on the guy who mentioned the foam rollers, can those be used effectively on off days rather than just before and after training sessions?

53

[quote]bulkNcut wrote:
Thanks guys, yeah I went to the gym adn did my regular workout. Started light and warmed up for longer than usual. Didn’t have soreness during the lifts or a decreased range of motion. The reason I was debating on working out or not is because I wanted my muscles to repair fully before lifting again. After all that is how they grow right? Just wanted to make sure haha didn’t mean to get anyone upset. And yeah I know I have slipped away from rippetoes program by a landslide and I hate myself for it. However I got into doing this and I enjoy it, thats why i lift anyways because i find it fun. I only started lifting halfway through the last season of my summer job and was lifting pretty light. At that point I was more focused on nutrition and getting myself to a healthier weight. Could somebody give me a sample program that is focused around compound movements but also implements isolation exercises? Also on the guy who mentioned the foam rollers, can those be used effectively on off days rather than just before and after training sessions? [/quote]

You can foam roll anytime. I only foam roll on off days. Sample program: 5/3/1, with the big but boring assistance program. Wendler posted a template for it a few days ago. 4 days a week, compound focus, AND you get to do abs, biceps, and triceps isolation twice a week. Sounds right up your alley.

54

One other thing, just consider this:

You keep saying you don’t know if you should train today, or when you should, or could you be doing too much. Think about it this way, If you’re spending 1 hour in the gym a day, you’re spending 23 resting. Don’t you think you’re resting quite a bit? You’re resting about 95% of the time. If this doesn’t strike you as a lot of rest, consider what professional athletes and olympic lifters do. They only rest about 15 hours a day, depending on the type of athlete, and they make gains. Considerable gains. Olympic lifters are actually lifting for HOURS a day, EVERY day, doing the SAME LIFTS, and not over training.

The conclusion is this: You’re not even in the realm of possibilities of training too much. You, personally, YOU could train twice a day, 5 or 6 days a week, and not over train.

GET IN THE GYM

55

you only need to worry about your muscles being “fully repaired” between sessions if you feel that you aren’t making progress on certain lifts because you truly haven’t recovered enough from the last session. that ability to recover is unique to every individual and the only way you’ll know yours is by testing it.

on a previous split, I’d occasionally have maybe two days of rest between a chest or shoulders day and an arms day. I always pushed through regardless and I’d make progress most of the time because I ate a lot.

get after it in the gym and the kitchen.

56

[quote]bulkNcut wrote:
Also the reason I began lifting 3 days a week is because I am a firm believer in Mark Rippetoes program and philosiphies. It is also what I was advised to do by people in my life.[/quote]

Why are you doing body part splits?

Why are you doing 10 reps per set?

Why are you moaning about being sore?

Did you really read starting strength or find out what Rip’s philosophies are?

57

thanks flipcollar does seem like its right up my alley haha. Ill check it out and maybe implement it into my next training cycle

58

How the fuck did this happen?