Here is a quik article I wrote for another forum. Simply put yes.
There seems to be some misconceptions in this thread about Over-Training. I even read in one squat thread a guy said when he had Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness the next day, he thought he had Over-Trained. There also seems to be the misconception that some lifters utilize or intentionally Over-Train. This is false.
First, Over-Training simply defined means you have trained over the limit which the body is able to recover and rebuild itself.
The point at which Over-Training is reached is different for everyone, so there is no set number of sets or amount of training that could be used as a measurement. Let?s first look at some of the symptoms associated with Over-Training.
?Loss of appetite
?Loss of interest in training
?Sleeplessness, restless sleep
?Soreness for more than three days
?Loss of strength
?Weight loss or weight gain (depending on your goals) or a plateau in gains or losses
You will experience some of these symptoms form time to time, but when they start to become a consistent problem, then you are training too much or other factors are not being met, such a nutrition and sleep. Let?s look at the factors that can play a role in Over-Training.
- Sleep- It is vital for our survival that we get enough sleep during the night and achieve a deep and quality state of sleep. There are different stages of sleep classified as Rapid Eye Movement and none REM sleep. At each stage the body is in a different state of function. It is at the deeper stage of non-REM sleep that the body is able to recharge and repair muscles, tendons and ligaments. Younger people will go in and out of this stage a number of times throughout the night, as you age this stage of sleep is less frequently achieved.
If you are not sleeping enough you are not going to function at your optimum level. It is recommended that you try to get 8 hours of sleep each night. You should wake up feeling recharged and rested. If you wake up feeling tired and sore, you may not have gotten enough deep restorative sleep
There was a study done on healthy disease free individuals where the amount of sleep they got was limited to four hours a night. After only two weeks, this group had all the biomarkers of someone who had diabetes.
So if you are not sleeping enough and not achieving the quality of sleep required for repair you will not be able to handle as much training.
- Nutrition- Proper nutrition is probably the most misunderstood aspect of bodybuilding and can be the most confusing sometimes. There are many who think drinking protein shakes all day is proper bodybuilding nutrition, its not. Carbohydrates, fat, fiber and protein are all important parts of a balanced diet and all have there role to play.
If you are not getting enough carbs your glycogen stores are not going to be sufficient and will not be able to supply the muscles with enough energy to train properly. Protein simply put helps to rebuild tissue, in our case most importantly muscle tissue. Fat (the good kind) is used to make hormones and normal brain functioning. Fiber helps lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar levels and remove toxins from the GI tract.
Don?t forget vitamins and minerals. These substances are also vital for regeneration of cells and tissue as well as hormone production and nerve function.
Don?t forget water, this absolutely essential. Did you know that just slight dehydration and your strength can be noticeably reduced, thinking can be impaired and muscles and joints may become achy?
These are just the basic nutrients that we need. There are hundreds of other enzymes and other nutrients that are critical in maintaining a healthy body.
Just a reminder diet is 70-80% of the success any training program. So if that part of your program is missing then you can expect to fall short in the gym or not be able to train to your maximum potential.
- Genetics-There are three basic body types that everyone can kind of gauge themselves in terms of muscle building ability. Rarely is anyone exactly one type or the other, but we are usually a combination of all of them.
Ectomorph
If you have a short upper body, long arms and legs, little fat storage, narrow chest and shoulders, you fall into this category.
Mesomorph
This is the guy we hate at the gym, with the large chest, long torso, solid muscle structure and very strong.
Endomorph
Soft musculature, round face, wide hips, heavy fat storage.
The ectomorph cannot handle the same type of training the mesomorph can. Your genetics will determine how you train, how often and the amount of weight you are able to handle. So for example if the ectomorph and the mesomorph use the same program, same amount of sets, and the same level of intensity, the ectomorph has a greater chance of Over-Training than does the Mesomorph.
- Training- Training as is all of life is a balance, too much training or too little training will give you bad results. The key is to find the balance that is just right for you. Just like the diet, too much food and you will just be adding fat and too little and you will not build muscle.
The best way to achieve that balance is to first look at all the other factors. Do I get enough sleep for this intense of a program? Is my diet supplying enough nutrients to sustain muscle growth and repair? Is this program best for someone with my genetics? Once you have answered these questions, you can get a better idea of what the maximum amount of training you can do before you Over-Train.
Then once you have an idea of what to do keep a close eye on how you feel. If you start to notice a few or more of the symptoms of overtraining then that is indication its time to look at the controllable factors (diet, sleep, and training) in your program and adjust accordingly until you are back on track.
