Obsessed!

[Audacious1]

I have become obsessed with working out...i know i need a break once and a while, but i can't do it! I have worked out 10 days straight without a break. I had always been slightly overweight growing up, (not much, maybe 10 lbs) but now that i look great, i am afraid to take a day off...it's a mind game with myself. How much harm am i doing to myself by not taking off. I need some good advice to pound in my head to encourage me to take a day or two off.

 

[new@gettinbig]

10 days straight....ARE YOU NUTS??? Are you weight training every day? I could never do that..I am usually sore at least 2-3 days so there is no way I could do that...There is a thing called over training and you will do yourself NO good at all and you will not get the results you are looking for at all...MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER...its QUALITY NOT QUANITY!!! Are you lifting heavy? What are your splits? You need to take a break...you dont need to be in the gym every day!!!!

 

[wilson6]

Keep going for a while longer. The overuse pain, lack of gains, injury, mental problems from overtraining, chronic infections and general misery plus a worsening of your physical appearance will convince you. I (we) can tell you not to do this but the effects of my (our) input will be short-lived. Thus, until you experience these problems will you understand why you can't train non-stop.

Worked for me years ago.

W6

 

[Audacious1]

Mondays: 30 minutes low intensity cardio
legs and back

Tuesdays: 30 minutes low intensity cardio
chest and bi

Wednesday: 40-45 min cardio interval training
stomach

Thursday: 30 min low intensity incline cardio
legs

Friday: 30 min low intensity cardio
triceps

Saturday: 45 min low intensity cardio
stomach

Sunday: that is when i try to take off, i have taken off on
some sundays, but lately i can't...i just do some
cardio on sundays to work off my cheat meal i had
on saturday

I know i am overdoing it, but my mind keeps telling me if i take off i will gain my weight back. It's driving me nuts! It sound almost a little obsessive compulsive to me

 

[Audacious1]

To Wilson

That's the thing Wilson...working out makes me feel good...the times i have taken off, i have felt like shit the whole day. It's like i need to get my blood pumping in the morning to make it through the day

 

[FitFossil]

I'm not sure how long you've been training. But, if you're pretty new to it (like less than a year or so) then it probably seems like you're making great gains no matter what. That can be addictive.

However, what you do outside of the gym is just as important as what you do in the gym. That includes diet and rest. Rest time is when your muscle repairs and grows and when your body disposes of waste products. If you don't get enough rest, your body will go into stress mode and release cortisol, which is catabolic. Cortisol also tells your body to store fat.

Like everyone said already, if you keep going like this, your gains will stop and you may even regress. Worse yet, you could get an injury and HAVE to stop training for awhile. I feel less energetic on my rest days too, but I look at it as the price to pay for long-term progress.

 

[Audacious1]

Thanks FitFossil...i have only been working out for about 3 1/2 months and in that time i have seen wonderful progress, i think that is why i am so obsessed right now. I am impatient. But i know my body needs rest, and i better do it before it starts to regress. I am going to take tomorrow off and relax!

 

[Audacious1]

BTW...i love the little dog pic

 

[Gladiola]

Re: To Wilson

That's the thing Wilson...working out makes me feel good...the times i have taken off, i have felt like shit the whole day. It's like i need to get my blood pumping in the morning to make it through the day

I totally relate to this! Perhaps you could change your focus & do something *else* to "make you feel good" on a rest day. I highly suggest some form of yoga. (if you can manage avoiding some more intense standing strength & core strength poses, which kinda WOULD be training!). It seems like you do need to relax a little & it could help you get in touch with your body in different ways... i.e. increasing flexibility, rotation thru the spine, balance, & ability to move gracefully.... very different from tearin' it up when hitting the iron.

Otherwise anything intellectual or spiritual perhaps?

At least you KNOW you DO need to rest, so that's good! You don't want to deal with overuse injuries or burn-out!

 

[wilson6]

"working out makes me feel good...the times i have taken off, i have felt like shit the whole day"

Give it some time. At some point it will be, "working out makes me feel like shit and a day off makes me feel good." In fact, a week off will feel wonderful.

It's a hard concept to understand early on. But a year of non-stop training and you'll change your mind.

Perhaps try working two jobs, or maybe three. Make money with your time. Gives you something else to focus on. Perhaps a labor job (UPS, Fed-X) where you are physically active.

W6