Overtraining? Myth?

[Sebass67]

Ok...i was thinking about this...
now i could be WAY off..
but i am curious.

People usually back off when they overtrain...
Now say someone just kept going...

Do you think the body would have to eventually adapt?
I mean...1/2/5 weeks down the road?

 

[gettinlarger]

No way. His body would be so overloaded. Lifts would continuously go down, extreme fatigue would set it, etc.

 

[Thaibox]

I undertsand your logic in thiking this. Since we're constantly battling the body's strong adaptation, you'd think we could bust through overtraining and have that same adaptive response work FOR us. Its a nice thought, but unfortunately it doesn't work. Your body will simply continue to break down, and you'll fall into a catabolic crash and burn.

Overtraining is very real, more so for some than others, but its always there.

 

[SofaGeorge]

Simple answer... I trained in the '70s and '80s when most people had never heard of "over training." Back then doing a full body work out three days a week was common. I used to do 4 hour workouts 4 days a week in the '80s... working each bodypart twice a week for 20 sets.

I remember when somebody first told me the theory of working one body part only once a week... and lowering the number of sets to about 10. I thought they were insane.

The first year I lowered my sets and worked one body part only once a week... I made my biggest natural gains ever.

You can adapt to over training. You just can't prosper from it. You make no gains.

 

[Sebass67]

Now here is the thing...
SofaGeorge...Since u spent so long doing so much volume when u finally cut it down your body was in a state primed to grow. Do you think that had you had a normal routine throughout that u would make the same gains?

I am just playing devils advocate here...

 

[b fold the truth]

Your body would adapt...just as it would if you started eating 1,000 kcals a day and sleeping only 3 hours a night. You would get smaller.

B True

 

[coolcolj]

Now here is the thing...
SofaGeorge...Since u spent so long doing so much volume when u finally cut it down your body was in a state primed to grow. Do you think that had you had a normal routine throughout that u would make the same gains?

I am just playing devils advocate here...

That is why pushing yourself to slight overtraining and then backing off works wonders!!!!

I use this principal a lot myself. either within a week, or globably between phases

Overtraining by 3-4% is good, anymore will halt things, learning how much you can get away with is the hard part

 

[Sebass67]

Kind've what i am trying to pull off...

 

[jeremys]

this overtraining thing is hard for me to understand. because of one reason...

back in the day (arnold, franco, draper, etc), these guys trained crazy amounts and drank beer post-workout, yet they looked awesome. now we scream 'overtraining' and lots of people, like me, dont drink at all because it could affect protein synthesis or something..

now i know there's always the 'supplementation factor' with the guys back then, but still..i always wonder how that stuff worked for them if it's supposed to be so bad?

 

[tsarleon]

perhaps overtraining is not brought on by number sets, reps, how many times a week. perhaps lack of sleep and poor nutriton and other external environmental factors led to overtraining. i think its a combination, althoug i lack the experience to personally comment on this subject, i still think nutrition a TONS OF SLEEP are key to preventing overtraining. any thoughts??????????