Overtraining - am I?

[zevy]

Hi fellow members.
I am spending Increasing amounts of time in the gym - typically 2 to 2 1/2 hours every session. I train mon - fri and concentrate on one body part per day. Because I am only primarily hitting each muscle group once per week, I like to hit them hard and don't feel as if I have trained enough if I don't complete each of the exercises outlined.
Stats as follows:-
Age: 43
Weight: 170 lbs
Height: 175 cm
Body fat: 6.7% (not sure how accurate that is but that was last reading from machine at the gym. Previous reading taken 11 months before was 7.4)
Training: seriously for 15 months
Diet: good for the most part, although do find it difficult to eat regularly sometimes due to work/circumstances. Eat plenty protein from natural sources and top up with pre and post shakes.

TRAINING SCEDULE

Mon
Bench press 3 x 10
Dumbbell press 3 x 10
Incline press 3 x 10
Dumbbell flyes 3x 10
Weighted Chin dips 3 x 10
Chest pullover 3 x 10
Cable flyes 3x 10

Tues
Weighted pull-ups 3 x 10
Barbell row 3 x 10
Straight arm pull down 3 x 10
Lat pull-down with triangle 3x 10
Lat pull down 3 x 10
Seated row 3 x 10
Dumbbell rows 3x 10

Wed
Squats 5 x 10
Leg press 3 x 10
Knee extensions 3 x 10
Single knee extensions 3 x 10
Hamstring curls 3 x 10
Straight leg dead lifts 3x 10
Calf raises 3 x 10
Seated calf raises 3 x 10

Thurs
Seated military press 3 x 10
Upright row 3 x 10
Low cable side raises 3 x 10
Dumbbell Front raises 3 x 10
Dumbbell side raises 3 x 10
Dumbbell shrugs 3 x 30
Barbell shrugs 3 x 20

Fri
Scull crusher 4 x 10
Weighted Dips 3 x 10
Triceps extensions 3 x 10
Overhead rope ext 3 x 10
Tri bar pushdown 3 x 10
Tri kick back 3 x 10
Hammer curls 3 x 12
Cable bicep curls 3 x 10
Scott curls 2 x 10
Standing barbell curls 4 x 10
Seated dumbbell curls 3 x 10 Reverse curls 3 x 10
Wrist curls 3 x 10
Wrist roller 3 x 10

I am seeing gains in this programme but wonder if I would see faster gains on a reduced one. Please advise.

[knuckles69]

Doesn't look too far off how I train and I can get all that done and sometimes more in 1 to 1.5 hours. Maybe your breaking between sets too long? Up the intensity and see what time you finish in

[zevy]

OK, will give it a go thanks knuckles. Forgot to add cardio and abs to two days so that takes up 30 mins on those days but will break less and see.

[Gaspaco]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8_8p...e_gdata_player

[zevy]

Wow, thanks for the link Gaspaco, can stay longer in the gym now without worrying! Lol

[crazy mike]

OP, listen overtraining comes in many different ways. It is an individual thing however there are some general particulars. I will not try to discuss them because it would be better to address your.
This is what I've found. Plateaus come with all routines so a radical change in anything will shock your muscles, IF.... you lift for intense thorough failure. That being said failure can be at 4-6 or 10-12 reps for an example.

I see a pattern here of not enough intensity. If you are doing 7 exercises for one body part then you are not getting the intensity and type of failure in the first three exercises. You are concentrating in getting in more time and more exercises and cannot be concentrating in overload until positive and negative failure. This is total failure.

IF you were to warm up 2 sets and then do 3-4 more 4-6 maybe 8 most reps and hit failure you will have little energy for 7 exercises. Train harder and smarter and less exercises. I can't see anyone working with mind to muscle connection with 4 sets till failure and lasting that long.

I've learned this over the years and it's how intense and how you reach failure (overload). AS I do this I must mix it up with some higher reps from time to time. AND at my age to prevent injury. ...crazy mike

[kelkel]

Simply yes, you're over training. You don't grow while your in the gym, you grow at home with nutrition and rest. Visit Marcus's Diary in the Lounge for some modern training tips and motivation. Change will do you good and no doubt bring some progress.

Well said CM.

[crazy mike]

CT Fletcher- What is Overtraining? - YouTube

I've seen this video many times. MOP is it is for some and not for all. This type of training is for the ones that are in shape enough to handle this on one note . Also it depends on where you are at with your BB career. One cannot/or be expelling more energy focusing in the long run. Building MASS requires the mix.
This video is to show that if done correctly for the BB's status and goals AT THE TIME is to break, plateaus, keep his body in cardio and tendon and joints in good shape Great. But you will find a more intense overload will promote more mas building quicker. Just my OP. Your growth of mass will be slower with your workout. ...crazy mike

OH, EDITED I see Kel's comment. Damn I forgot ...rest, eat, rest ...cm

[zevy]

OP, listen overtraining comes in many different ways. It is an individual thing however there are some general particulars. I will not try to discuss them because it would be better to address your.
This is what I've found. Plateaus come with all routines so a radical change in anything will shock your muscles, IF.... you lift for intense thorough failure. That being said failure can be at 4-6 or 10-12 reps for an example.

I see a pattern here of not enough intensity. If you are doing 7 exercises for one body part then you are not getting the intensity and type of failure in the first three exercises. You are concentrating in getting in more time and more exercises and cannot be concentrating in overload until positive and negative failure. This is total failure.

IF you were to warm up 2 sets and then do 3-4 more 4-6 maybe 8 most reps and hit failure you will have little energy for 7 exercises. Train harder and smarter and less exercises. I can't see anyone working with mind to muscle connection with 4 sets till failure and lasting that long.

I've learned this over the years and it's how intense and how you reach failure (overload). AS I do this I must mix it up with some higher reps from time to time. AND at my age to prevent injury. ...crazy mike

OK, point duly noted CM. not being flippant with my last remark. What would you recommend for shoulders for example, in order to hit from all angles on 3 excercises?

[crazy mike]

OK, point duly noted CM. not being flippant with my last remark. What would you recommend for shoulders for example, in order to hit from all angles on 3 excercises?

Ya know I hate to recommend if i'm not with someone and see how their body is reacting. BUT...
For me, I do a lot of incline press on chest day. This undoubtedly hits my front delts. Proven for me. My whole upper chest bring out and up my delts. Then when on shoulder day I do military press. Heavy, very heavy it blasts them since the incline. The I'll some for of lateral movement for center as well as cross cable overhead. My rears I do one or two exercises because when I work back some time I will do a bent row, very wide and upper and out to be pulling with my back and rear shoulders. And or machine or dumbbell rear fly's.
You must connect with all your movements and find what works and or how to incorporate a lift with two groups. Sometimes. Remember mixing it up.

But failure is FAILURE in all exercises and muscle groups. You reach total failure 3-4 sets you will have little energy left.

One more thing For me I'm old, I take loner between sets to regain recovery for the next heavy and intense failure rep. Intensity in different forms as I said. Cardio or muscle ?? ...crazy mike

[crazy mike]

OP I just noticed, sorry. You are talking about traps and shoulders. Well even though shoulders incorporate traps. I see Traps as an entire muscle all by itself in the fact of intensity and definition.

I cn do what I said on delts and get little traps, like me. I've always let TRAPs go. Unfortunatly so they are way behind to nothing. I'm on it now days. ...crazy mike

[JJ78]

Hi fellow members.
I am spending Increasing amounts of time in the gym - typically 2 to 2 1/2 hours every session. I train mon - fri and concentrate on one body part per day. Because I am only primarily hitting each muscle group once per week, I like to hit them hard and don't feel as if I have trained enough if I don't complete each of the exercises outlined.
Stats as follows:-
Age: 43
Weight: 170 lbs
Height: 175 cm
Body fat: 6.7% (not sure how accurate that is but that was last reading from machine at the gym. Previous reading taken 11 months before was 7.4)
Training: seriously for 15 months
Diet: good for the most part, although do find it difficult to eat regularly sometimes due to work/circumstances. Eat plenty protein from natural sources and top up with pre and post shakes.

TRAINING SCEDULE

Mon
Bench press 3 x 10
Dumbbell press 3 x 10
Incline press 3 x 10
Dumbbell flyes 3x 10
Weighted Chin dips 3 x 10
Chest pullover 3 x 10
Cable flyes 3x 10

Tues
Weighted pull-ups 3 x 10
Barbell row 3 x 10
Straight arm pull down 3 x 10
Lat pull-down with triangle 3x 10
Lat pull down 3 x 10
Seated row 3 x 10
Dumbbell rows 3x 10

Wed
Squats 5 x 10
Leg press 3 x 10
Knee extensions 3 x 10
Single knee extensions 3 x 10
Hamstring curls 3 x 10
Straight leg dead lifts 3x 10
Calf raises 3 x 10
Seated calf raises 3 x 10

Thurs
Seated military press 3 x 10
Upright row 3 x 10
Low cable side raises 3 x 10
Dumbbell Front raises 3 x 10
Dumbbell side raises 3 x 10
Dumbbell shrugs 3 x 30
Barbell shrugs 3 x 20

Fri
Scull crusher 4 x 10
Weighted Dips 3 x 10
Triceps extensions 3 x 10
Overhead rope ext 3 x 10
Tri bar pushdown 3 x 10
Tri kick back 3 x 10
Hammer curls 3 x 12
Cable bicep curls 3 x 10
Scott curls 2 x 10
Standing barbell curls 4 x 10
Seated dumbbell curls 3 x 10 Reverse curls 3 x 10
Wrist curls 3 x 10
Wrist roller 3 x 10

I am seeing gains in this programme but wonder if I would see faster gains on a reduced one. Please advise.

Similar to the excercises that I do, Standing Shoulder press is something I would swap for seated.
I dont do front raises either, waste of time if you are going to failure on your presses.
You definitley arent traing to fail on your Bi's if you can do all of those excercises for them.
BB curls 2-3 sets
DB curls-twistin at the end
Hammer

Kickbacks are a chicks excersise -drop em
Do close grip bench instead-heavy and to failure

Just my .02 cents. Im done lifting in 30-45 max everyday. 30-40 sec rest between sets -no rest between excersises.
Lft heavy and always go to failure on the last set of every excersise-sometimes 2 sets sometimes 3

Thats all you need.

[JJ78]

damn cant believe i spelled exercises wrong everytime

[zevy]

Thanks guys for your input. I am clearly not training hard enough from the off. Will definitely increase intensity and drop some exercises from my programme. Need to rethink my workout to incorporate a few good all-round exercises for each muscle group instead of trying to do every exercise going. Thanks again for the advise

[kelkel]

Zevy you'll enjoy your workouts more and make better progress. Remember it's intensity, not volume. Visit the thread I referred you to in my first post.

[tdoe11]

Zevy you'll enjoy your workouts more and make better progress. Remember it's intensity, not volume. Visit the thread I referred you to in my first post.

/\ yep. And I also think over training for some will be under training for others. I KIlL my chest on chest day. Usually 5-6 exercises 5-6 sets each higher rep range. Always to failure, always incorporate drop sets, negatives and forced reps.

I tried the "easier" routines and it didn't work nearly as we'll for me. Always to failure and always intense as possible you will always grow. That's my .02. Good luck

[bartman314]

my workouts are similar to yours but i do in about half the time. then cardio (ok, ok... so i can be in the gym total about what you're in for).

[austinite]

Keep it simple and remember, you'll benefit more from rest than you would more frequent workouts.

[zevy]

Just to update. Am 5 weeks in to Dorian Yates' HIT training program and loving it. Am in and out within an hour and seeing good gains (the juice helps as well obviously) lol
Seriously would recommend DY's HIT Training programme to anyone wanting to switch things up a bit