Am I overtraining?

**Scottydogg** · 01-05-2007, 07:19 PM

Just wanted to ask a simple question, I workout monday thru friday every morning before I go into work., And had a guy come to me this morning and said I was overtraining, and need to work out every other day, Because I was hindering my growth and strength gains by doing this.

Monday Chest-Back
Tuesday Shoulders-Legs
Wednesday BI-TRIS
Thursday Chest-Back
Friday Shoulders-legs

The only reason why I do this I feel more energized thru the day than when the days I dont work out.

**guest589745** · 01-05-2007, 07:22 PM

**** yea, unless your workouts lack intensity, you will overtrain easily on that routine IMO. Within weeks.

**UberSteroids** · 01-05-2007, 07:29 PM

Yes he was right. You are not giving Your body enough time to recover.
Workout muscles groups that work together the most, reason why, because when You workout You chest for example, You are using plenty of Your triceps, so You might as well hit that triceps to finish it off by giving it a nice workout same day, instead of working it out next day, wehn it suppose to be resting.
Youre body needs more time to recover man, You grow when You rest, when You'll fully recovered Your muscle is ready for another intense workout, don't waste Your time on overtraiing like this.
Here:

Chest/Triceps
Back/Biceps
OFF
OFF
Shoulders
Legs
OFF

Make sure every workout is a very hard and intense workout.
Workout hard, stay consistent with it, eat good, rest MORE and YOu will grow.

Take care

**Scottydogg** · 01-05-2007, 07:35 PM

O.K., Thanks for the replys, But I have another quick and easy question for some of you, When I do barbell Bench press, My shoulders get cramps after I do them. Is my form wrong, Or is this just the secondary muscle group envolved and is that normal.

My shoulders and delts have been my biggest gains as far as growth goes.

**UberSteroids** · 01-05-2007, 07:41 PM

Hmmm, not sure about that one, how many reps are You doing ?

**guest589745** · 01-05-2007, 07:43 PM

Might want to try per exhaustng with dumbelss then hitting the bench to make sure you hit your pecs. Or adjust your form.

**Scottydogg** · 01-05-2007, 07:59 PM

This is how I do my chest, back and legs.

Reps-15-12-10-8-6-4-4-6-8

I start going back up with lighter weight just to get added burn after I do my heaviest on the first 6-4.

I am doing wrong I am sure, But I have done this forever it seems and need a change I know, So help would be appriciated, and thanks to all that have answered so far.

**guest589745** · 01-05-2007, 08:14 PM

too many sets if that is for 1 exercise, thast crazy.

**guest589745** · 01-05-2007, 08:15 PM

That many sets for 1 exercise will only work if you do 1 exercise adn no more IMO.

**Scottydogg** · 01-05-2007, 08:20 PM

Those reps are for example Flat bench and incline, and then I do 4 sets of 12 on pec deck or dumbbells.

**mavsluva** · 01-05-2007, 08:40 PM

This is a very common question on this board. You know your body better than anyone else. If you're not happy with where you currently stand, then makes some changes.

***Narkissos*** · 01-05-2007, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by mavsluva

This is a very common question on this board. You know your body better than anyone else. If you're not happy with where you currently stand, then makes some changes.

Agreed.

It's amazing how someone who knows nothing about you can look at your routine and assume you're over-training.

If you're progressing consistently...how can you be over-training?

Over-training isn't a state of stagnation... Rather, over-training is a state of regression.

It's two steps backward.

If you're progressing keep doing what you're doing til you stagnate.

-N

**guest589745** · 01-05-2007, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by Narkissos

It's amazing how someone who knows nothing about you can look at your routine and assume you're over-training.

Yet I bet I am right.

***Narkissos*** · 01-05-2007, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by Scottydogg

O.K., Thanks for the replys, But I have another quick and easy question for some of you, When I do barbell Bench press, My shoulders get cramps after I do them. Is my form wrong, Or is this just the secondary muscle group envolved and is that normal.

Define 'cramp'.

Or do you mean 'pump'?

***Doc.Sust*** · 01-06-2007, 01:16 AM

thsi routine looks to me as a sure recipe dor overtraining, cut down some volume and give your self some more days to rest during the wk, and see if your gains get better. if they do, than you were over training

**Springbok_Powered** · 01-08-2007, 05:47 AM

I cannot see 5 days a week overtraining if done properly. I do 6 daysa week with 4 days rest for each muscle group. If you did each muscle group only 2 days apart then i would say yeah, bit much.

When I train, I make it short (45mins-1hr max) and intense. Then i flop down and REST! I found that once you start working out regularly, you adapt and make the time in the gym more efficient.

I don't overtrain. I weight 226 pounds, 6'2" with 16" biceps highish bf% though, I am working on that. And eat every thing I see.

So I think structured correctly a 5 day plan can be VERY effective.

PS. I'm a natural boy - no gear.

**Jason865** · 01-08-2007, 06:01 AM

Originally Posted by Scottydogg

Just wanted to ask a simple question, I workout monday thru friday every morning before I go into work., And had a guy come to me this morning and said I was overtraining, and need to work out every other day, Because I was hindering my growth and strength gains by doing this.

Monday Chest-Back
Tuesday Shoulders-Legs
Wednesday BI-TRIS
Thursday Chest-Back
Friday Shoulders-legs

The only reason why I do this I feel more energized thru the day than when the days I dont work out.

You are hitting arms 5 days in a row and shoulders 4x a week so, yes you are over training.

Re-write your split. I would do a push/legs/pull or upper/lower split.

**beuleux** · 01-08-2007, 06:16 AM

Overtraining is when you work you muscles (wear down the myo-fillaments) faster than they can repair themselves... you will know if your overtraining because you will feel very stiff while working out and get progressively weaker over a period of time... how much time depends on how severely you are overtraining. Speaking from personal experience in my case it took just till the end of the week before I couldnt lift what I could at the begining of the week, that was from doing each bodypart 3 x a week. A good way to judge is to take a week off and if you are a lot stronger when you restart then you were overtraining.

**guest589745** · 01-08-2007, 09:52 AM

You may be giving each individual muscle group enough rest but what about your central nervous system ? 5 days straight, if they were intense trainin gsessions (Like they should be) there is no way your CNS is gonna be able to cope with that IMO.

***Narkissos*** · 01-08-2007, 10:47 AM

Everybody seems to think the body's adaptive response is a generic thing.. whereas what you "can or cannot do" is clearly deliniated.

This is not the case however.

We've evolved (/or been created) with a highly resilient adaptive response... and each individual's threshold is different.

It's best to investigate each on a case by case basis.