Am I overtraining?

[C.K.]

Hey everybody, a while ago I put up a thread saying that I was not gaining and in fact getting smaller possibly from nolvadex. Well I think that the real problem might have been overtraining. A little over a month ago I started lifting body parts once a week instead of twice a week. I have not gained anything, and my friends are telling me that I am getting a little smaller. I think that I am lifting too much since I am lifting with lower reps and more sets. I am eating right, but still going down. What do you think..overtraining? Here is the plan I was using:

Monday: Chest- 21 sets (reps of 6-8)

Tuesday: Back- 18 sets (reps of 6-8)

Wensday: Legs- 12 sets (reps of 8-10) doing ok

Thursday: Shoulders- 18 sets (reps of 8-10)

Friday: Arms- triceps: 12-15 sets & biceps: 12-15 sets (reps of 8-10)

(I have started a new routine with less sets on each area)

[KeyMastur]

Break everything down into detail if you would.

[C.K.]

Monday: Chest 3 sets each (reps of 6-8)
1)Bench
2)Incline bench
3)Bench machine
3)Incline dumbell
4)Decline machine
5)Fly machine
6)Incline fly
7)Decline fly

Tuesday: Back- 3 sets each (reps of 6-8)
1)Row machine (1 arm at a time)
2)T-Bar
3)Inner-grip row
4)Wide-grip pulldowns
5)Some other machine
6)Pullups

Wensday: Legs- 3 sets each (reps of 8-10) doing ok
1)Leg press
2)Quad curls
3)Ham curls
4)Sitting calf raises
5)Standing calf raises
6)maybe more depending on mood

Thursday: Shoulders- 3 sets each(reps of 8-10)
1)Soulder press hammer machine
2)Dumbell shoulder press
3)Lateral raises
4)Real delt raises
5)Wide-grip upright row
6)Sometime standing behind neck press

Friday: Arms- triceps & biceps- 3 sets each (reps of 8-10)
1)Pull downs
2)Skull crushers
3)Tri machine
4)Cable one handed reverse pulldowns
5)Barbell Curls
6)Inner barbell curls
7)Dumbell curls
8)One handed fly curls

Arms and chest getting nothing

[scottninpo]

whoa, yeah, i think you are way overtraining!!! but that's in comparison to my workout, which works out to be either one or two sets to failure per body part per week, just wondering, why you do so much upper body compared to lower body? your legs need a lot more work to stimulate growth than any group in your upper body

[hoss827]

If your real winded after every set, it might be to failure. Try to lower some sets for your chest. I do 6-18, that's what I would suggest, it works well for me. If you have any questions feel free to PM me and i can hopefully help. Good luck bro

[Steele]

i would say overtraining. even on juice i barely do half that much excersizes and reps.

[C.K.]

Remember..it was very new to me to lift only 1 muscle area a day instead of lifting 2 a day twice a week. I figured since I was only lifting that 1 muscle a day let alone per week that I should do more. I am not a total newbie, just to this scedule. Also, my legs have actually been doing very well lately from the workouts I have with them (very intense). I also found out taht I wasnt eating as much as I thought. I think it was only 2500-3000 calories daily. It was all my stomach could handle, so I started making up some high calorie breakfast shakes with 600 calories. Anyways..this is the new schedule I started yesterday:


Monday: Chest 3 sets each (reps of 6-8)
1)Bench
2)Incline bench
3)Incline dumbell
4)Fly machine

Tuesday: Back- 3 sets each (reps of 6-8)
1)Row machine (1 arm at a time)
2)T-Bar
3)Inner-grip row
4)Wide-grip pulldowns
5)Pullups

Wensday: Legs- 3 sets each (reps of 10-12) doing ok
1)Leg press
2)Squat
3)Quad curls
4)Ham curls
5)Sitting calf raises
6)Standing calf raises

Thursday: Shoulders- 3 sets each(reps of 8-10)
1)Dumbell shoulder press
2)Lateral raises
3)Rear delt raises
4)Wide-grip upright row
5)Barbell shrugs

Friday: Arms- triceps & biceps- 3 sets each (reps of 8-10)
1)Pull downs
2)Skull crushers
3)Inner-grip bench press
4)Barbell Curls
5)Incline curl machine
6)Dumbell curls
(dont know if I should do more with arms though)

[Jackman]

try dumbel flies instead of the machine. It helped a lot in my workouts

[bornbad71]

Remember..it was very new to me to lift only 1 muscle area a day instead of lifting 2 a day twice a week. I figured since I was only lifting that 1 muscle a day let alone per week that I should do more. I am not a total newbie, just to this scedule. Also, my legs have actually been doing very well lately from the workouts I have with them (very intense). I also found out taht I wasnt eating as much as I thought. I think it was only 2500-3000 calories daily. It was all my stomach could handle, so I started making up some high calorie breakfast shakes with 600 calories. Anyways..this is the new schedule I started yesterday:


Monday: Chest 3 sets each (reps of 6-8)
1)Bench
2)Incline bench
3)Incline dumbell
4)Fly machine

Tuesday: Back- 3 sets each (reps of 6-8)
1)Row machine (1 arm at a time)
2)T-Bar
3)Inner-grip row
4)Wide-grip pulldowns
5)Pullups

Wensday: Legs- 3 sets each (reps of 10-12) doing ok
1)Leg press
2)Squat
3)Quad curls
4)Ham curls
5)Sitting calf raises
6)Standing calf raises

Thursday: Shoulders- 3 sets each(reps of 8-10)
1)Dumbell shoulder press
2)Lateral raises
3)Rear delt raises
4)Wide-grip upright row
5)Barbell shrugs

Friday: Arms- triceps & biceps- 3 sets each (reps of 8-10)
1)Pull downs
2)Skull crushers
3)Inner-grip bench press
4)Barbell Curls
5)Incline curl machine
6)Dumbell curls
(dont know if I should do more with arms though)

Hey bro......I like that a lot better than the 1st post.......personally I don't like to do legs the day after back or tris the day after delts.

[LuvMuhRoids]

Wow dude I would definitely say you are over training. Reading them all pro Mr Olympia training books to much. I always have said it is better to under train that to over train. What I mean by this is I would rather go in and squeeze out a quick workout 20minutes. Get pumped and cruise. Rather than pounding my self to death with your type of work. Maybe you need to find your nitch in your work outs that makes you grow. There's a fine line between doing to much and not enough. I do 3 exercises per muscle group ie., chest: flat bench, incline, then pec deck. Maybe 4,5,6 sets on each exercise. Mostly I concentrate on flat since that is the over all exercise on the chest. Then I quit. I also do light one week. Heavy one week. Chest and back one week. Chest and tri's one week. Next week just chest only. Catch my work out theory?

[Mu'min]

Bismillah
Each person has different levels at which they overtrain. Look for the syptoms such as lack of desire to train, change in sleep patter-too much or insomnia, depression, change in eating habits, chronic muscle soreness, diminishing strength. Take some time off, like a week or two then try your new program. That way you will know if the change has worked. If you are overtrained and keep training, you will not know how the new routine worked out.
Peace