Everyone Thinks I'm Overtraining

I’ve seem to come across a problem here lately; I do not know if this is problem stemming from society (pop culture tends to lean toward the feminine male for some reason) or that people are just pussies today. Then again, I don’t have to worry with kids and a nagging wife that has my balls clenched in a death grip.

I work out six (Hell, sometimes seven if its a great week)days a week, and I use high intensity/high volume. I get plenty of rest, give my body time to repair, and eat like a hog-if I don’t then I might as well open the door for overtraining. Now here comes the million dollar question-Why is it that people scream that I’m overtraining everytime I tell them what I do? They ask, I tell them, then I get a large speech about how I’m borderline on overtraining and that I need to work out only 3-4 days.

Please explain how I’m borderline overtraining if I’m making gains and having no symptoms whatsoever. Now I ask you fellow T-brethren-Do you think that 6 days a week, high volume/high intensity regimen with enough rest, time for repair, and large enough quantity of food overtraining?

…Or are you like the others who think I am overtraining (and consider sweating a warning sign of deadly dehydration)?

I also work 40-50 hours a week manual labor, and that’s the kicker for most people.

No one can say whether you are overtraining. If you are getting results, then you are not overtraining.

Trust me, you’ll know when you’re overtraining, just like you know when you have the flu. It’s not something subtle.

[quote]Fulmen wrote:
I’ve seem to come across a problem here lately; I do not know if this is problem stemming from society (pop culture tends to lean toward the feminine male for some reason) or that people are just pussies today. Then again, I don’t have to worry with kids and a nagging wife that has my balls clenched in a death grip.

I work out six (Hell, sometimes seven if its a great week)days a week, and I use high intensity/high volume. I get plenty of rest, give my body time to repair, and eat like a hog-if I don’t then I might as well open the door for overtraining. Now here comes the million dollar question-Why is it that people scream that I’m overtraining everytime I tell them what I do? They ask, I tell them, then I get a large speech about how I’m borderline on overtraining and that I need to work out only 3-4 days.

Please explain how I’m borderline overtraining if I’m making gains and having no symptoms whatsoever. Now I ask you fellow T-brethren-Do you think that 6 days a week, high volume/high intensity regimen with enough rest, time for repair, and large enough quantity of food overtraining?

…Or are you like the others who think I am overtraining (and consider sweating a warning sign of deadly dehydration)?

I also work 40-50 hours a week manual labor, and that’s the kicker for most people. [/quote]

Are you asking this question seriously or are you just being facetious? I suspect the latter, however you did not mention many of the recent articles on the site are telling you same thing…

In the slim chance you are actually being serious - It does not sound like you are overtraining to me, but if you really want to test it doesn’t seem like it should be that hard. Just take a week off. If you feel better, your strength levels increase, etc. then maybe you are overtraining or just need to start integrating more rest days. If not, I doubt taking the week off will really set you back and you can stick it to all the people that are harassing you about it.

I doubt it, but then again, one thing stands out with regard to a statement you have made-

High intensity/high volume.

How do you rectify the difference in a persons ability to perform at Either high intensity Or high volume?

The reason I ask is because most people can not perform any more than a certain rep# max a certain number of times, otherwise, it would not be the true rep# max. Therefore, as intensity goes up volume goes down, and vice-versa.

I agree. You’re not overtraining when you’re making gains.

However, it is quite possible that you would make greater gains with an extra day of rest.

You might be surprised in the gains you could make if you took a couple days or even a week off every once in a while. Given the extra time to recover, muscles will grow a good deal. It worked for me, I have the stretch marks to prove it.

[quote]Fulmen wrote:
Now here comes the million dollar question-Why is it that people scream that I’m overtraining everytime I tell them what I do?[/quote]

And here’s the free answer. After a short glimpse at your 160lb 5’7 frame(with a soundrack about training 6x/week) overtraining would be the first rational thought popping into their heads.

Because this is a bodybuilding site I’ll give you a better diagnosis - UNDEREATIGUS CALORIUS. There. Now this is a common condition and remedies are available not just over the counter, but in every damn isle.

Good Luck.

Cocerning High Volume/High Intensity, I stay in the 80% of my 1RM range, and the high volume isn’t found in repititions (I stay around 6-8), but the volume of sets and exercises as well as session frequency. However, there may be one or two exercises that I use medium intensity and high volume (i.e. Pullovers with 4 sets of 15 reps at 70% 1RM or 60-70% of my 1RM at 5 sets of 10 for Skull Crushers). Now if you were to consider repititions alone (that is not viewing sets, session frequency, and number of exercises), then I stay in the High Intensity/Medium Volume range.

As for being serious or satirical, well it’s a little bit of both. I have seen and read the recent articles about overtraining, and according to them, I’m overtraining (Maybe I read it incorrectly). I’m also very tired of seeing people scream overtraining when need not be. I just think people have lost the ability to use mind over matter and use some common sense.

If I dare use the phrase “No pain, no gain”, then I usually get harassed and torn to bits. “Pain is bad, you may have damaged something!” “Why don’t you just let your friends hit you for pain?” are the usual remarks. Right, go ahead and dodge your overtraining; be comfortable at 140 and 12" arms (or 270 and adipose-ridden arms).

Now I am going to experiment and take an extra day off. Like you have all said, and I agree, my body would benefit from an extra day. I’m sure my gains would be even greater-something of which I could not complain about it.

Thanks for letting me get some steam out, Brothers.

[quote]Fulmen wrote:
I’ve seem to come across a problem here lately; I do not know if this is problem stemming from society (pop culture tends to lean toward the feminine male for some reason) or that people are just pussies today. Then again, I don’t have to worry with kids and a nagging wife that has my balls clenched in a death grip. [/quote]

Contrary to what I’ve read lately on this site, being married is actually a good thing for many. And sometimes having my balls clenched is a turn on.

And kids are great too.

[quote]
I work out six (Hell, sometimes seven if its a great week)days a week, and I use high intensity/high volume. I get plenty of rest, give my body time to repair, and eat like a hog-if I don’t then I might as well open the door for overtraining. Now here comes the million dollar question-Why is it that people scream that I’m overtraining everytime I tell them what I do? They ask, I tell them, then I get a large speech about how I’m borderline on overtraining and that I need to work out only 3-4 days. [/quote]

Depends on what YOU consider good gains. If you think gaining 2 lbs of muscle is good enough, maybe you’re on to something.

That being said, I agree with the others who have responded; if you don’t feel overtrained, then most likely you are not. Either you are a mutant who can take every set to real failure for multiple sets several days a week, or you’re really not training as hard as you think you are.

[quote]
Please explain how I’m borderline overtraining if I’m making gains and having no symptoms whatsoever. Now I ask you fellow T-brethren-Do you think that 6 days a week, high volume/high intensity regimen with enough rest, time for repair, and large enough quantity of food overtraining?

…Or are you like the others who think I am overtraining (and consider sweating a warning sign of deadly dehydration)? [/quote]

You tempt me. Just to go against you, I’ll side with the “others”. Not because I agree with them, but because I want to disagree with you.

[quote]
I also work 40-50 hours a week manual labor, and that’s the kicker for most people. [/quote]

That really is a kicker for most people. You are the FIRST person who claims to do manual labor, do high volume/high intensity, and still make gains thinking they can do more.

Many people on boatloads of steroids can’t handle that.

Oh, by the way Majin, I’m glad you noticed my profile. First off, I took complete measurements of myself back in December (when I started to seriously train like I do presently), and my height was wrong-which I now have fixed. I’m only 5’6.3". I just checked my present weight, and I’m up to 163.

Once again, glad you saw that Majin, or I’d be lying to everyone.

[quote]Fulmen wrote:
Cocerning High Volume/High Intensity, I stay in the 80% of my 1RM range, and the high volume isn’t found in repititions (I stay around 6-8), but the volume of sets and exercises as well as session frequency. However, there may be one or two exercises that I use medium intensity and high volume (i.e. Pullovers with 4 sets of 15 reps at 70% 1RM or 60-70% of my 1RM at 5 sets of 10 for Skull Crushers). Now if you were to consider repititions alone (that is not viewing sets, session frequency, and number of exercises), then I stay in the High Intensity/Medium Volume range.

As for being serious or satirical, well it’s a little bit of both. I have seen and read the recent articles about overtraining, and according to them, I’m overtraining (Maybe I read it incorrectly). I’m also very tired of seeing people scream overtraining when need not be. I just think people have lost the ability to use mind over matter and use some common sense.

If I dare use the phrase “No pain, no gain”, then I usually get harassed and torn to bits. “Pain is bad, you may have damaged something!” “Why don’t you just let your friends hit you for pain?” are the usual remarks. Right, go ahead and dodge your overtraining; be comfortable at 140 and 12" arms (or 270 and adipose-ridden arms).

Now I am going to experiment and take an extra day off. Like you have all said, and I agree, my body would benefit from an extra day. I’m sure my gains would be even greater-something of which I could not complain about it.

Thanks for letting me get some steam out, Brothers.[/quote]

Ah crap.
Now that you put things that way, I humbly apologize for my ranting at you in my last post.
Peace.
And sorry.

[quote]buffd_samurai wrote:
Contrary to what I’ve read lately on this site, being married is actually a good thing for many. And sometimes having my balls clenched is a turn on.

And kids are great too.[/quote]

Well, that’s good. I’ve got a steady girlfriend and wouldn’t mind settling down with her in the future.

[quote]That really is a kicker for most people. You are the FIRST person who claims to do manual labor, do high volume/high intensity, and still make gains thinking they can do more.

Many people on boatloads of steroids can’t handle that. [/quote]

Well, I was raised with discipline and a “you reap what you sow” mentality. I suppose that has helped me.

You weigh 165 how much of that is muscle? If you are making progress, fine. But I find it unlikely you are.

Well, it looks like you have a good handle on this.

I’ve done a lot of labor, and one thing is for sure. If you can keep your calories up, you will gain muscle and have a great capacity for work, both on the job and in the weight room.

Keep up the good work.

“ill”, I’m 10-12% body fat. I consider I’m making gains because I am gaining size on each bodypart, I am gaining weight, I am not gaining hardly any fat, I am going up 5-10lbs in every lift nearly every month, and I’m not feeling any symptoms of overtraining.

Now if you do not think I am making any gains, please explain why and I will look into it.

I would just like to thank every for the motivation. Even though I keep a good attitude and mindset, there are some days or weeks that I really need someone or something to motivate me (the majority of the time I have to work out alone). Just a heartfelt “Thank You” to the T-Nation family.

[quote]Fulmen wrote:
“ill”, I’m 10-12% body fat. I consider I’m making gains because I am gaining size on each bodypart, I am gaining weight, I am not gaining hardly any fat, I am going up 5-10lbs in every lift nearly every month, and I’m not feeling any symptoms of overtraining.

Now if you do not think I am making any gains, please explain why and I will look into it.

I would just like to thank every for the motivation. Even though I keep a good attitude and mindset, there are some days or weeks that I really need someone or something to motivate me (the majority of the time I have to work out alone). Just a heartfelt “Thank You” to the T-Nation family.[/quote]

As it’s been stated…you’ll know when your overtraining. But hell…take a week off and rest—eat—and boink your wife a few more times…it’s called recovery.

I think people just like to throw the “overtraining” label around for no reason…i have never met one person that was overtraining, in most cases it’s people that don’t train enough, don’t train hard enough, or don’t eat enough…never someone that that trains too much or too hard…

…if you were overtraining you wouldn’t even have to ask anyone, you would feel like crap and know something was wrong…

…i’ve been working out six days a week, doing high sets, heavy weight, and a good ammount of reps for a while now…and it’s helped me put on size like crazy…that’s what works for me, if doing six days a week works for you, than stick with it…if doing four days a week works, than do that…bottom line, do what works for YOU…

[quote]tora no’ shi wrote:
I think people just like to throw the “overtraining” label around for no reason…i have never met one person that was overtraining, in most cases it’s people that don’t train enough, don’t train hard enough, or don’t eat enough…never someone that that trains too much or too hard…

…if you were overtraining you wouldn’t even have to ask anyone, you would feel like crap and know something was wrong…

…i’ve been working out six days a week, doing high sets, heavy weight, and a good ammount of reps for a while now…and it’s helped me put on size like crazy…that’s what works for me, if doing six days a week works for you, than stick with it…if doing four days a week works, than do that…bottom line, do what works for YOU…[/quote]

I’ve done the same. You also eat enough to make gains which is the most important factor. If someone is restricting their food intake because they have some extreme fear of any fat gain, they will not grow optimally and will feel run down. The guy who is eating enough to SUPERcompensate will not have that problem.

By the way, Tora no’ shi, good progress so far.

Trust me, I’m not afraid to eat. On my mirror I even have a large post-it that reads, “EAT, EAT, EAT!!!”

If you’re making great gains that’s one thing but how do you know you couldn’t gain more by taking off a few extra days. I’ll be the first to come out and say it doesn’t impress me if you lift 7 days a week. I had a guy tell me earlier today that he benched pressed and did pushups for 3 hours a day 5 days a week trying to impress me I suppose. I laughed and told him he was wrong and reminded him he weighed 170 lbs and this crap-ass workout could be the reason why.

Sure I did the same shit several years ago going 6 days a week, 1.5 hours per gym session then I decided to experiment. Not because I wasn’t gained which I was but because I wanted to see if there was A BETTER WAY and low and behold I found one. There’s always room for improvement in every aspect of life including your training regimen.

No offense and I know you’re not extremely tall but if I weighed 165 I sure as shit would be trying different methods to see if there was something more specific to your body’s optimum growth needs. And there always is one, you just have to find it and you must be open to new ideas.