What is the definition of overtraining
Posted by Wayne
There seems to be a lot hype lately on guys who claim to have failed because they overtrained. What about some of the legends of bodybuilding who trained five to six days a week for several hours at a time. They made their way and became titleholders.
I suppose it can be argued if you are not giving your muscles 48 hours rest or that you are training with an injury then that defines overtraining. But beyond that, why is this notion starting to become part of the mainstream. I've watched a lot of guys zip in and out of the gym while I am barely halfway through my workout.
I have to wonder what defines overtraining these days.
Re: What is the definition of overtraining
Posted by TJ
Most of the top bodybuilder's of old had great genetics to begin with. Not to mention that a lot of them were on steroids in the seventies. If your training is going Ok, no problem, but if you find your enthusiasm lacking, or have trouble sleeping, no appetite, overly long periods of soreness, poundages on exercises dropping, etc., you may be doing too much.
Everyone is different and respond differently to training frequencies. I have read recently that any time in the gym over an hour produces the catabolic hormone Cortisol, which is not conducive to gaining. Some people practically live in the gym, but if they analysed their time spent there, they would see that most of it was taken up socializing. And then they wonder why they don't make progress.
Get in, train hard, and get out.
