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Overtraining

Michael Medvig CFT

Now here is one of the least understood but most important terms you need to know. First off, a little primer on training terms.

1. Undertraining- You are not getting the maximum amount of gains you should have.

2. Maximum training- You are training at the proper range. You are pushing your body to adapt to new stressloads and your body is able to recover. This is where you need to be to see maximum fat loss and gains in strength and muscle.

3. Overtraining- I applaud your zeal but you are pushing yourself too much. Overtraining means your body is being pushed past it's limits and it isn't able to repair itself. If you are overtraining your body will give you some simple signs to take it easy. Keep it up and say goodbye to all progress.

How do you know you are overtraining?

Everyone is different but look for one or more of the following symptoms.

Headaches

Aching all over.

nausea

lethargy

Joint pains

Lack of appetite

Poor sleep

" I don't care attitude"

Lowered resistance to colds and infections

Diarrhea

Your body is telling you to take a day or two off and you better do it. You cannot push through overtraining. Anyone who tells you to " tough it out" is a fool. Your body is telling you it needs rest.

How do you overtrain? With the programs I teach, it is hard to overtrain but it can happen from time to time.

Here are some factors that contribute to overtraining.

Working out more than 40 minutes at a time.

Not taking days off. You should take a day off every 2-3 days and rest. Here is a perfect example of " Less is more" not "More is better."

Not getting enough sleep.

Not eating right.

Not spacing your meals out.

Stresses at home.

Stresses at work.

Lack of proper vitamins and minerals.

Not staying hydrated. Easy tip: When you urinate, check the color. The lighter the better.

What to do when you are overtraining

Take some time off and relax. A day or two should do it. Don't worry about making up the workouts.

It is too easy to get obsessed with getting fit. Take this time to do something else. Get your mind on something you enjoy doing.

If you must do something, read a exercise book.

Make sure you are getting enough rest and eating right .

Don't get me wrong on this. Don't baby yourself. But as Kenny Rogers once said so elequently, " You gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em."

Think of it this way. Ever drive a 5-speed car? The tachometer tells you the optimal number of revolutions you need to maximize your shifting. Shift to low ( undertraining ) you don't have any performance or power. Shift too high ( Overtraining ) you are pushing the engine too hard and you are going to blow your engine up.

We all go through undertraing and overtraining. This is part of exercise. If you want to get the body you have always wanted, remember the following:

Recognize when you are overtraining.

Take steps to fix it ASAP.

I hope this helps,

Michael Medvig CFT

M Factor Fitness

Undertraining

by Michael Medvig CFT

M Factor Fitness

One of the most common questions is " How do I know I am doing enough?"

fair enough and the answer is in two, Physical and Mental.

First, let's talk about training ranges. There are 3 and you always need to know which range you are in.

Maximum training range. Here you are pushing yourself and your body is adapting and you are making maximum progress.

Overtraining- You are doing too much and your body isn't recovering.

Undertraining- You are not putting enough stress on your body to get the changes you want.

Undertraining is a critical issue to understand for several reasons.

It will take you a much longer time to reach your goals. The slower the progress you make, the more likely you will give up.

Your body isn't adapting to added stress so in terms of protecting yourself from diseases and ailments of inactivity, you are giving yourself minimal protection.

If you are undertraining you probably are not having fun with your program. This will also lead to giving up.

Here are a couple reasons people undertrain.

Fear of pain. If you haven't worked out before, I have news for you. It hurts. Muscles are taxed, lactic acid builds up and your body uses pain as a signal for you to stop. Stretching hurts, Cardio work hurts. There is no way around this.

Here is the important distinction:

Good Pain- Slow ache that builds as you are lifting a weight and goes away after the exercise stops. This is muscle pain and this is what you want. The great Muhammad Ali never started counting sit-ups until the pain started.

Here is a more important distinction:

If you have never trained before or if you haven't trained in a while it is very easy to rip, pull or tear muscles by pushing too hard.

Here is a more critical distinction:

Once you have been training a few weeks, if you are using the correct weight and correct technique, it is next to impossible to rip, pull or tear your muscles. The muscle will shut down before any damage can be done.

This is what I have found to be true throughout the years.

No matter how tired you are, you can always do another rep.

Whatever you think your training threshold is, it is actually much more than that.

Whatever limits you have put on yourself, they are too low.

Examples: " I can't do 25 pushups".

" I will never be able to run 2 miles in 12 minutes."

Bad pain- If you feel bad pain, stop immediately.

Sharp pain in the muscle or joint.

Pops

Any pain non-muscle related.

Bad pain is a result of:

Poor technique.

Too much weight

Environment factors. Bad equipment, not keeping your workout area clean, slippery surfaces etc...

Important workout tip: Challenge yourself. Just because your trainer asks you to do 10 reps, doesn't mean you can't add a few more. At least let him/her know you need more weight/reps next time.

Conclusion: Don't be afraid to push yourself. Exercise is very safe. I view workouts as a metaphor for life. If you don't push yourself you will never get ahead. Believe me on this: You will get used to it and even grow to look forward to it. Workout time is your time. Make the most of it.

Michael Medvig

M Factor Fitness