Comments on: Overtraining Overview: Should You be Concerned? http://www.drclay.com/2009/12/overtraining-overview/ Your home for accurate, unbiased information on fat loss, building muscle, nutrition, weight training, and more Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:47:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DrClay http://www.drclay.com/2009/12/overtraining-overview/comment-page-1/#comment-907 DrClay Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:48:25 +0000 http://www.drclay.com/?p=1724#comment-907 Yeah, I'd say that's overtraining for sure, Jim. Or you're at least overtraining your chest and triceps, that's pretty safe to say. As for how to grow muscles faster, that's a large part of what this site is all about. So I'd encourage you to read, read, read - both here and at TMuscle.com - the best site for training and nutrition information. Stay tuned! But until then, keep working hard. Yeah, I’d say that’s overtraining for sure, Jim. Or you’re at least overtraining your chest and triceps, that’s pretty safe to say. As for how to grow muscles faster, that’s a large part of what this site is all about. So I’d encourage you to read, read, read – both here and at TMuscle.com – the best site for training and nutrition information.

Stay tuned! But until then, keep working hard.

]]> By: jim http://www.drclay.com/2009/12/overtraining-overview/comment-page-1/#comment-882 jim Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:47:36 +0000 http://www.drclay.com/?p=1724#comment-882 ok so im really skinny , and im doing pushups for almost an hour everydday, is that overtraining? and how can i grow my muscles faster? ok so im really skinny , and im doing pushups for almost an hour everydday, is that overtraining?
and how can i grow my muscles faster?

]]> By: DrClay http://www.drclay.com/2009/12/overtraining-overview/comment-page-1/#comment-675 DrClay Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:09:50 +0000 http://www.drclay.com/?p=1724#comment-675 Jack, that's a very good question! I would say that as a general rule that's probably accurate. I think part of it, however, has to do with something slightly more simple: most beginners do not yet know how to train "all out." Thus a beginner - intermediate doing 9 sets for chest may be just right, yet I can (if I wanted to) do a LOT of CNS and muscular damage to my chest in just 9 sets, so much that it'd be overkill. But I (and other training vets) can practically kill a muscle in no time by ramping up the intensity. You can either train long or you can train hard. If you try to train long and hard, you will overtrain. In closing, I must point out that individual recuperative abilities vary TREMENDOUSLY! Thus I'd never say x number of sets is too much etc. Whether genetics or nutrition, some can tolerate more work, some less. Taking that and other things like you mentioned into account is where things can get confusing. But I'll continue to do my best to keep you all pointed in the right direction. Best, Dr Clay Jack, that’s a very good question!

I would say that as a general rule that’s probably accurate. I think part of it, however, has to do with something slightly more simple: most beginners do not yet know how to train “all out.” Thus a beginner – intermediate doing 9 sets for chest may be just right, yet I can (if I wanted to) do a LOT of CNS and muscular damage to my chest in just 9 sets, so much that it’d be overkill. But I (and other training vets) can practically kill a muscle in no time by ramping up the intensity.

You can either train long or you can train hard. If you try to train long and hard, you will overtrain.

In closing, I must point out that individual recuperative abilities vary TREMENDOUSLY! Thus I’d never say x number of sets is too much etc. Whether genetics or nutrition, some can tolerate more work, some less. Taking that and other things like you mentioned into account is where things can get confusing. But I’ll continue to do my best to keep you all pointed in the right direction.

Best,
Dr Clay

]]> By: Jack http://www.drclay.com/2009/12/overtraining-overview/comment-page-1/#comment-661 Jack Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:41:07 +0000 http://www.drclay.com/?p=1724#comment-661 Dr. Clay, What you were describing with chest training sounds like a good recipe for planned, short-term overreaching followed by time off or at least cutting out or reducing chest work to a bare minimum for a brief phase (while training the rest of the body) before returning to training the entire body regularly. As you noted, the human body is remarkably adaptable, so we can build up to some amazing volumes and intensity levels of work when we are smart about our developmental progression. For a general rule of thumb, would you say that it is accurate (for the most part) to say that beginners/"elower-level" intermediate lifters are more likely to overtrain by volume (due to relatively underdeveloped work capacity/being less robust from a structural development standpoint) and that "higher-level intermediate/advanced lifters would be more likely to run into CNS issues if pushing the gas pedal down too hard and for too long, since they have the capacity to recruit a lot more fibers? Dr. Clay, What you were describing with chest training sounds like a good recipe for planned, short-term overreaching followed by time off or at least cutting out or reducing chest work to a bare minimum for a brief phase (while training the rest of the body) before returning to training the entire body regularly.

As you noted, the human body is remarkably adaptable, so we can build up to some amazing volumes and intensity levels of work when we are smart about our developmental progression.

For a general rule of thumb, would you say that it is accurate (for the most part) to say that beginners/”elower-level” intermediate lifters are more likely to overtrain by volume (due to relatively underdeveloped work capacity/being less robust from a structural development standpoint) and that “higher-level intermediate/advanced lifters would be more likely to run into CNS issues if pushing the gas pedal down too hard and for too long, since they have the capacity to recruit a lot more fibers?

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