how do you know if you are over training??

bceogirl

bceogirl

Cathlete
Hi everyone,
I am wondering how you know what is TOO much working out? I see a lot of people here who say they split up their workouts and do cardio in the morning and weights in the evening, but it seems like they are doing two total workouts. Is that too much?? How is that different, or is it, then doing a one hour cardio workout, followed immediately by a one hour weight workout?? Is that considering overtraining if you do it every day?? Are you doing the split workouts for only a short period of time, say to break thru a plataeu?
Sorry to be so ignorant. I am in awe of some of the workouts you all are doing. When I do a really tough workout like bootcamp or the gaunlet or viper, I am proud of myself and figure I worked out my WHOLE self,and that is IT for the day, but it isn't uncommon to see people post that AFTER bootcamp, they did coremax and stretch max......or additional cardio! EGADS!!!!!!:eek: That is superhuman!!! :p
Anyway, its just something I've been wondering....
Hope everyone is having a great weekend.
PS Today for the first time ever, I split up my workout and did lowmax in the morning and just did PS chest/triceps/shoulders. It didn't seem like too much, but I couldn't do it often because of how time consuming it is.
 
Hi Becky. I work out twice a day 2or3 days a week. I do it just to burn more calories. I'm trying hard to lose fat around my thighs so it's basically just to speed things up for me.
My rotation is pretty much like this:
Mon. 1 hour cardio AM-----PLB /short cardio PM
Tue. LowMax AM------------PUB/short cardio PM
Wed. 2cardio combos/L&G's AM
Thu. Intervals AM
Fri. 1 hour cardio-AM---------walk PM
Sat. cardio/ME or PH-AM-------walk PM
Sun. walk-abs

It's time consuming, but I have the time so I do it while I can. When I w/o in the evening I always think "I'll never get thru this cardio" and I do and I feel awesome after. It loosens me back up. Big time.
If I do BC or Imax2, that's all I do. That's all I CAN do,:7 because I'm fried.
I'm told I'm working a lot, but I listen to my body and modify. Sometimes I'll do a step w/o on the floor or lighten my weights etc.

I have to tell you this. I thought I was the only person in this world that says "EGADS"!!!!:7 :7 I always use that word and my DH laughs at me all the time! I don't know why, it just comes out!
I'll have to tell him about you using it too!:)
Kali




www.PictureTrail.com/kkali
 
Becky....I can't help it...I am a cardio junkie!!! Or really I have OCD when it comes to exercise! I have no problem doing lower body work, running and upper body in a day. But, I have done this for a LONG time. Your body lets you know if you are overtraining mainly by frequent injuries, and although DOMS is nice you shouldn't have it every day!! I use a Heart Rate monitor when I run and it lets me know when I am overtraining as my HR will be elevated even if I am not pushing it. That's bad and I know to back off. It really is all aboout listening to your body and honestly not doing too much too soon. I do 2 workouts on monday but it's because I have the day off...:)...so let me say you are doing great!!http://www.smileys.ws/sm/sport/00000040.gif[/img] Think about all the people that don't or have never even worked out. We might be a bit crazy but I bet we are alot healthier...:)...Carole
 
LOL LOL Kali !

When I wrote it I thought.....where did THAT come from?????
I really don't say it in regular conversation....but it came out, so I kept it in! You don't have to tell your dh THAT though. Let him think there are two of us out there. ;)
Okay, I admit, I say plenty of other weird stuff though!!!!
Thanks for your response.
ARe you worried about burn out??
 
Hey Becky. Ok. I won't tell him.LOL
I'm not too worried about burn out right now. I'm told if I don't take a rest day I will burn out. But when I take a rest day, I can't get back into the swing of things. So I just walk or do cardio on my rest day. Just stepping. No intervals or anything insane like that!
Plus I don't use heavy weights either. I too suffer from OCD and I just go by what my body is telling me. If I'm tired I slow down,lighten the weights and take the cardio down a few notches. I think we know when we're overdoing it. So just listen to your body.
And like Carole said, you don't want to have DOMS every day. The most I've had them was 2 days so I think that's a good way to measure if you're doing too much.
Kali


www.PictureTrail.com/kkali
 
I would be overtraining if I did split workouts every day. I'm speaking for myself here. I know there are a lot of athletes out there who work their bodies hard for a competition or tournament for some months out of the year, and that's not considered overtraining. But that's them, and this is me.:)

I do split workouts for a short duration twice or thrice a year to get to a goal faster, like Kali, and because I can also be a workout junkie like Carole.:) Really, if I do split workouts at all, I'm careful not to stretch them out beyond four weeks. That's all my body can take.

I know when I'm overtraining because I'm tired all the time. I mean, it's the kind of fatigue I can't shake off even after a good night's sleep. I'm also very crabby, and I notice that I get sick faster. At some point, my body shuts down, and so I'm vigilant. When I start feeling weak during a workout, and I find myself needing to lower my weights when I was strong the last time I did the same workout, I know I'm overtraining.

Pinky
 
Becky,

There are many signs of over-training. One is when you wake up in the morning your pulse is faster then normal. When you get up before you climb out of bed, take 10 seconds and count your pulse and write it down. This is one of the big ones that I have the football and other sports players do when they train with me, they have to write down the pulse and then bring it to me. When this rises this says, you've over trained or are fighting of a bug that is trying to make you sick. Both should be treated with light intensity, as this will help your body fight the bug, or recover itself from a workout that was just too much. I found this is also the best way to know before your going to get sick. It stays raised for more then a day or two, and I start hitting the vitamin C and chicken soup hard. As well as get my doctor to prescribe the stuff that will make a cold go away in 5 days or less. I hate being sick, so I try to avoid it, or at least not be sick very long.

The other ones: headache, tiredness, bad time sleeping, stiffness, and muscle pain. Too hard of a workout will screw up hormone levels, as well as weaken your immune system, so if you notice your catching thing easy, cut down on the intensity.

But the best sign for me, is just to keep track of my morning heart rate. You don't even have to multiply it by anything, just count for 10 seconds, and keep track if it. If it rises, that's your indicator of working too hard or getting sick. If it lowers, good job you just reached another fitness level.

Kit
 
A comment on taking a prescription to fight a cold:

No medicine prescribed by a doctor will make a cold go away in 5 days or less. A cold is a virus, and the only thing to do to get rid of a virus once it has settled into your body is ride it out. Drink lots of fluids to flush your system, take in the vitamin C and Echinacea or zinc lozenges, but any money spent on a prescription is a waste of money if you're trying to get rid of a cold or flu virus. Especially do not take an antibiotic unless your flu virus has created a lung infection. Antibiotics will only make the virus stronger for the next go-round.

The best thing to do when you feel a cold coming on is to drink a couple of 20 oz. bottles of orange juice within a couple of hours, and suck on some Halls Defense lozenges. This works every time for me and I haven't developed a cold in years by following this practice.

Being the child of a biochemist who worked for one of the top drug manufacturers in the country for several years has taught me a lot.
 
Actually I am talking about the new prescriptions that helps the immune system, and since I've taken them, I have never had a cold last longer then 5 days. And even on the hand out, the pharmacist gives, it even tells you, the cold will be shorten and usually gone with in 3 to 7 days. And with my immune system, it usually takes me at least two weeks to get completely over a cold a bit longer. Which is the reason why the doctor gave it to me in the first place. For me, it's well worth the money to have a cold for a week or less, then one for 2 weeks or more. It's not a cure, but it has helped a lot, it's also used in the hosptial where I work part time, and the doctors have had a lot of really good results with it. As well as the other one for the flu.

Kit
 
Thank you everybody for your answers and advice. I guess the real message here is to listen to your own body!
After my split workout (or double workout....whatever you would call it) yesterday of lowmax in the morning and PS bi's/shoulders/chest , I really felt good........am not sore or tired this morning, so I guess I can handle that. I might consider splitting up workouts a couple times a week. :D
I am not trying to lose weight, but really like the defination I am starting to get. I've NEVER seen shape and muscle in my shoulders before........but there it is! My abs too. What better motivation is there??????;-) :p
Thank you all again. You had very good advice and suggestions.
Enjoy your Sunday!!
 
Becky,

That's great, and do start slowly into doing split workouts, as that is the key to keep you going, and allow your body to get use to it. But it sounds like you have really done an awesome job and really are creating a great looking body. So keep up the work and you'll have your goals in no time.

Kit
 
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