Almost anyone that’s picked up a set of weights has or will experience symptoms of over-training at one point in there muscle building program. Over-training can lead to serious injury, chronic fatigue, and even muscle loss.
Over-training is very common amongst athletes and particularly bodybuilders, since they figure that training as much as possible is the fastest way to massive muscle gains.
This couldn’t be any further from the truth however…
Training too much, or at too high of an intensity will lead to over-training.
Now this doesn’t mean you don’t have to put plenty of effort in to see some decent results… Whether you are a bodybuilder, athlete, or just someone that wants to add some additional mass to your frame, you need to train hard and be consistent-that’s a given. In order to get the most out of your genetics, you have to progressively overload the muscles by increasing the weight and / or intensity of each weight training workout.
The problem is however, that many of us increase the intensity of our workouts or get insufficient amounts of rest, or even worse, a combination of both. The trick is finding the right balance between workout volume and intensity, and rest and recovery. And that is exactly what I’ll cover in this article. The Effects of Over-Training on Bodybuilders
First, let’s take a look at some of the effects of over-training and how one can prevent over-training from happening in the first place.
The Effects of Over-training on the Nervous System
Over-training effects both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the following negative ways:
Higher resting heart rate
Weak appetite
High blood pressure
Weight loss
Trouble sleeping
Increased metabolic rate
Irritability
Early onset of fatigue
If you are experiencing more than one of the symptoms outlined above, you may be in a state of over-training, and should evaluate your routine as soon as possible.
The Effects of Over-training on Hormone Levels
Many studies have indicated that over-training negatively effects the levels of hormones, as well as the hormone response in the body. Since hormones play such an important role in the muscle building process, this can have a detrimental effect on your training progress.
Over-training has been show to:
Decrease testosterone levels
Decrease thyroxine levels
Increase cortisol levels
The increase in cortisol levels along with the decrease in testosterone levels is a deadly combination, since this leads to protein tissue break down. This will ultimately lead to a loss of muscle tissue.
The Effects of Over-training on the Immune System
perhaps one of the most alarming repercussions of over-training is it’s negative impact on the immune system-you’re bodies first defense against harmful viruses and bacteria.
Over-training can drastically decrease the levels of antibodies and lymphocytes in your body, making you much more susceptible to illness. Simply put, this means that if you are in a state of over-training, you are much more likely to get sick. Since you will have to skip workouts while you are sick, your muscle building progress will slow considerably.
The Effects of Over-training on the Metabolic System
Here is a list of how over-training can effect the metabolic system. These symptoms are the ones that are most commonly discussed, and are ones we can’t ignore:
Micro tears in the muscle
Chronically depleted glycogen levels
Slow, weak muscle contractions
Depleted creatine phosphate stores
Excessive accumulation of lactic acid
Extreme DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)
Tendon and connective tissue damage
So you must get the point by now… Over-training effects the entire body, and can seriously impact the results of your muscle building program.
Now let’s take a look at the different types of over-training, and what we can do to prevent it.
Is it Worse to Over-Train With Cardio or Weight Training?
Any form of over-training is a bad thing, however, I’ve personally experienced both types of over-training and can honestly say that over-training in the weight room is much worse, and much more prevalent than over-training through cardiovascular training.
Here are some of the reasons why:
In order to grow, muscles must fully recover from their last workout, every workout. If you are over-training and work the muscles before they have fully recovered, you will break down the muscle tissue before it has rebuilt-making it impossible to build muscle!
Over-training with weights makes you more susceptible to nervous systems hormone and immune system issues, which all pose serious health risks.
It can lead beginners down the wrong path, perhaps wasting money on unnecessary supplements, or even worse, steroids.
I personally believe that only competitive athletes such as swimmers, runners and bikers run a serious risk of reaching a state of cardiovascular over-training, since there are often training for two or more hours daily.
The bottom line is that it is much easier for the average person to over-train while weight training than while cardiovascular training, and I think the effects can be more serious.
How do I Determine if I’m Over-training?
Determining if you’re currently over-training is fairly simple. If you’re in tune with your body, you can often see the signs of over-training before they get serious. If you are losing interest in workouts, are having trouble sleeping, and feel weak and irritable, you may be in a state of over-training and should take a week or more off.
If you are experiencing two or more of the symptoms outlined earlier in the article, this should raise a red flag.
Another variable you can use to determine if you are over-training is by tracking the performance of your workouts.
Has your physical performance improved compared to your last workout?
For example, let’s say last workout you were able to perform 8 pull-ups using your body-weight, but were only able to perform 6 pull-ups the following week. This means that you have not “out done” your previous workout, have not fully recovered, and therefore are likely over-training. You nave to re-asses your program and make modifications so that you see progress every workout.
How Can I Prevent Over-training?
n order to avoid over-training, you need to take a multi-facited approach. Determining the correct training volume and intensity, eating the right foods, and getting the right amount of rest and recovery must all be taken in to consideration. Now let’s take a look at each of those factors in more detail.
Correct Training Volume
Determining the correct training volume can be difficult, especially when you are first starting out. You have to determine how much weight to lift, how many repetitions and set to perform for every single workout.
You need to use your own judgment in this case, based on your recovery ability and your recovery methods. Remember that the goal is that you improve every single workout, and if this isn’t happening, you have to decrease the intensity of your workouts.
This is where many people go wrong though. You begin your workout and realize that you have not fully recovered. You can either continue to train at a lower intensity than the previous workout, or skip the workout entirely.
As hard as it may be, skipping the workout is the right way to go. Just turn around and go home! Your body is telling you that it needs more rest, and you must listen to it!
There is no point in training at a lower intensity, further breaking down the muscle tissue. By doing this you will increase your risk of injury, and make it harder for your body to fully recovery for your next training session
Proper Nutrition
Your diet plays a huge role in your muscle building program. It helps regulate hormone levels, provides energy, and provides the raw building blocks that are used to create new tissue.
Here are some dietary recommendations that will limit the chance of over-training:
Do not skip breakfast. This is one of the most important meals of the day. Skipping breakfast is very catabolic, and can promote muscle loss.
Never let yourself get hungry. If you’re trying to build muscle mass, you have to constantly feed your body quality foods so that it never has the chance catabolize muscle tissue.
Unless you are trying to build muscle and lose fat, make sure you have eaten prior to your training session and are not hungry.
Have the largest meal of the day within an hour after your workout. Do this every single workout!
Consider taking proven supplements like creatine, and antioxidants to increase performance and fight free radicals.
Eat every 2-3 hours to ensure that your body remains in an anabolic state.
Keep glycogen levels at full capacity to inhibit muscle tissue breakdown.
Rest & Recovery
Rest and recovery is essential when it comes to avoiding over-training. Make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, and that you are on a consistent schedule. As for recovery time, it’s important that you have days off between weight training workouts. Try to have one rest day between weight training workouts, and never train the same muscle groups on consecutive days.
If you have a back problem, it’s best to get an okay from your doctor before trying yoga. Back pain is often the result of a biomechanical imbalance in spinal structures. Yoga for back pain has been accepted by many chiropractors and back specialists. Before beginning yoga for back pain,consult your doctor to make sure you don’t make matters worse.
Back pain can be caused by a number of situations, from slipped discs to damaged muscles or ligaments. However, back pain can also be caused by infections, bone spurs or tumors. When yoga for back pain is implemented, the pain is reduced by stretching and strengthening the spine. You must exercise proper posture and this should be practiced so that you can get relieved from the back pain even when you’re not practicing yoga. Back pain is increasingly a problem for many adults. The problem can sometimes lie in the fact that the spine is compressed and the back muscles are tight and weak. Since yoga postures aim to strengthen the spine as well as lengthen and stretch muscles, it can be ideal for many back pain sufferers
Yoga For Back Pain Exercise…
You can observe your body’s natural tendency to compensate for poor spinal posture with this simple back pain exercise.
From a standing position hold a plastic water bottle in your hands.
Try raising your arms forward and up halfway until they are parallel to the ground.
You will notice a slight backward displacement of your shoulders
After a short while as you hold this position you’ll also notice muscle tension in your shoulders and upper back. This is because you body is changing its posture or “compensating” to maintain its balance while holding this position.
Recommendation on Yoga for Back Pain
It is very important to make sure that exercise is the right treatment for your particular condition. It is wise to consult a doctor before starting any exercise program.
Yoga is a fantastic physical and mental activity. It might not cure every type of pain, but it will increase your general health. A physically and mentally healthy person is always more prepared to deal with back pain than a person in poor health.
And this compensation requires the contraction of the muscles in your shoulders and upper back. That keeps you from enjoying many of life’s activities, then try yoga for back pain and finally live life as you once did.
Here is many more BENEFICIAL stretches to alleviate back pain:
Precautions to be taken for Avoiding Back Pain
Your back can continue to be healthy and strong by a regular practice of yoga for the back. Work out the poses even if you are not experiencing any back problems. Keeping your back healthy is the best way to prevent low back injury.
Only self-care cannot help you manage and relieve back pain, it can help to you prevent it.
For instance, when you’re picking up something heavy, never try to lift objects that are too heavy for you. Lift by bending your knees, not your back. Keep your back straight and your head down and lined up with your back.
Keep the object close to your body, dividing the weight evenly throughout your body as you lift. Never twist your body when lifting. Read out Yoga. Scridb filter
As a beginner, it’s often difficult to get into weight training and working out. Most beginners (including me when I was a beginner) don’t want to approach the big guys and ask them questions about workouts and what they’re doing. In today’s article we’re going to look at the top 10 bicep workout and bicep exercise mistakes. The aim of this article is to help people who are new to bicep workout and bicep training techniques. This will ensure that bicep workout and exercise beginners build the most muscle in the time they spend in the gym.
Bicep workout mistake #1 – Bad technique
I go on and on about this on eBicep.com that bicep exercise technique is very important to build big biceps. If you cheat during by swinging the weight or not lifting the full range of motion you are only cheating yourself. For details on how to do each bicep exercise correctly, see eBicep’s bicep exercises section.
Bicep workout mistake #2 – Too many sets!
There have never been a rule that says more sets = bigger biceps. It’s all about quality or training. You are better off doing 15 sets of quality bicep workout exercises than doing 30 sets of poor form rubbish. You need to concentrate on every rep of every set, watch your bicep muscle as you pull the weight up – focus on it. Just remember, a small amount of quality training will build bigger muscles than a large amount of poor quality training.
Bicep workout mistake #3 – Overtraining
Overtraining so very common, especially in a competitive environment like bodybuilding. As a general rule for all muscle groups (not just biceps): if the muscles you are about to train are still sore from your last workout, don’t train them. Simple as that. As you’ll see from my next point, resting is more important than training.
Bicep workout mistake #4 - Not enough rest
To someone new to working out, this just sounds plain stupid. Buy as experienced muscle builders know, rest is a very important part of building your muscles. When you workout your bicep muscles you’re actually breaking and tearing them (that’s why they “pump up”). And when you rest and sleep your muscle grow and repair. Not enough rest = not enough muscle growth. rest up!
Bicep workout mistake #5 – High reps / light weights
One of the most commonly asked questions in muscle building is, “how many reps should I do to build the most muscle?”. There’s is no straight answer to this because there’s so many variables. There is 1 common rule though, heavier weights/less reps = bigger and stronger muscles. So to get the most out of your bicep workout, drop the reps down to 6-8 on your big bicep exercises and do a few extra sets.
Bicep workout mistake #6 – Same old routine
After a few months of doing the same workout, your muscles will get accustomed to the workout and stop growing. This is called a plateau, and every muscle builder hit’s it at some stage. You need to mix up your bicep workouts every 2-3 months. Change days, change exercises, workout your biceps with a different muscle group. Mix it up, you’ll see and feel the difference!
Bicep workout mistake #7 – Pre-exhausted biceps
It’s important when planning your bicep workout that you don’t work any other body parts that use the biceps before your bicep workout. For example, a big mistake I see all the time is training the back then the biceps. This is not good for your biceps because all the back exercises use biceps as a secondary muscle group. So don’t train your back before your biceps, or vice versa. Train your back and biceps on separate days.
Bicep workout mistake #8 – Wrong exercise order
If you have read our bicep workout page you’ll see that we always do our biggest bicep exercises at the beginning of the workout. These are the heaviest weight movers and need the most energy. So stick to your big exercises like bicep curl at the start of your bicep workout and follow with the smaller exercises.
Bicep workout mistake #9 – Not enough rest between sets
You need to make sure you have adequate rest between sets, other you wont be able to left heavy weights, and you will not be able to grow as much muscle. For the bigger bicep sets a longer rest is OK, take what you need and don’t rush it. If your workout is taking to long, split it over a few days.
Bicep workout mistake #10 – Poor eating
You know the saying, “eat big to get big”, well it’s true. In particular you need to eat as much protein as possible and complex carbohydrates. You need to eat small meals, more often. For more information see our food to eat to build muscle article.
Peter Simpson has been a personal trainer and muscle builder for more than 9 years. For Bicep Workout and Bicep Exercise guides see Peter’s 100% dedicated bicep workout site eBicep.com
Another article about the bench press you ask? Whether you agree or not the barbell bench press is one of the most highly regarded weight room exercises period. Have you heard this conversation in the gym lately? “So how much weight can you use for preacher curls?”
“I’m moving some heavy weight, how much can you use for kickbacks?”
“I’ve been struggling on those and I have a kickback meet coming up in a few months!”
I’ll take a wild guess and say this conversation has never and will never take place. The truth is the vast majority of individuals measure their strength and even their manhood based on how much they can bench. You could be at the gym, or even at a bar having a beer but when the topic of working out comes up people are almost certain to ask the infamous question, “How much you bench?” If you don’t care how strong you are then I don’t know why you’re lifting weights anyway. The bench press is a benchmark of your strength plain and simple.
Back to the conversation we didn’t hear at the gym. What our friends above should have been asking each other isn’t how much weight they use when doing kickbacks but rather how much weight they use when they’re performing a lower pulley external rotation exercise. Did I lose you there? I know, I know we declared the bench press is the true measure of our strength not all these isolation and stabilizer exercises right?
This is true, but have you ever heard the expression, you’re only as strong as your weakest link? When you bench press there are four tiny muscles that play a major role in whether your bench press takes off or if you’re going to suffer from a bench press blowout. Build these muscles up and you can dramatically decrease the chance of blowing out your shoulder. If you’re benching heavy weight and not paying attention to these muscles you run the risk of muscular imbalances, shoulder pain, and getting stuck in a serious plateau.
When bench pressing it essential to have stability and strength in the shoulder. The four relatively small muscles predominantly responsible for stabilizing the shoulder – teres minor, infraspinatous, supraspinatous and sucscapularous – are known collectively as the ‘rotator cuff’. When these muscles contract they pull on the rotator cuff tendon, causing the shoulder to rotate. While bench pressing you may experience some rotator or shoulder pain, during part of the movement. This is likely due to weak muscles in this area. Weak muscles are often but not always the cause of rotator cuff impingement syndrome and associated rotator cuff tears. If you have the rotator cuff strength of a little girl, your body has no choice but to limit the amount of weight you can stabilize and move to prevent injury. It’s not uncommon to see an individual break through a bench press sticking point simply by incorporating direct rotator cuff training.
OK maybe now I have your attention. So how do you make sure your rotator cuff isn’t the weak link in your bench press? Or even more importantly how will you prevent a bench press blowout where you damage the rotator cuff? Like we discussed you need to strengthen the muscles, so let’s take a look at this workout routine. Remember if you already have an injury you should not use this routine as a rehab program but rather visit a sports medicine physician. If you want to prevent a future injury and break past a bench press sticking point then follow this routine twice a week. If you’re not in pain now, that’s an even better reason to follow my advice. Trust me if you have a nagging injury you’re not going to be growing or getting any stronger. Train smart, so that you can hit the weight hard when you do bench.
The first thing you need to do is stretch the muscles you are about to train. Make sure you have warmed up for a good five minutes on the bike or treadmill before you start stretching. This will help you acquire greater flexibility. You already know stretching is important so just do it. You don’t need any equipment for this stretch. You can do it one arm at a time or with both arms at the same time. Extend your arms out from the torso at a right angle. Now bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle. Place your forearms on the frame of the doorway and lean forward. You will feel the stretch in your pecs and the back of your shoulders. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds. Next I want you to hang from a pull up bar for 20-30 seconds. This isn’t a grip strength test so no you don’t have to hang on for the full 30 seconds.
Cuban Press Rotation
Grab an EZ Curl bar and perform a wide grip upright row until the bar is a few inches below your collar bone. Now keep your elbows stationary while you externally rotate the bar as if you were trying to tap your forehead. Next you will press the bar overhead. Lower the weight along the same plane and repeat for ten reps. You will not be able to use the same weight you use for standard overhead presses due to the external rotation. This exercise won’t build your ego right now, but you’ll be thanking me when your bench press increases.
Cable External Rotation
Raise the pulley until it is even with your elbow. You’ll be standing sideways next to the weight stack so if your right hand is holding the handle, your left foot should be closest to the weight stack. Grasp the cable attachment with your far arm while keeping your elbow close to your side and forearm across your stomach. Your palm should be facing in. Pull cable attachment away from body by externally rotating your shoulder. Return and repeat. Turn around and continue with opposite arm.
Cable Internal Rotation
Again raise the pulley until it is even with elbow. You’ll be standing sideways next to the weight stack but this time if your right hand is holding the handle your right foot should be closest to the weight stack. Grasp the cable attachment with the closest arm. Keep your elbow close to your side with your palm facing in. Pull the cable attachment across your body by internally rotating your shoulder. Return and repeat. Turn around and continue with opposite arm.
90-Degree Dumbbell External Rotation
To finish off the infraspinatus, hold a dumbbell in each hand, and perform a lateral raise to 90-degrees while keeping the elbows bent at 90-degrees. Once your upper arms are parallel to the floor, externally rotate your arm so that your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. It will look like starting point of a dumbbell military press. Now lower and repeat. Remember to use light weight. The infraspinatus is a tiny muscle so it can’t handle a heavy load. The shoulder horn is a great piece of equipment that keeps your arms in place while you perform this motion.
Do three sets of ten repetitions for each exercise. Perform the routine once a week in conjunction with your current workout. This is important so listen up. The last thing you want to do is pre-exhaust your rotator cuff before training the bench press. Never do this workout prior to a heavy bench press or shoulders session or you run an even greater risk of aggravating the area. You can give these exercises a try at the end of your workout, but be sure you always give your rotator cuff muscles 48-hours rest after a workout before training chest or shoulders.
Points To Remember:
The muscles of the rotator cuff are very small. Even if you’re pushing five bills on the bench press you’ll still be using five-pound dumbbells for many rotator cuff exercises. So leave your ego at the door!
Avoid lat pulldowns and military presses behind the head as they place the shoulder in a poor biomechanical position which enourages impingement.
Training your rotator cuff muscles can help you avoid pain, prevent future injuries, and fix muscular imbalances.
It’s not uncommon for a trainee to add 20+ pounds to their bench press simply by strengthening the rotator cuff muscles.
Never perform a rotator cuff routine prior to bench pressing or overhead pressing movements.
If you feel serious pain in your shoulder it may be too late. Go see a sports medicine physician.
We all know people who were really into bodybuilding/powerlifting and looked forward to bench pressing only to eventually drop out after a few years of hardcore training. Why? In many cases nagging injuries especially those of the shoulder, simply took the fun out of it. This doesn’t have to happen to you so you’re ahead of the game. The best thing you can do to keep your shoulders healthy, and make sure your bench press continues to improve is strengthen your rotator cuff muscles so that they will never be your weakest link! After all your bench press will be going nowhere fast if you’re injured. Pick up the girlie weights for a few sets once a week so you’ll experience a bench press blastoff instead of a bench press blowout.
Mike Westerdal is the owner of <a href=”http://infonian.criticalb.hop.clickbank.net/” target=”_top”>www.criticalbench.com</a>. Visit his site to receive two free PDF reports entitled, “31 Days To Bigger Arms” and “Boosting Testosterone Levels for Big Muscle Gains.”
When it comes to protecting our targets against an opponent’s attacks, especially striking attacks, a martial art student focusing on real-world\effective self-defense must be careful that you’re not overlooking one. While this target may be virtually invisible to most attackers, not to mention martial arts students and instructors, going up against a skilled fighter who knows how to exploit this weakness can have you on the losing end with a badly damaged arm, if not more, when everything is said and done it’s all over. What is this target?
And how can an attacker get to this target and you end up with a broken arm, or close to it, as a bare minimum?
Before I answer that question, here’s one for you.
Have you ever seen a boxer’s stance? Have you ever watched boxers move around during a match?
I’m sure you have.
Now, how do they hold their arms?
held almost vertically. Right?
And they do it for safety – to protect their heads and faces from being pummeled by the other guy’s fists, right?
Of course.
One more question.
Have you ever looked at pictures or film footage of one of the old-style boxers? You know, like Joe Lewis, or even those who came before him? Have you ever seen how those guys stood back then, or held their arms…before boxing gloves were used?
If you haven’t, you really should do some research so you can understand what I’m talking about. Especially if you’re serious about being able to survive against an assailant who’s serious about beating, breaking, or even killing you.
To cut to the chase, here’s a little about the old school, bare-fisted fighters. Even those who fought with gloves, didn’t have the kind of padding that you see today. So, they positioned their arms and fists in very different positions than modern boxers.
And why was that?
Because they knew that holding your arms vertically in front of your attacker’s fists, would get them beaten. They also knew that if their arms were hit while in this position, that they also stood the chance of punching themselves in the face with their own knuckles!
What does this have to do with anyone learning self-defense. Simple. Because many systems are teaching their students to fight or defend themselves with their arms in this modern boxer position.
“So,” you might be saying, “what’s the problem?”
The problem is that not knowing why something is done, or why it works in one context, can lead you to think that it works all the time. And, particularly when we’re talking about self defense and not-dying at the hands of some crazy maniac, this is certainly important.
The reason that modern boxers can position their arms the way they do is because of their gloves. Sport martial artists fighting in competitions can get away with this too. It’s because the opponent’s knuckles are covered with padding that keeps your arms from getting damaged. So, these fighters generally avoid the arms as a target. They know that it’s pointless.
But, without gloves, your attacker’s knuckles can deal a lot of damage to the narrow bones of the forearm. Something that’s just not a problem in in a sport fight.
The point here is this: if you’re studying martial arts to win trophies or to get belts, do whatever style you want and all the luck to you. However, if you’re trying to develop the ability to protect yourself against a brutal assailant who will do anything to win, there are certain mistakes you can’t afford to make.
So, regardless of what you’ve been told, avoid holding your arms vertically or at least turned with the broad back of the forearm toward your assailant and rely on distance to keep the attacker from going after your arms. After all, it’s going to be really hard to throw your own punches with arms that have been weakened or even broken because you put them out there for him to beat on.
