Overtraining & recovery

Type: Weight training
9.30am, Delta Sports Complex; 2pm, home

We are defined by what we do. But overtraining just kills it. That happens when you push too hard and rest too little, and it builds up over several months.

It’s like binging – oddly pleasurable but never useful.

Overtraining symptoms include: Disturbances in rhythm and flow of movement, diminished powers of endurance, strength, speed. Increased irritability, obstinacy, tendency to hysteria etc (more at Brianmac.co.uk).

I think I’m on the threshold of overtraining. I’m tired, it’s a chore to lift, and my knees and hamstrings ache and ache (that’s why I just worked on my upper body today). Bugger.

So for the next week, I’ll take it easy: Rest and functional/core workouts and keep it low-intensity. I’ll probably head out to get a massage (Tui-na & Balinese works wonders) and douse myself in cold-hot showers.

I’ve been reading Shayananna’s post on recovering from overtraining. I’ll pick out the parts that I’ll use:

• Avoid excessive use of eccentrics and/ or exaggerated eccentric rep tempo. This doesn’t mean not to use these methods, it simply means to vary your rep tempos, mixing in periods where the eccentric portion is actually de-emphasized. A change from a 3-1-1-0 tempo to a 2-0-x-0 tempo would be an example of this.
  
• Allow for periods of lower intensity training. Remember that your muscles will gain strength much faster than your tendons will. Failure to observe this fact will lead to tendons that are weak in comparison to the muscles they are attached to. This will lead to a very real possibility of a major injury to those tendons.
  
• Lots of sleep - and try for good sleep. I don't recommend this all the time, but if you're feeling EXTREME exertion, you may want to consider a sleeping aid for a night or two. I've used Valerian when I get there and really NEED nice deep sleep.

Give me a shout if you have any remedies that I could use. Thanks!

Exercises for the day

Morning set (no compound/leg exercises):

1. 4 sets X Flat Benches (11 X 17.5kg per side)
2. 4 sets X Crossover push ups (10X)
3. 4 sets X Seated Rows (12 X 110lbs)
4. 4 sets X Assisted pull ups (8 X 50lbs)
5. 4 sets X Bicep curls to Arnold presses (10 X 10kg)
6. 4 sets X Push ups (10X)
7. 4 sets X Roman Chair (12 X)
8. 4 sets X Shrugs (15 X 22.5kg per arm)
9. 4 sets X Lateral raises (12 X 7.5kg)

Afternoon set:

1. 3 sets X Torso twists (20 X)
2. 3 sets X Crunches on exercise ball (30 X)