Overtraining Will Kill Your Gains - by Chris Aceto

[petersouth]

It would be interesting to see how many of these guys like branch would actually grow without tons of steroids given their lifting form can't have them stimulating much of anything really.

 

[ToroPharmaRep]

great article, nothing ground breaking but a strong reminder of the basics. We all get caught on the overtraining bandwagon at some point.

 

[AshopRep]

It would be interesting to see how many of these guys like branch would actually grow without tons of steroids given their lifting form can't have them stimulating much of anything really.

You don't think Branch stimulates muscle lifting heavy like he does?

 

[KillerStack]

You don't think Branch stimulates muscle lifting heavy like he does?

Yeah I think that type of ballistic training "stimulates" muscle way more than more controlled training. Imagine the forces when reversing direction in a movement when going so fast! Very dangerous but it does "stimulate" LOL. He wouldn't be ripping muscles left and right otherwise.

I think it's funny how everyone says what Chris says is something "everyone knows". But when someone like mountaindog laughs at "overtraining" these same guys are there saying "right on!"

 

[Mike28]

Yates pretty much preaches the same thing. Concentric part boom explode quickly but he preaches a fairly slow controlled eccentric part of the rep if I recall correctly.

Works for me

 

[zaosha]

I believe that overtraining does exist, but I am halfway in the CT Fletcher camp... Which is to say that for every mofo out there overtraining there are a thousand who are undertraining and getting shit results due to not putting in the work.

Also, it is an adaptive feature. You can acclimate your body to very high workloads over time. I used high intensity type training for years with pretty mediocre results early on. I probably now average 3-4x the number of sets I did back then and I train twice as frequently. So, the workload I do now is literally 6-8 times what I used in my late teens and early twenties (I am 35)and my results are drastically improved.

 

[Cerberus777]

It would be interesting to see how many of these guys like branch would actually grow without tons of steroids given their lifting form can't have them stimulating much of anything really.

I made the best gains lifting that way, I was natural as well...its not the smartest/safest way to train...but its very effective.

 

[Johnny Smiles]

I think training and how you train is the smallest most insignificant part of bodybuilding. any moneky can lift heavy things repeatedly.

I have a feeling that a guy could train Mountaindog style, phil hernon style, dorian yates style etc and they would look damn near the same if they were eating and drugging the same in each method of training..... just a hunch... I don't think the WAY phil heath trains matters too much.... just a hint and from experience....
-JS

 

[Jude2]

come on, hahahaha

Maybe he was drinking a lot of LBA also.

 

[wukillabee]

I think training and how you train is the smallest most insignificant part of bodybuilding. any moneky can lift heavy things repeatedly.

I have a feeling that a guy could train Mountaindog style, phil hernon style, dorian yates style etc and they would look damn near the same if they were eating and drugging the same in each method of training..... just a hunch... I don't think the WAY phil heath trains matters too much.... just a hint and from experience....
-JS

Exactly! I always tell people working out is the fun and easy part, what's hard is being consistent with training, diet, and sleep/recovery over years at a time. Any dummy can "lift things up and put them down." Kids come up to me at the gym and ask training advice for putting on size, first thing i ask is what is your diet like? Training is the fun part for me, which is what really got me into this sport/lifestyle!

For all this "overtraining" crap i believe it pertains mainly if not soley to all natty lifters. For sure for all natty not all the creatine mono/bcaa/etc will help you if you're doing 20+ sets per body part. Now once you're on hormones it's a completely different story, apples to oranges.

I can easily say though once i went away from the "traditional style" of lifting to DC style and Dorian Yates style, has put the most muscle on me in the shortest amount of time possible. Sticking with this now and working well, no need to fix what ain't broken as this stuff really isn't rocket science unless you feel the need to make it as such.

 

[Chode Logan]

I think training and how you train is the smallest most insignificant part of bodybuilding. any moneky can lift heavy things repeatedly.

I have a feeling that a guy could train Mountaindog style, phil hernon style, dorian yates style etc and they would look damn near the same if they were eating and drugging the same in each method of training..... just a hunch... I don't think the WAY phil heath trains matters too much.... just a hint and from experience....
-JS

I would have to agree with this. The MOST important part of training is building that connection so you are truly stimulating the muscle....if you aren't doing that, you won't get great results. As long as you have that part down, I don't think many of the other factors really matter in the long run.

 

[CrimsonPharmaRep]

I would have to agree with this. The MOST important part of training is building that connection so you are truly stimulating the muscle....if you aren't doing that, you won't get great results. As long as you have that part down, I don't think many of the other factors really matter in the long run.

As I get older , this comes into play so much more.

 

[Landmonster]

I get much better results doing less weight but more sets

For me it is basically the opposite, I didn't start growing until I really focused on actively using MORE poundages.


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Also, for anyone who says it is "not possible to overtrain if you're eating enough"... that is flat out false. You must never have really been training balls-to-the-wall if you believe that.

I recall nights in the gym where I was literally feeling sick because I was so stuffed full of food. I recall thinking "I don't know how I could have eaten any more food today, I've been stuffed all day to the point of feeling ill".

Even still, my muscles were brutally sore, and I had that lack of "drive" that is necessary to really push heavy weights. Muscles felt like they needed more recovery, and extra food wasn't getting it done.

It never crossed my mind, that like "I could easily lift this weight if I just ate more food today...!". No. I think it is a balancing act between food, sleep, rest, drugs, and training.


As an example: Could you max yourself out on a simple workout of squats, leg press, and hack squat, for 5 sets each, working upto your maximum poundage for 10 reps every day? Could you repeatedly do this, day in, day out, weeks on end? "Just eat more bro".

You couldn't do this on any combination of food, AAS, hormones, peptides, or sleep. The muscles simply need more rest.

You could definitely "complete the workout", as in, complete the sets and reps each day. You could maybe even keep it up for months on end... but you wouldn't be progressing. Your body would eventually adapt to it in some way, but it doesn't mean you'd be getting bigger or stronger. You'd adapt to it by having to use less weight.

 

[BigDM]

For me it is basically the opposite, I didn't start growing until I really focused on actively using MORE poundages.


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Also, for anyone who says it is "not possible to overtrain" if you're eating enough... that is flat out false. You must never have really been training balls to the wall if you believe that.

I recall nights in the gym where I was literally feeling sick because I was so stuffed full of food. I recall thinking "I don't know how I could have eaten any more food today, I've been stuffed all day to the point of feeling ill".

Even still, my muscles were brutally sore, and I had that lack of "drive" that is necessary to really push heavy weights. Muscles felt like they needed more recovery, and extra food wasn't getting it done.

It never crossed my mind, that like "I could easily lift this weight if I just ate more food today...!". No. I think it is a balancing act between food, sleep, rest, drugs, and training.

The older I get it seems that rest and sleep are the largest factors in the type of gains I'm able to make. I don't get enough of either and those two things are my biggest challenges these days. Training, diet and drugs are the easy part, at least for me.

 

[sma]

.Also, for anyone who says it is "not possible to overtrain if you're eating enough"... that is flat out false. You must never have really been training balls-to-the-wall if you believe that.

I recall nights in the gym where I was literally feeling sick because I was so stuffed full of food. I recall thinking "I don't know how I could have eaten any more food today, I've been stuffed all day to the point of feeling ill".

Even still, my muscles were brutally sore, and I had that lack of "drive" that is necessary to really push heavy weights. Muscles felt like they needed more recovery, and extra food wasn't getting it done.

Landmonster I have made those mistakes as well. A few other mistakes to name a few:
1.taking way to many sets to failure.
2.not focusing on mmc chode Logan explained it good.
3. Eating less carbs on off days
4. Not Using sets that lead up to my heaviest set as working sets
5. Eating just enough calories
6. Not listening to my body
7. The most important not enjoying myself

 

[Cerberus777]

Sma,

#7 the last thing you said about training. I feel is the most important
after trying to find the "magical" workout. I found its the one that you enjoy enough to keep progress and keep at it. Provided nutrients and hormones are optimal

 

[Ashop]

Undereating and undersleeping will kill your gains.

The body becomes it's function. If it's function is extreme volume training it will eventually adapt to it if feed and rested enough.

I don't buy that overtraining BS for one minute.

I do believe in overtraining,,,but as you mention,,,under eating,,,eating poorly,,,not sleeping amongst many other things can contribute.

 

[AshopRep]

I know it's time to take a day off when I get sick.

 

[Bobby Light]

Sma,

#7 the last thing you said about training. I feel is the most important
after trying to find the "magical" workout. I found its the one that you enjoy enough to keep progress and keep at it. Provided nutrients and hormones are optimal

Exactly! If your diet and everything else is in place then the best workout plan is one that you believe in...nothing worse than trying to follow a protocol that you really don't have fun doing.

 

[GottaGain]

The problem for me is when I get the endorphin rush from exercise I just want to keep going and going. It feels awesome at the time, but I end up paying for it later on when I feel tired all the time and my strength goes down the shitter.