One of the common misconceptions regarding training is that the more you do the bigger and stronger you will be. It is easy to see why beginners tend to think this, as muscles clearly need stimulation to grow or improve, right?

While it is true to a point, muscles and their abilities improve during recovery – in order to allow growth and strength improvement the training schedule must afford sufficient recovery time. Without recovery the body can easily enter a state known as ‘overtraining’. This is when the training schedule causes tissue breakdown (an effect of training) that is not sufficiently repaired during the rest periods of the training schedule.

Overtraining is displayed by common symptoms such as:

Persistent muscle soreness (Delayed onset muscle soreness)
Persistent fatigue
Elevated resting heart rate
Increased susceptibility to infections
Increased incidence of injuries
Irritability
Depression
Loss of motivation
Insomnia
Decreased appetite

A rather one-dimensional view of the human body and training suggests that only the muscles are affected by weight lifting and cardiovascular exercise, so if there is no DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) evident then the muscles must be fully recovered, therefore it will be fine to train again.

The reason we tend not to train the same muscles on consecutive days is due to the nervous system and the effect that exertion of such energy has on our organs. Unfortunately (not their fault really, they are not educated on the topic) most people tend to see weight training as a concept that only affects the muscles, yet they fail to realise that the energy required for the process taxes the digestive system and the cardiovascular system, the electrical messages that contract the muscles are sent via the nervous system, the build up of waste products requires removal from the blood stream using the liver etc – the body works in unison to achieve even small, insignificant movements.

The reason you feel as though you can train in the same day is because muscle is a very adaptable tissue – ATP (muscle fuel) is replaced very quickly, meaning you may feel able to train later that day. We have evolution to thank for this – it wouldn’t make sense if using muscles meant they needed days of recovery. If we had just run away from a lion then couldn’t move for 48 hours, we were in pretty big trouble! Muscles have to refuel fast.

If you were to train 7 days consecutively, giving your absolute all into every set (as I hope you already do!) you would see recovery times in action. You wouldn’t do yourself any harm as long as you didn’t make a habit of it. I would expect to see a decline in strength towards the end of the week. The reason we factor in rest days in so you can recover enough to put your all into every session you do.

The important thing to remember here is that overtraining isn’t the same to everyone. Take for example a boxer who has to make weight for a fight. Ricky Hatton has been known to drop 40lbs in the 12 weeks leading up to a fight. Not only does he have to drop the weight, he has to condition his body to the point where it will last a potential 36 minutes of intense physical stress. His fighting style is all-action, meaning he will need to be incredibly fit.

Now we know the size of his task, imagine the training he would need to endure. He would need the explosive power to knock his opponents out, so would be put through a punishing strength-building weight training routine. He would need the cardiovascular capability to throw around 1000 punches during the fight, as well as dodge his opponent for up to 36 minutes. To achieve the fight fitness he requires, Ricky would be training intensely perhaps 5-6 days per week for 12 weeks, yet stays relatively injury free.

Add to this the fact he has to lose 3.3lbs per week, meaning he is on a calorie restriction. Potentially, his intake of vitamins and minerals is reduced during this time, which would increase the chances of illness and injury.

Surely these factors point towards him being at huge risk of overtraining?

Overtraining is all relative. We all have different recovery abilities and are able to withstand varying amounts of physical stress. Part of this will be genetic; part of it will be down to our basic evolutionary physiology and the rest will be developed through training. There are no hard and fast rules, such as ‘any more than 4 sessions per week is too much’, and I would be deeply suspicious of anyone who would suggest that to be the case. We are all different.

We all have different recovery abilities. Part of this will be genetic; part of it will be down to our basic evolutionary physiology and the rest will be developed through training. There are no hard and fast rules, such as ‘any more than 4 sessions per week is too much’

Ricky has a team of professionals who structure his training and diet for the entire training camp. They will know how hard he can be pushed, how many calories they will want him to consume and the will monitor his progress, ensuring he is on target. It is their job to ensure he makes the fight, and he makes the fight in top condition, not some fatigued, injured mess who is at an increased risk of illness!

Could a bigger who is suffering from problems such obesity, hypertension, joint pains or various other contraindications manage such a punishing schedule?

No.

You have to listen to your body. If you feel tired, run down, are picking up injuries then assess your training, take a few days off. Your body will thank you. I personally schedule a rest week around every 6-8 weeks, depending on how I feel. When I return to the gym I feel strong and refreshed after the break.

Now we established that overtraining is different for everyone, we will look at strategies we can implement to avoid overtraining.

The obvious advice is to address intensity, frequency and duration of the training. There is also the nutritional aspect – the body must be provided with the correct fuel in order to function properly. Essentially, you have to listen to your body. If you are feeling tired, not as strong as usual, suffering from muscular soreness etc, it may be best to take a day or two off.

Allowing more time for the body to recover:

Increase number of rest days.
Reducing the volume of the training
Reducing the frequency of the training
Suitable periodization (progression structure) of training
Splitting the training program so that different sets of muscles are worked on different days
Deep-tissue sports massage treatments
Hot/Cold recovery therapies

Changing diet:

Ensuring that calorie intake at least matches expenditure (assuming fat loss is not the goal)
Ensuring total calories are from a suitable macronutrient ratio
Addressing vitamin deficiencies

You have to be aware of your body and your fitness – you intrinsically know how you are. Check you are still making progress and are feeling good. If you recognise the early signs of overtraining listed earlier in this article, you can avoid any major problems by managing the situation properly. Take a few days off training, have a massage, a daily sauna etc.

It is a fine line – don’t be scared of taking a rest when you need to, but don’t restrict your progress by being over-careful. Just stay aware of yourself and you can’t go wrong!

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