Overtraining is one of the most common mistakes committed generally by avid exercisers and particularly by bodybuilders. Not only does overtraining result in serious injuries or extreme fatigue, but it could actually be counterproductive and reduce muscle mass instead of building it.

Effort is no doubt needed to make the most of muscle building programs. But training hard is not necessarily the same as training smart. You need to employ progressive overload techniques to achieve the target quickly and safely without the danger of regressing.

The trick to optimizing any workout for maximizing muscle mass is to increase intensity progressively and get sufficient rest between workouts to allow muscle to recover and grow, because muscle grows during rest and not during workouts.

Consequences of Overtraining on Bodybuilders

Overtraining has serious consequences on various systems of the body:

Consequences of Overtraining on Nervous System:

-Increase in base heart rate

-Increase in blood pressure

-Loss of appetite

-Insomnia

-Fatigue

-Restlessness

Consequences of Overtraining on Hormone Levels:

-Decrease in anabolic hormones like testosterone and thyroxine

-Increase in the catabolic hormone cortisol

Consequences of Overtraining on Metabolic System:

-Micro-tears in muscles

-Extremely low levels of glycogen

-Loss of contraction ability in muscles

-Low levels of creatine phosphate

-High accrual of lactic acid

-High DOMS – delayed onset muscle soreness

-Harm to tendons and connective tissues

Overtraining with Cardio versus Overtraining with Bodybuilding – Which is Worse?

Although overtraining is bad in any form of exercise, overtraining with bodybuilding has much more serious consequences for the following reasons:

-Ample rest is required after every workout that damages muscle tissue. If you work out before the muscle tissue has been repaired, further damage occurs and it becomes impossible to recover.

-Bodybuilding greatly burdens the nervous system and overtraining can result in severe health risks.

-Lack of quick results in bodybuilding can force many to turn to unnecessary supplements or even steroids.

How to know if you are Overtraining?

If you suffer from two or more of the above listed symptoms, you could be overtraining. Secondly, check whether your performance has decreased during workouts. If you are unable to match your last workout, there is a strong chance that you have been overtraining.

How to Prevent Overtraining?

Correct volume and intensity of training, adequate rest and recovery, and proper nutrition is the three pronged approach to avoid overtraining.

1.Correct Volume and Intensity of Training

Start with volume and intensity that you are comfortable with. Once you are regular with your workout regimen, increase the volume and intensity by 5 percent every few workouts. This is the progressive overload technique which is the safest and most efficient technique to work out and build maximum muscle mass.

Your intention should be to improve with every workout and raising your core strength every time. Training with maximum intensity and volume from the beginning almost always proves hazardous to your muscle building goals.

2.Rest and Recovery

Use your judgment to decide how much rest you need to recover before the next workout. Never train on consecutive days. You can work different muscle groups on different days of the week to avoid overtraining. Get a good 8 hour sleep every night.

3.Nutrition

Proper nutrition helps your body recover faster from workouts as it restores depleted levels of various chemicals. Here are some nutrition tips to avoid chances of overtraining:

-Eat your breakfast early to reverse the catabolic process that sets in at night as you sleep.

-Eat every 3 hours to keep your body in an anabolic state.

-Drink protein and carb shakes before and after your workout.

-Take healthy supplements like creatine.

Author Bio: Train hard concept alone is already outdated. It is now to train hard and smart to optimize your fat loss or muscle building effort. There are more smart tips not just on training and diet that you can get at http://LoseFatBeMuscular.com – written by Azad, creator of http://LoseFatBeMuscular.com

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: weight training, over training, muscle building, muscle mass, cardio, nutrition, recovery