Muscle Gain and Overtraining Don’t Mix

Posted on June 28, 2009
Filed Under Health | Leave a Comment

Are you trying to get yourself into good shape? If so, there is a good chance that you are spending hours at the gym working with your intense weightlifting. When you want to get good results, there are some important things to keep in mid.

However, there is one caution you’re going to have to take note of. That is, you’ve got to avoid overtraining. Overtraining occurs when you work too hard, so you’re not giving your body the rest and recuperation it needs between weightlifting sessions so that you can repair and beheld the muscle you’re breaking down.

Let’s talk about how your body builds muscles and what you need to do to get there. Remember that when you work out, you are not making your muscles bigger. What you are actually doing is creating tiny rips and tears in the muscles that you have and encouraging them to heal as time goes on.

When the rips in your muscles heal, remember that they are going to get more tissue coming and filling in the tears, and this tissue will be tougher and stronger than the tissue used to be. This is the process that actually lets you build muscle.

Remember that if you are overtraining your muscle is just going to begin breaking down. There is no time for it to try to repair itself and the muscles that you want are actually being prevented from building.

Look for these symptoms to see whether or not you’re overtraining. If you are, you can take steps to improve this and get back on the muscle-building track.

When you are overtraining, you will find that you are no seeing many results. Remember that overtraining is something that is going to have several symptoms as well, so make sure that you take the time to stop and be aware.

Your testosterone levels will go down. If you don’t let yourself recover between your workout sessions, your testosterone level is going to drop.

Another thing that you might notice is that you are going to start gaining fat. Not only will your muscles feel like they aren’t going anywhere, you will find that your body is going to get softer. Not only does your testosterone drop, your cortisol goes up. Cortisol controls stress in your body and encourages weight gain.

Have you noticed that your health is taking a blow? If so, this is definitely a sign that you need to stop. When you work out too hard, your immune system is going to suffer for it. If you see that you are getting colds and flus more easily, it is time to slow down. Working out should give you less health problems, not more.

Have you started losing muscle mass? This sign should give you some real concern because when you overtrain, you are going to lose muscle rather than gaining it. If this is something that is happening even when you notice that you are training correctly, it is time to reassess what is going on.

Now that we have identified the problem, let’s look at the solution. First, remember that you are going to need rest and nutrition. When you do one day of weigh training, follow it up with a day of rest.

It’s a good idea to do some light cardio on your “rest” days, but the big point here is that you should be resting your muscles from heavy-duty lifting. They need time to recover and to repair.

Also remember that the food that you eat is going to be essential as well. Your body cannot build itself up without good materials, so make sure that you get lots of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins into your diet. This can really make all the difference when you want to look good and feel good.

About the Author:

Comments

Leave a Reply