Overtraining page

[Friedman]

Hi guys. I do "Brawn" bodybuilding but have the tendency to get colds rather often which blows out my training. I am a total stick insect but have built up mass in the past with this method. Now I am embarking on a PB way of life... so...

For hard training two or three times a week, what do you advise for recovery, battling soreness, not getting a cold etc?

I'm doing basically squats, deadlifts, bench presses, lat pulldowns and calf raises.

A few times a week I go walking and maybe the odd run here and there (low intensity)

I suspect nutrition rather thant he activity itself so I wonder if any of you guys have experience of the PB diet to battle these kinds of symptoms.

Thanks chaps.

[Apex Predator]

Many people find they get sick much less frequently, if at all, on primal, though the degree varies due to commitment and predisposition.

Make sure your D3 levels are optimal, and do primal correctly, and I'd expect a significant increase in your immune system.

[Friedman]

Thank you sir. I need to read up on what my D3's are now. I'm a bit of a beginner I'm afraid.

[Apex Predator]

Thank you sir. I need to read up on what my D3's are now. I'm a bit of a beginner I'm afraid.

Don't apologize, we all started there. Do your own research, ask intelligent questions, and use what you've learned in your own studies to filter the different answers you get.

[Apex Predator]

As far as my experience, my immune system had always been good, though not great. Now, it's essentially perfect. YMMV.

[Forever Young]

I've always had a good immune system as well. Since going to predominantly whole foods, it has been pretty much perfect too. Not so much as a cold much less the flu in a few years. My nearly lifelong spring allergies have been all but gone (99%) the past two springs. They weren't enough to speak of really and that's no small thing. I would have at least 5 or so debilitating days every year.

I don't think there is any question that providing your body with the things it really needs, will increase immunity in pretty much everyone from one degree to another.

To the OP, if you are constantly having setbacks like this when you train hard, please consider cutting back on the training days. You will NOT wither away. You will come back feeling better and stronger. Recovery is very misunderstood. It is essential to progress and your overall health. Most would do better on more than they are getting. Some need a lot more! In my experience training people, the ones who were always coming down with colds pretty much always did way better on a much less frequent schedule. They felt better, didn't get sick nearly as much and their strength increased much better.

Gotta listen to your body!! It knows what it needs and what it doesn't.

[BuffaloGrok]

Agree with ForeverYoung on the importance of rest and recovery, though I don't think 3 days a week is going to fall into the "overtraining" category. Try keeping your major lifts (Squats and Deads) on the first and last days of a cycle, leaving you the most recovery time between as these are incredibly taxing on your CNS.

I also find that a good multivitimin and optimal D3 levels are key. (I take 8,000IU per day)

Lastly, how is your sleeping schedule? I finally bough blackout curtains for my bedroom and it has made a huge difference in my sleep quality.

[yodiewan]

I found a link about overtraining via a roundabout way this morning. It started in this forum when someone posted a link to a Leangains.jp post which linked to a Bodybuilding.com thread... anyway, here it is:

Overtraining: What it is and what it isn't. And why you've stalled. - Bodybuilding.com Forums

Like BuffaloGrok said, deadlift and squat are very CNS-taxing. I've been using the 5/3/1 weightlifting template for a good while now and I like it. Every fourth week is a deload week. If you're going by the book, you use lower weight and reps but still do the lifts. If you're lazy like me, you don't even go into the gym and just do random bodyweight stuff, lol.

On a side note, I can't claim to have developed perfect immunity since going Primal. I've been eating Primal for something like 3 years now I guess, and in the past year or so, I've gotten two gastro-intestinal infections. First one was definitely Norwalk/norovirus (about 6-7 months ago). I'm not sure what the second one was (about 1 month ago), but it was pretty bad also. Super-high fever that spiked overnight. I think I had been neglecting my digestion and possibly over-training. I've dialed things back a little since that last bout and been more dilligent about getting lots of homemade broth to keep my gut happy.