Comments on: Dear Mark: Weightlifting Weary http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/ Serving up health and fitness insights (daily, of course) with a side of irreverence. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:01:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Weightlifting Routines http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-38759 Weightlifting Routines Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:20:34 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-38759 We have all been there. At one point I followed a 6 day per week routine published by some professional bodybuilder. I also tried double sessions, 4 days a week. In all cases I became worn down and burnt out. Recovery is what makes muscles grow. Try a 3 day per week, full body training routine, using varieties on the basic exercises deadlift, bench press, squat, overhead press, pullup, row, and situp. Also, don't forget to eat. We have all been there. At one point I followed a 6 day per week routine published by some professional bodybuilder. I also tried double sessions, 4 days a week. In all cases I became worn down and burnt out. Recovery is what makes muscles grow. Try a 3 day per week, full body training routine, using varieties on the basic exercises deadlift, bench press, squat, overhead press, pullup, row, and situp.

Also, don’t forget to eat.

]]> By: Mark’s Daily Apple » Blog Archive http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-32016 Mark’s Daily Apple » Blog Archive Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:07:02 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-32016 [...] Dear Mark: Weightlifting Weary - Feb. 11 [...] [...] Dear Mark: Weightlifting Weary - Feb. 11 [...]

]]> By: Charles http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-29700 Charles Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:13:28 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-29700 Stu: I'm 56, and I've gone through the same cycle. But I've seen overtraining in 20- and 30-something professional athletes who trained more than 4 times a week, so it doesn't necessarily mean you're getting old! At least I hope not. I'm pretty sure I just read some research that indicated that even people in their 90s could put on muscle through weight training, though not as fast as younger people. So I'm hoping that maybe we'll never reach that point of diminishing returns. I'm definitely finding that variety and intensity are keys. I never do the same workout twice in a row, I vary between sprints in the pool, short, intense weight workouts, some hill-walking or running outside, monofin workouts in the pool. But following to some extent Art DeVaney's approach (and Tabatha training principles) I rarely workout more than 20-30 minutes per workout. I have never been stronger or more fit. But that's just me, and everyone is different. Although it seems like more and more research is coming out supporting the short, intense effort approach, with intermittency and good rest periods. I know (as I alluded to in a post above) that I would go to the gym for a lot of reasons other than hypertrophy of muscles. And working out too long or too often as a result of other motivations would lead to, as you mentioned, overtraining, injuries, or illness. So it's kind of a complex interreationship of a lot of factors. And I think that's a result of the fact that we are trying to artificially reproduce conditions that used to be (in our hunter-gatherer days) simply a fact of life. Stu: I’m 56, and I’ve gone through the same cycle. But I’ve seen overtraining in 20- and 30-something professional athletes who trained more than 4 times a week, so it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting old! At least I hope not.

I’m pretty sure I just read some research that indicated that even people in their 90s could put on muscle through weight training, though not as fast as younger people. So I’m hoping that maybe we’ll never reach that point of diminishing returns.

I’m definitely finding that variety and intensity are keys. I never do the same workout twice in a row, I vary between sprints in the pool, short, intense weight workouts, some hill-walking or running outside, monofin workouts in the pool. But following to some extent Art DeVaney’s approach (and Tabatha training principles) I rarely workout more than 20-30 minutes per workout. I have never been stronger or more fit.

But that’s just me, and everyone is different. Although it seems like more and more research is coming out supporting the short, intense effort approach, with intermittency and good rest periods.

I know (as I alluded to in a post above) that I would go to the gym for a lot of reasons other than hypertrophy of muscles. And working out too long or too often as a result of other motivations would lead to, as you mentioned, overtraining, injuries, or illness.

So it’s kind of a complex interreationship of a lot of factors. And I think that’s a result of the fact that we are trying to artificially reproduce conditions that used to be (in our hunter-gatherer days) simply a fact of life.

]]> By: Stu http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-29649 Stu Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:23:18 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-29649 I'm sure everyone is different but I've found that doing 4 workouts a week leads me to overtraining and illness, and I need at least 2 in order to maintain strength. 3 seems to be optimal for me right now. I'm 51, I expect at some stage my overtraining point and my maintenance point will meet and then I will stop making progress. I guess that will be when I start getting old. I'm curious to know how others have addressed that. I know people much older than myself are still able to exercise frequently and make progress so there is hope. I know the answer lies in periodization and training a variety of modalities and I'm working on that along with nutrition and recovery. I really appreciate articles like this that help be make sense of what I'm experiencing. Stu I’m sure everyone is different but I’ve found that doing 4 workouts a week leads me to overtraining and illness, and I need at least 2 in order to maintain strength. 3 seems to be optimal for me right now. I’m 51, I expect at some stage my overtraining point and my maintenance point will meet and then I will stop making progress. I guess that will be when I start getting old. I’m curious to know how others have addressed that. I know people much older than myself are still able to exercise frequently and make progress so there is hope. I know the answer lies in periodization and training a variety of modalities and I’m working on that along with nutrition and recovery. I really appreciate articles like this that help be make sense of what I’m experiencing.

Stu

]]> By: bubba29 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-28612 bubba29 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:58:11 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-28612 it has been talked about already but i agree that one has to have variation in their training. vary exercises, weight, and rep/set schemes. i am not sure if you know this but big compound movements will give you the most bang for your buck. also, this will be hard but take a week off every once in a while. just throw on your ipod and go for a few long walks that week. your body will love you for it. it has been talked about already but i agree that one has to have variation in their training. vary exercises, weight, and rep/set schemes. i am not sure if you know this but big compound movements will give you the most bang for your buck.

also, this will be hard but take a week off every once in a while. just throw on your ipod and go for a few long walks that week. your body will love you for it.

]]> By: carla http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-28577 carla Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:15:03 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/training-rest-periods/#comment-28577 you are so right...Ill never forget when I first discovered my love for weight training (ahhh youth. about 14-15 years ago!). I enjoyed it so much I did it every day. the same exercises (who knew?). I GREWGREW for about a month and then--duh--commenced both getting smaller and feeling horrible. C. you are so right…Ill never forget when I first discovered my love for weight training (ahhh youth. about 14-15 years ago!).
I enjoyed it so much I did it every day.
the same exercises (who knew?).
I GREWGREW for about a month and then–duh–commenced both getting smaller and feeling horrible.

C.

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