Jan 29 2009

Avoid Overtraining

Posted by Zuzana - BodyRock.Tv | In Fitness Tips

The best way how to minimize the risk of overtraining is to alternate easy, moderate and hard periods of training also known as Periodization. General rules are:

1. 1 or 2 days of intense training should be followed by an equal number of easy aerobic training days

2. Getting proper sleep and rest

3. Following sensible diet and supplementation

4. Using good exercise techniques

5. Alternating your training methods

6. Avoiding all stress in your life that can have negative impact on your training

7. Taking advantage of different psychological techniques (meditation, visualization, and hypnotherapy)

8. Taking advantage of therapeutic methods



Around The Web
  • Frank

    Dear Zuzana,
    I love your site so much! Thank you for sharing with us all. I am sure many people will benefit from the information and exercises you provide here and that the whole world will be a better place as a result, ever-improving.
    I would like to mention some resources that you and others may like to consider. Mostly, these are books and are available online, and there is one web site, but it is free.
    Having variety really helps to keep you working out, in more ways than one. The Spice of Life. : D!
    Learning new exercises and mastering new movements also helps to keep your brain healthy; you develop new neural pathways, you stimulate your endocrine system.
    I personally devote at least one month continuously to learning new exercises and exercise systems. After that, my body usually remembers and I can cycle into something else. But everyone is different; that way works for me. Some exercises take many years to become competent in, for example some types of yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong.
    Proper rest and internal development are just as important as muscular and cardiovascular fitness. Yoga, meditation, many types of Qi Gong, pranayama, are all examples of internal development. Your internal organs support you through you entire life and keeping them healthy is every bit as important as keeping physically fit; arguably, you can only be as physically fit as your internal organs are. Being aware of, understanding, and controlling your thoughts and emotions with their concomitant cascading ramifications physically and endocrinally is part of internal development. It can be very subtle but also very profound.
    Thank you for all your efforts and for sharing with us. May you prosper and flourish in all you do. The resources are listed below.
    Good Life!
    Frank
    Pavel Tsatsouline: For understanding periodization and an iconaclastic but very effective perspective on strength training
    in general.
    Power To The People
    Beyond Bodybuilding

    Ross Enamait: For excellent research on training and for tried and true methods of training, especially for martial artists.
    Never Gymless

    For yoga: Perhaps the two best yoga books available.
    Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
    Light on Yoga by B. K. S. Iyengar

    For excellent and easy to learn Qi Gong:
    Simple Fitness Exercises by Jiawen Miao

    For great bodyweight exercises with an emphasis on isometrics and “dynamic tension:”
    Every Woman’s Guide to Personal Power by Wendie Pett
    Pushing Yourself to Power by John Peterson
    The Miracle Seven by John Peterson and Wendie Pett

    For a great exercise system anyone can do anywhere:
    Muscle Building In Six Months by Swama Shivanand Teerth, only available online, but it is free! The web site is here:

    http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/India/MB6months/mb6-1.htm
    Please don’t overlook this one!

    For a very nice set of bodyweight exercises and to learn the importance of “internal” training, take a look at Matt Furey and

    his offerings.

  • Sunny

    Dear Bodyrock.tv,

    I fear I have over-trained…I am not burnt out per se but I decided a couple of days ago to do some power yoga after one intense cardio/core session…the result of doing intense yoga without having done it in a while led me to pull a muscle in the leg…I figured if I took a day off after-wards and continued training and biking to work-all would be well…everything just kept getting more sore and now everyday I just feel exhausted…Does this mean I need to take another day off…or should I be feeling this tired? I am used to pushing myself…but I want to listen to my body…what do you think?

    Thank you! :)

    • http://www.bodyrock.tv/ Zuzana – BodyRock.Tv

      Hi Sunny,
      you should take a whole week off, because if you keep putting stress on a pulled muscles or other injury, it will just get worse. Your body is telling your that you are tired and you need to take it easy. You don’t have to stop being active. Just go for long walks, you can try swimming or even pilates that are famous for helping with injuries like yours.

  • Sunny

    Thank you Zuzana…I will do this…Though its kind of a bummer…I was really getting into a regular planned exercise regime. :( haha-ah well-I can start again next week! :)

  • Sunny

    Thanks Zuzana-Sound advice as always-This seems to be consistent with everything else I have read-Do you know though-is it okay to still work out other muscle groups (such as my abs)? Or does my whole body need to rest in order to facilitate recovery?

    • http://www.bodyrock.tv/ Zuzana – BodyRock.Tv

      Hi Sunny, abs are a small muscle group that recovers faster then the big muscle groups so you can work them way more and more often. Just make sure that you don’t exercise to exhaustion.

  • Jamie

    Hi Zuzana, You are amazing and inspiring. I was wondering how many days a week I should take for rest (no workouts at all). I don’t feel that I need any but everyone I talk to says you need two off per week in order for your muscles to regenerate. Thank you!

    • http://www.bodyrock.tv/ Zuzana – BodyRock.Tv

      Hi jamie,

      this is individual and it depends on how does your exercise program for the week look like. If you vary the exercises, length of your workouts and/or intensity, than you can exercise everyday. You have to listen to your body. If you feel that your energy is low, then you might need to take rest. I think that light workout or some light activity is better then no activity at all. I workout 5 times a week, and I try to be active in different ways on the 2 remaining days – just to change it up.

  • Jamie

    Thanks Zuzana, that’s kind of what I’ve been doing :) I appreciate your advice!

  • Kandi Crawford

    Ohhh, I thought you worked out 6 days a week and had one active day of rest, Zuzana. Because i have been trying to do that and yeah…i may have overtrained. Plus i don’t get enough sleep. Eee. It’s 11:40 I should go to bed…college in the morning!! Thank you your’e amaziiiinnng :)

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