Restlessness, unusually high heart rates, decreased performance and an increased occurrence of the common cold are symptoms of overtraining. Overtraining occurs when your body can't repair, remodel and grow cells because you exercise too much or too intensely -- which affects you mentally, physically and emotionally. Bodybuilding requires a rigorous program of resistance training for as many as six days per week. Bodybuilders also strive to lose body fat with a hefty dose of cardio. Planning your training sessions, meals, stress-relieving activities and uninterrupted sleep will help you avoid overtraining as a bodybuilder.
Cycle Your Training
Step 1
Design your bodybuilding schedule so you focus on a high volume of resistance training for five weeks with a low volume of cardiovascular training; this optimizes your physiological adaptations to build muscle without predisposing you to an overtraining state as you also try to lose body fat.
Step 2
Perform no more than six to eight hours of resistance training over three to six days; ensure you work each muscle group one day per week to avoid overtraining. Complete three 30-minute sessions of aerobic exercise at a light-to-moderate intensity -- this is more for your cardiovascular health than to lose body fat. Do these aerobic sessions on your non-weight-training days or on days you work your biceps, triceps or shoulders.
Step 3
Focus on losing body fat with a lowered volume of resistance training and a higher volume of aerobic exercise after your five-week cycle of building muscle. Decrease your resistance training to three to four hours per week over three days. Increase your aerobic workouts to five to six hours per week or one hour every day.
Step 4
Take two to three consecutive days off all exercise and vigorous work and then repeat your alternating cycles of mass-building and fat-burning workouts. Incorporate a few new exercises in your resistance-training program and do two types of aerobic exercises to avoid overtraining.
Eat and Sleep
Step 1
Multiply your weight in kilograms by 50 calories if you are a man or multiply your weight in kilograms by 44 calories if you are a woman. Add 350 to 700 more calories to the product, ensuring you eat as many calories to grow your muscle cells.
Step 2
Consume nutrient-rich foods like lean meat, lean poultry, fatty fish, low-fat dairy, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and healthy fats, as they contain vitamins and minerals your body needs to perform optimally and avoid overtraining.
Step 3
Include 2 grams of protein per kilogram of your bodyweight so you have plenty of amino acids that your muscles need to repair, remodel and grow. Eat mostly high-quality protein or protein from animal-based foods. Combine brown rice with beans, seeds, nuts or wheat products as your protein sources if you do not eat animal foods.
Step 4
Eat immediately after every aerobic and resistance-training workout to quickly replenish and refuel your body, avoiding overtraining.
Step 5
Get a full night's sleep for as long as you need to feel well rested to avoid overtraining. Lack of sleep decreases your ability to focus on your workouts and it prevents your body from repairing, remodeling and growing your muscles.
Tips and Warnings
- Use a calendar to schedule your workout cycles, ensuring you follow your plan to avoid overtraining. Plan your meals on spreadsheets and prepare your food a day or two ahead of time, ensuring you have nutritious foods to eat.
- Overtraining can lead to emotional instability and difficulty concentrating. Consult a doctor before starting any exercise or diet program.
References
- "Personal Trainer Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 1997
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle; 2000
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Overtraining -- Undermining Success?; Paige Kinucan, et al.; July and August 2007
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Optimizing Resistance Exercise Adaptations Through the Timing of Post-Exercise Carbohydrate-Protein Supplementation; John Ivy, Ph.D., et al.; February 2010
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Sleep, the Athlete and Performance; Peter Hudson, Ph.D.; April 2002
