Bodybuilding And Overtraining
Graeme Ramsey
One of the biggest problems a newbie bodybuilder faces is
determining how much to train. When they start a bodybuilding
program, after having never exercised with weights before, the
body generally responds relatively fast. The new bodybuilder
can see gains in muscle size and a firming of the body within
the first few weeks and this encourages them to train harder.
This is where the problems start to begin. After the initial
burst of muscle development, the body will begin to plateau for
a while, and increasing the training will only lead to a case of
over training. Over training occurs when the muscles haven't had
sufficient time for recovery.
When the muscles are subject to weight training, the main
process of development occurs during the recovery period when
the muscle cells are rebuilt, to cope with the increased
demands of the weight lifting. It is during this 'rebuilding'
process that the muscles become bigger, and without sufficient
recovery the muscles won't have time to rebuild the cells.
This leads to the muscle getting over worked and growth is
stunted. Without the correct knowledge, the newbie bodybuilder
thinks that they need to train even harder to maintain the
gains that they were seeing in the initial stages of their
weight lifting program. Thus begins the downward spiral of more
and more over training, and the resultant lack of muscle growth
and fatigue.
With correct guidance the bodybuilder will be able to see when
they are getting into a state of over training and allow
themself a little more time to recover. This might involve
having a few days rest from exercise, or more rest days between
training sessions. Alternatively, the over trained bodybuilder
might need to reduce the amount of weights lifted during a
training session.
Reducing the intensity of the training will help to eliminate
the possibility of injury and other health related problems as
the body's immune system is put under stress.
People who are just beginning bodybuilding for the first time
need to be made aware of this process before they start
training so they can plan their weight lifting program in such
a manner that they will continue to see gains in muscle size
and fitness and reduce the possibility of the plateau periods
where they appear to be making little or no progress.
About The Author: Graeme Ramsey - For more bodybuilding advice
go to
http://www.the-male-bodybuilder.com
See Also:
Index of All Body Building & Fitness Articles
Index of All Sports Articles
Search for More Sports Related Info
