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Weight Loss Exercise

How to Avoid Overtraining

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Almost anyone that’s picked up a set of weights has or will experience symptoms of over-training at one point in there muscle building program. Over-training can lead to serious injury, chronic fatigue, and even muscle loss.

Over-training is very common amongst athletes and particularly bodybuilders, since they figure that training as much as possible is the fastest way to massive muscle gains.

This couldn’t be any further from the truth however…

Training too much, or at too high of an intensity will lead to over-training.

How to Avoid Overtraining

According to Vince Delmonte who is a competitive fitness model and personal trainer, as well as the author of No-Nonsense Muscle Building,

Now this doesn’t mean you don’t have to put plenty of effort in to see some decent results… Whether you are a bodybuilder, athlete, or just someone that wants to add some additional mass to your frame, you need to train hard and be consistent-that’s a given. In order to get the most out of your genetics, you have to progressively overload the muscles by increasing the weight and / or intensity of each weight training workout.

The problem is however, that many of us increase the intensity of our workouts or get insufficient amounts of rest, or even worse, a combination of both. The trick is finding the right balance between workout volume and intensity, and rest and recovery. And that is exactly what I’ll cover in this article.

The Effects of Over-Training on Bodybuilders

First, let’s take a look at some of the effects of over-training and how one can prevent over-training from happening in the first place.

The Effects of Over-training on the Nervous System

Over-training effects both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the following negative ways:

  • Higher resting heart rate
  • Weak appetite
  • High blood pressure
  • Weight loss
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Increased metabolic rate
  • Irritability
  • Early onset of fatigue

If you are experiencing more than one of the symptoms outlined above, you may be in a state of over-training, and should evaluate your routine as soon as possible.

The Effects of Over-training on Hormone Levels

Many studies have indicated that over-training negatively effects the levels of hormones, as well as the hormone response in the body. Since hormones play such an important role in the muscle building process, this can have a detrimental effect on your training progress.

Over-training has been show to:

  • Decrease testosterone levels
  • Decrease thyroxine levels
  • Increase cortisol levels

The increase in cortisol levels along with the decrease in testosterone levels is a deadly combination, since this leads to protein tissue break down. This will ultimately lead to a loss of muscle tissue.

The Effects of Over-training on the Immune System

Perhaps one of the most alarming repercussions of over-training is it’s negative impact on the immune system-you’re bodies first defense against harmful viruses and bacteria.

Over-training can drastically decrease the levels of antibodies and lymphocytes in your body, making you much more susceptible to illness. Simply put, this means that if you are in a state of over-training, you are much more likely to get sick. Since you will have to skip workouts while you are sick, your muscle building progress will slow considerably.

The Effects of Over-training on the Metabolic System

Here is a list of how over-training can effect the metabolic system. These symptoms are the ones that are most commonly discussed, and are ones we can’t ignore:

  • Micro tears in the muscle
  • Chronically depleted glycogen levels
  • Slow, weak muscle contractions
  • Depleted creatine phosphate stores
  • Excessive accumulation of lactic acid
  • Extreme DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)
  • Tendon and connective tissue damage

So you must get the point by now… Over-training effects the entire body, and can seriously impact the results of your muscle building program.

Now let’s take a look at the different types of over-training, and what we can do to prevent it.

Is it Worse to Over-Train With Cardio or Weight Training?

Any form of over-training is a bad thing, however, I’ve personally experienced both types of over-training and can honestly say that over-training in the weight room is much worse, and much more prevalent than over-training through cardiovascular training.

Here are some of the reasons why:

  1. In order to grow, muscles must fully recover from their last workout, every workout. If you are over-training and work the muscles before they have fully recovered, you will break down the muscle tissue before it has rebuilt-making it impossible to build muscle!
  2. Over-training with weights makes you more susceptible to nervous systems hormone and immune system issues, which all pose serious health risks.
  3. It can lead beginners down the wrong path, perhaps wasting money on unnecessary supplements, or even worse, steroids.

I personally believe that only competitive athletes such as swimmers, runners and bikers run a serious risk of reaching a state of cardiovascular over-training, since there are often training for two or more hours daily.

The bottom line is that it is much easier for the average person to over-train while weight training than while cardiovascular training, and I think the effects can be more serious.

How do I Determine if I’m Over-training?

Determining if you’re currently over-training is fairly simple. If you’re in tune with your body, you can often see the signs of over-training before they get serious. If you are losing interest in workouts, are having trouble sleeping, and feel weak and irritable, you may be in a state of over-training and should take a week or more off.

If you are experiencing two or more of the symptoms outlined earlier in the article, this should raise a red flag.

Another variable you can use to determine if you are over-training is by tracking the performance of your workouts.

Has your physical performance improved compared to your last workout?

For example, let’s say last workout you were able to perform 8 pull-ups using your body-weight, but were only able to perform 6 pull-ups the following week. This means that you have not “out done” your previous workout, have not fully recovered, and therefore are likely over-training. You nave to re-asses your program and make modifications so that you see progress every workout.

How Can I Prevent Over-training?

n order to avoid over-training, you need to take a multi-facited approach. Determining the correct training volume and intensity, eating the right foods, and getting the right amount of rest and recovery must all be taken in to consideration. Now let’s take a look at each of those factors in more detail.

Correct Training Volume

Determining the correct training volume can be difficult, especially when you are first starting out. You have to determine how much weight to lift, how many repetitions and set to perform for every single workout.

You need to use your own judgment in this case, based on your recovery ability and your recovery methods. Remember that the goal is that you improve every single workout, and if this isn’t happening, you have to decrease the intensity of your workouts.

This is where many people go wrong though. You begin your workout and realize that you have not fully recovered. You can either continue to train at a lower intensity than the previous workout, or skip the workout entirely.

As hard as it may be, skipping the workout is the right way to go. Just turn around and go home! Your body is telling you that it needs more rest, and you must listen to it!

There is no point in training at a lower intensity, further breaking down the muscle tissue. By doing this you will increase your risk of injury, and make it harder for your body to fully recovery for your next training session.

Proper Nutrition

Your diet plays a huge role in your muscle building program. It helps regulate hormone levels, provides energy, and provides the raw building blocks that are used to create new tissue.

Here are some dietary recommendations that will limit the chance of over-training:

  • Do not skip breakfast. This is one of the most important meals of the day. Skipping breakfast is very catabolic, and can promote muscle loss.
  • Never let yourself get hungry. If you’re trying to build muscle mass, you have to constantly feed your body quality foods so that it never has the chance catabolize muscle tissue.
  • Unless you are trying to build muscle and lose fat, make sure you have eaten prior to your training session and are not hungry.
  • Have the largest meal of the day within an hour after your workout. Do this every single workout!
  • Consider taking proven supplements like creatine, and antioxidants to increase performance and fight free radicals.
  • Eat every 2-3 hours to ensure that your body remains in an anabolic state.
  • Keep glycogen levels at full capacity to inhibit muscle tissue breakdown.

Rest Recovery

Rest and recovery is essential when it comes to avoiding over-training. Make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, and that you are on a consistent schedule. As for recovery time, it’s important that you have days off between weight training workouts. Try to have one rest day between weight training workouts, and never train the same muscle groups on consecutive days.

 

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Weight Loss Exercise

Calorie burning exercises

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 1000 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.



Calorie burning exercises are all around us and we need to look at the best way to use our time to burn the calories from the food that we eat.For an individual who is overweight, exercising to lose that weight is one of the most rewarding activities you will ever embark upon.  However, there are literally thousands of activities you can do to burn calories. Don’t think that it is just your workout that is burning calories as there are many calorie burning exercises and activities.

What Calorie Burning Exercises do You Choose?

Calorie burning exercises

Calorie burning exercises with Stationary Bike

It can be intimidating, to say the least, wondering where to start with such a varied array of exercises.  There are certain activities, though, that can take calorie burning to a whole different level. Listed below are the top X ways to burn calories (note: number of calories burned per activity assume a body weight of 150 pounds and exercise time of 30 minutes).

These activities can be split up into three general groups: Gym activities, training and sports activities, and daily life activities.

The top gym activities for burning calories

  • Vigorously riding a stationary bicycle — 358 calories
  • Step aerobics using a ten to twelve inch step — 341 calories
  • Stairstep machine without using the hand rails — 307 calories
  • Vigorously using a stationary rowing machine — 289 calories
  • Step aerobics using a six to eight inch step — 289 calories
  • General vigorous calisthenics — 273 calories
  • Using an elliptical trainer — 245 calories

The top training and sports activities for burning calories

  • Running at ten mph — 545 calories
  • Bicycle lane at twenty miles an hour — 545 calories
  • Rollerblading — 426 calories
  • Bicycling at sixteen to nineteen miles an hour — 409 calories
  • Running at seven miles an hour — 392 calories
  • Bicycling at fifteen miles an hour — 341 calories
  • Vigorously swimming laps — 341 calories
  • Practicing Martial Arts — 341 calories
  • Running at five miles an hours — 307 calories
  • Playing competetive football — 307 calories
  • BMX or mountain biking — 290 calories
  • Vigorously downhill skiing — 282 calories

The top daily life activities for burning calories

  • Moving household furniture — 205 calories
  • Shoveling snow — 205 calories
  • Mowing lawn with a push mower — 187 calories
  • Digging dirt — 170 calories
  • Hanging storm windows — 170 calories
  • Caulking windows — 153 calories
  • Playing moderately active child games — 136 calories
  • Bathing your dog — 119 calories
  • Vacuuming — 119 calories
  • Washing your car — 102 calories
  • Reading a book — 34 calories
  • Sleeping — 31 calories

As you can see, there are a number of activities which can be employed to lose weight.  The most effective exercises may not be a surprise to you — running, bicycling, and step aerobics are at the top.  But you may have been surprised to read that you can burn 136 calories just by playing with the child for a half hour.  By using this list you will be able to custom tailor your workout routine to your exact needs.


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Weight Loss Exercise

How to Cope With Depression

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Are you wondering how to cope with depression? Depression affects several of our everyday activities including our work, studies and relationships with others. People with depression do not just get better overnight, especially those that suffer from major bouts of depression. It is equally important to know how to cope with depression as it is to get treated for it. If you are ready to start coping with your depression, here are a few tips.

How to Cope With Depression

Have a Support Group – It is very helpful to have friends or family you can reach out to at any given time to talk about your feelings. Having an outlet in this form makes it easier as you feel the love and support from others. Your support group can help you in how to cope with depression.

How to Cope With Depression

How to Cope With Depression

Stick to the Plan – Stick to the therapy sessions and medication your doctor has prescribed for you. While it may not seem to work at first, continuing with the prescribed treatment will eventually reap its benefits. In the meantime, resolving to go through with therapy can help you get strength on coping with depression.

Have an Outlet – Having a way to express frustration, sadness or extreme emotions is a way of how to cope with depression. Go into art or pick up a hobby. Occupying your time with these activities can take your mind off your depression. Make time for these hobbies so you can withdraw yourself from stressful situations regularly.

Start Changing your Lifestyle – Change your dietary habits. Eating a balanced meal can help you cope with depression. Natural food such as fruits and vegetables contain nutrients that our body needs for its chemical balance. This in turn helps our body cope better with stress.

Having a regular exercise routine is also a good way to fight stress. Physical activity releases hormones and other substances that naturally make our body feel good. It also boosts immunity making us less prone to illnesses.

How to Cope With Depression Using Therapy

Coping with depression means preparing your mind and body to overcome depression. While you are on your therapy it is important to make sure that you are able to withstand the different sources of stress which can intensify depression.

Reach out and ask help from your physician and your friends and family. They’ll be able to guide you on how to cope with depression and help you on your way to recovery.

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