Overtraining Concerns Answered

ALRIGHTY!!!! WOOOOW!

Overtraining is the topic at hand. There are several steps that lead up to overtraining. First is called overreaching. This is just training hard with limited rest but not yet to the point of severe physiological harm. Some programs include overreaching, as research has shown that overreaching can result in some gains. The gains only come with proper rest periods. HINT!

Several times I have been asked by clients “Am I doing too much?” This is not a black and white answer.  In most cases I know the person and I know what they are doing. So, my answer is usually “No!” My clients know I am a firm believer in tough training and pushing hard in the moment. They also have never heard me suggest exercising seven days a week.

So at what point do you continue working or rest? First it depends on your goals, history, program, and several other things. However, for this conversation lets keep it as basic as possible. Ways to prevent overtraining syndrome.

Lets talk about the 2-a-days!

I know several athletes and teams that train 2 times a day. Heck, I did this when I was in high school. Is this a safe thing to do? The answer is subjective, but usually yes when dealing with athletes and a solid program. But as far as the average Joe, the answer is usually still yes. I do not recommend 2-a-days more then twice a week (Not referring to athletes). While, having at least 3 rest days through the week. It can be very stressful on the body. If planning on working-out twice a day, I would do your resistance (lifting weights) first then cardio for the second workout. The reason being simple, keep more energy for the harder, more demanding workout.

Remember, I am talking about individuals who have been exercising or have recently increased their amount of exercise.  If you just started your adventure of exercise and your training 3 or less days. This might just be normal feelings. However, if extensive psychological or physiological changes occur, see a doc!

When too think about taking a couple days of rest…

Psychological:

-       Anytime you notice your mood has taken a negative turn. Especially when thinking about exercise. Depression, anger, anxiety, tension

-       Loss of motivation

Physiological:

-       Prolonged soreness

-       Plateau (weight loss or muscle, strength gain)

-       Insomnia

-       Random Injuries or sore spots

With everyone I train with I express the importance of rest. Recovery can make all the difference in your gains. ALSO, proper nutrition will help with tolerance to overreaching.

Things to think about:

There is an increase risk for overtraining when proper tolerance has not been built up. This can happen a lot with those stubborn old guys who just want to lift as much weight and reps as they can. NOT A SAFE APPROACH! If you are working with a trainer, please make sure they don’t just throw hundreds or sets and reps at your face! Always test and challenge your trainer!  There are proper steps when conditioning the muscles.

I have covered the subject of recover and rest. I did not talk much about proper recovery and rest though. A good friend and awesome trainer named Tim Arndt has a good article about Sleep and recovery I encourage you to take a look at!

Link:

Tim's Article

I have also talked about proper nutrition. As my clients know, I am not a nutritionist. I give guidance, but nothing too amazing. Erin Kuh, is NUTRITION! Check her out and ask her the tough questions!

Link:

Erin Kuh

Like always, let me know your thoughts! THANKS EVERYONE!!!

Tim Schultz

Fitness and Strength Coach

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/TimSchultzFitnessandStrength 

Preview of Circuit Training

Check out blog on blog on HIIT

Here is a Preview of a typical Boot Camp Session:

Number before the exercise refers to minutes.

Round 1
Lower Body:
1-Kettle bell squats
1-Squat hops
1-Kettle bell squats
1-Squat Hops

Upper Body:
2-Hold straight bar up: Every 20 seconds do 8 upward presses.
2-Hold bar at bicep curl 90 degree angle: every 20 seconds do 8 curls.

Cardio:
1-Burpies
1-Mountain climbers
1-Burpies
1-Moutnain climbers

Round 2
Lower body:
1-Kettle bell lunges
1-Box jumps
1-Kettle bell lunges
1-Box Jumps

Upper Body:
2-25 lb weight help down, arms extended every 20 seconds 8 high pulls
2-14 lb medicine ball wall toss ups. As many as possible.

Cardio:
2-Seated Row. No slower then a determined speed
2-stair climbs

Round 3
Lower Body:
1-Single leg squats
1-Kettle bell RDL
1-Single let squats
1-Kettle bell RDL

Upper Body:
1-Push ups
1-Rope, sled pulls, arm use only
1- Push ups
1-Rope, sled pulls, arm use only

Cardio:
1-Kettle bell swings
1-25 lb sled push
1-Kettle bell swing
1-25 lb sled push

Core:
1-Planks, Alternating leg lifted
30 reps-Single leg jack knife
20 reps-Single let Hip Thrust
1-Planks, Alternating leg lifted
30 resp-Single leg jack knife
20 reps-Single leg hip thrust

Thanks everyone

Please post any responses

Tim Schultz

Fitness and Strength Coach

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/TimSchultzFitnessandStrength 

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Review

Hello again! This week’s topic is High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT. Lately I have been running some boot camps. It seems boot camps, circuit training and cross-training are all blowing up the fitness industry. With their popularity, comes research. I wanted to understand more about these types of training on a physiological level. I also wanted to break down some important aspects of HIIT.

This blog came at a fairly convenient time also. I just got a new issue of Idea Fitness Journal and the main article is about HIIT! So I am providing an Article review.

Like I said before. I have been running boot camps at my gym (AXIOM). They are designed as:

3- Stations

1)   Lower body
2)   Upper body

3)   Cardio

4- Minutes at each station

3- Rounds

5- Minute core workout at

I feel this provides a challenging workout and it also keeps things fun and exciting. It covers full body workout and provides strength, power and cardio in each session. Here is a preview of a how I might organize a boot camp. 

So why do people choose to do HIIT? I believe there are 3 major reasons. The first is because it is fun (depending on who you are). The second is because it is challenging! And the third is it is time effective. But what if HIIT provided little health benefits, would people continue to do it? I still believe the answer is yes, because of the 3 major reasons I just put. Little bit of circle action there.

Ok, lets get to the point. On a physiological level, why do people do HIIT? “HIIT is intriguing because, according to current research, it can yield a broad range of physiological gains, often in less time than high-volume continuous exercise” (Zuhl & Kravitz, 2012). So pretty much what this is saying is that if you want physiological changes to happen at a quicker rate. It might be best to try HIIT. I will clear this up more below.

A study showed that in an 8-week HIIT program there were substantial gains with cardiac output and VO2Max efficiency (Zuhl & Kravitz, 2012). This study showed an increase in muscle mass and contractile strength of the heart. This allows the heart to work at a lower intensity as the rest of the body works at a high intensity. An increase in VO2Max can help in many different areas of health. It can help reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases and is helps the body absorb oxygen more efficiently.

BUT WHAT ABOUT STRENGTH!! HIIT can also help with strength and energy system development. Research shows that with an effective HIIT program there will be an increase in mitochondria. An increase in Mitochondria means an increase in ATP, which in turn creates more energy for the muscular system to use (Zuhl & Kravitz, 2012). This will allow muscles to work longer with greater force production.

BUT I WANT TO LOSE BODY FAT!!!! HIIT has also ben shown to increase the levels of fat oxidation. Because of the physical demands of HIIT, individuals will not only burn an increased amount of calories during the activity, but also after the exercise has stopped (compared to endurance training) (Zuhl & Kravitz, 2012). So what this is saying is that, compared to endurance training, HIIT will also have a high burning of calories even after the exercise session has ended.  This is due to the physiological effect of high intensity exercise on the muscular system.

WARNING: HIIT training can be very physically demanding. Make sure that your trainer clearly understands your limits and abilities. The last thing you want is some half ass trainer to get you injured and set you back further from your goal. HIIT training shouldn’t be the first choice by individuals who are just getting back into the swing of things. First build your strength and resistance up before pushing your body 90 percent of your ability.

I hope this was some great information. I encourage everyone to try HIIT and see if it is a good fit for you. There is no real age limit to HIIT training, just know your limits and abilities and always practice good technique.

Thanks everyone

Please post any responses

Tim Schultz

Fitness and Strength Coach

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/TimSchultzFitnessandStrength 

References:

Zuhl, M., & Kravitz, L. (2012). Hiit vs. continuous endurance training: Battle of the aerobic titans. Idea Fitness Journal, 9(2), 34-40.

Motivation

First off, sorry this blog has taken me a while to post. I just finished college so I’m still very good at procrastinating. Anyways, with this blog I will be simply describing some factors of motivation and how we can help keep ourselves motivated. This does not just relate to exercise. This should relate to other aspects of life.

I do understand the irony of procrastinating when creating a blog about motivation. I am human, and still have areas I need to work on. So, no calling me out!

MOTIVATION!!! When you think of motivation do you think of Bob from the biggest loser yelling at you? Someone pushing you too your bitter ends? Or maybe music, weight loss, weight gain, personal looks, or just mastering a subject. Whatever it is we do. There is an aspect of motivation involved.

To better understand motivation we need to break it down a little more. There are two main subgroups of motivation, Extrinsic and Intrinsic. Both of these subgroups have their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to keeping us motivated.

Intrinsic Motivation can simply be known as the feel good factor. Have you ever been asked why you workout? Now there may be many answers, but was one of them “It makes me feel good.” This is an intrinsic factor associated with the action. As we build on our intrinsic factors we enter a zone known as Autonomy. Increased autonomy motives will result in increased actions of that behavior (Lewis and Sutton, 2011). This is simply saying that as we further experience that “feel good” feeling from exercise we are more likely to have it turn into a routine that we choose to do. This in turn will be more sustainable and a life long process.

Extrinsic Motivation is caused by the received outcome. This can be associated with rewards and disincentives. How many times have we heard about athletes who have problems finding a team who will pay their requested salary? Then they just cry all over Sport Center! Can you say, ANNOYING! I have millions of dollars, but I just want a couple million more, or I won't play the sport I love! This begins to pull away from Intrinsic and autonomy. For the love of the game! Just a random quote, but it has deep meaning that Extrinsic Motivation pulls us away from.

The reason I got into personal training and performance was because I wanted to help others. I get an amazing feeling when I see others push hard and reach their goals. This is my Intrinsic Motivation for what I do. With my job; money and pressure of maintaining are my Extrinsic Motivations. With life there are going to be many reasons why we choose to do what we do.

Take Away Points:

Find your Intrinsic Motivations! Build on them!

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivations are good for short term goals, but don’t let the Extrinsic factors take over.

Stop comparing yourself to others! Seeing your own results is going to be the best motivations you can get.

LOVE YOURSELF! YOU CAN DO IT! Push yourself and take pride in what you're doing. I don’t care if you start off just working out 5 minutes a day. You are taking the right steps! Keep going!

I know there are many more aspects of motivation. Just like almost anything, it can be broken down and explained more. I am not an expert in this field, so don't judge too much. Please post your opinions.

What keeps you motivated and why?

Thanks everyone for the support!

Tim Schultz
Fitness and Strength Coach

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/TimSchultzFitnessandStrength 

Reference List:

Lewis M, Sutton A. Understanding Exercise Behaviour: Examining the Interaction of Exercise Motivation and Personality in Predicting Exercise Frequency. Journal Of Sport Behavior [serial online]. March 2011;34(1):82-97. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed February 22, 2012.

Introduction

Personal Intro:

My name is Tim Schultz. I have been interested in fitness my whole life. When I first got into college I was not sure what I wanted to do. I knew I didn't want to go into business and I was not the best at math or writing. Sports and athletics always seemed to be my calling. I started off interested in Athletic Training. The next year I switched my degree to Sports Science. I spent some time as a Strength Coach for the University of Idaho. After receiving my degree I completed an internship with the Spokane Shock arena football team. Currently I am a Fitness and Strength coach at Axiom Performance in Meridian, Idaho. 

Purpose of my blogs:

The main ideas behind the blogs are to help educate others. I also want to create a strong networking so I can stay on top of current topics and research. My goal is to be the best name in strength and conditioning. Staying educated and advancing my knowledge will help push me towards my goal. I want to create and follow programs that have strong scientific evidence and backing. Through this process I hope to create blogs that are not only educational, but also valid and fun to read!

This is to serve as an experiment blog to make sure I know what I am doing! 

Any questions feel free to ask! 

Thanks everyone for the support! Please spread the word! 

Tim Schultz

Fitness and Strength Coach

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/TimSchultzFitnessandStrength

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/#!/Tim_Schultz_FSC