Let’s imagine a very large dude, with 30% plus bodyfat, never works out, One day, he decides to run. He runs a mile, and crashes. Aches for a week. Then run again, just 1 mile. And again. And again. Just 1 mile. It’s his limit, and when asked why he doesn’t run more, or more often, he says “I’ll feel like overtraining if I do more than that”.

Yes, if he goes for 2 miles he would feel awful the day after. Cramps in his legs, sleepy, tired. But, is he overtrained??? Or he is just undertrained overall, and the only way for him to get better is pushing himself to do more??

Or see it this way: you, David, with the right amount of time, proper nutrition and workout schedule, could be able to run a marathon (if you haven’t ever)?. The logic answer would be yes, thousands of people run marathons, but they have to train for it first. It would be tough, hard, and painful; but if you give yourself a whole year to train for it, I think you’ll agree with me that it can be done. You’ll feel tired after each training session that takes your limits further. But you will not be overtraining, you’ll be just training, right?

Overtraining as in “pushing yourself so far that it doesn’t makes a positive difference in your health/stamina, but actually harms you”.

The blog post I was talking about basically said to me to “just shut up and train”. That the word “overtraining” is reserved to proffesional athletes, who works out several hours a day (think Michael Phelps), almost everyday, Over and over. Yes, pros have better genetics, but they aren’t a different species either… That that “overtraining feeling” is actually the feeling the fat dude running just a mile is feeling when he runs 2 miles. He’s pushing his limits, it is tiring, but he can overcome it and do better.

Like there’s no way you can reach real overtraining by working out just an hour everyday. Aches and tireness, sure, but REAL overtraining? Hardly. Heck, you’ll do more work working in a farm everyday.

Just a month ago, I was trying maintenance and lifting just 2-3 days a week (for 30 minutes), and cardio for 1-2 days a week (1 hour). Recently, I shifted to a 4-5 days weightlifting (1 hour, or 90 minutes) and cardio 2-3 days (1 hour). In a good week, I workout EVERYDAY. The first week was awful, wanted to die… I was getting that “overtraining feeling” all over, but I kept at it. This week was easier, worked out everyday, and feel awesome. So maybe I was like that heavy guy running 1 mile, calling the overtraining alert to avoid pushing myself? And when I pushed myself further, my body actually adapted!

So, mentally you called the overtraining alarm and sat at that couch… you tried to tell yourself that “taking the day off is healthy because avoiding overtraining”…. excuses! You knew it. Yes, you knew it. That’s why you eventually got up and run anyway. You knew you could do it all along!

I know about guys doing 1 hour weights workouts TWICE a day. They’re cool about it. It wasn’t easy at first, but they body adapted. If they can do that, why I can’t do it 5 days a week, but half of that (just 1 hour)???? I totally can. But only if I stop reaching for the “overtraining alarm” everytime I get tired.

What are your thoughts about this?